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Tips for a fragrant home

fragranthomes

Is your home fragrant? Or does it, umm, smell?

I remember an apartment we lived in that had a peculiar masala smell. Even if there were no spices used for a while, this spicy, very Indian odour lingered in the hallways, giving you a stunning olfactory greeting you as soon as you entered. We tried everything – opening the windows, deep cleaning the upholstery, using an exhaust fan. In the end we gave up – perhaps the flavours of the spice were ingrained in the walls, designed to chase us forever.

While we battled with spicey-odours (a big issue with Indian homes), your home might have another smell all of its own. Maybe your home smells musty and damp, or the smell of cigarette smoke lurks everywhere in your home and car. In the monsoon, our 200-year old home has a distinct rainy smell – one you would expect with wooden beams and floors.

At least we are saved from spicey-odours here, thank goodness.

While scented candles and essential oils are always a good idea, here are four more ways to keep your home fragrant all year long (and especially during the festival season):

  • Bring in the fragrant houseplants: Grow houseplants with fragrant flowers (rose, jasmine, gardenia) or plants and herbs that leave you breathless in a good way (eucalyptus, thyme, lavender).
  • Boil a pan of water and add a few sticks of cinnamon and a sprinkling of cloves to give the air a welcoming flavour. Cinnamon is a spice, yes, but gentle enough for the home.
  • Bake bread or cookies or something equally delectable. Not only will your house smell great, but now you have something home-made and delicious to offer your guests!
  • Don’t cook foods with strong odours. Okay, maybe that is taking things a bit too far, but if you must, open all the windows, use a fan to disperse smells and use an air-freshener. Try one from Godrej Aer’s new range and #changetheair in your house.
      Enjoy!
            (This post was written for the new GodrejAer campaign.)

          1 comment:

          A Sunny Yellow Window said...

          Baking goodies is my fave... Home smells like heaven on that day :-)

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