A Summary of Scents
An Introduction to Forms of Liquid and Solid Home Fragrance
You can find a huge array of scents for home or office - in various forms - from nearly every kind of retailer.
When most baby boomers were growing up, houses and offices were scented with eucalyptus leaves, air freshener sprays, or nothing at all. Eucalyptus was credited with warding off flu symptoms, sinus ailments, and cockroaches. In addition, these strong-smelling leaves scented an entire room with a pungent aroma that delighted some visitors (and in other cases, exacerbated allergy symptoms). Today we’re not limited to eucalyptus leaves. There’s a world of fragrance options out there waiting to freshen your atmosphere and lift your mood.
Solid Scents
Potpourri: This is a mixture of dried flowers, fruit seeds, and spices. May be simmered in solid or liquid form, contained in lace, fabric, or paper as a sachet, or left open in a bowl or basket. Good for any room. Scent lasts from three to six months. Available at craft stores, grocery stores, department stores, gift shops, most retail outlets, and online.
Soaps: Glycerin soaps tend to be more fragrant. Not all soaps are made to add scent. Facial and moisturizing soaps usually are functional, not fragrant. Good for freshening bathrooms. Scent lasts up to one year. Available at gift shops, specialty stores, craft stores, and online.
Candles: Choose candles from a large variety of fragrances, colors, sizes, and shapes. Votive, pillar and jar varieties suit different needs. All scented candles smell when burning; better candles smell even when not lit. Candles are good for any room in the house. Scent should last the life of the candle. Never leave lit candles unattended. (For entertaining outdoors, Citronella candles help repel mosquitoes while adding a homey ambience.) Available at most retail outlets and online.
Cinnamon Brooms: These brooms contain the strong scent of cinnamon, which gradually fades over time. Perfect for adding fragrance to closets, basements, or other areas where odors must be masked. Brooms can be messy, requiring occasional sweeping or vacuuming. Available at gift shops, country stores, grocery stores (in the autumn), and online.
Drawer Liners: Liners are scented paper designed to go underneath linens in dresser drawers. The scent lingers on items placed in the drawer, but fades gradually over time. Liners tend to be expensive, but are usually packaged beautifully as a thoughtful gift. Available at gift shops, specialty stores, department stores, and online.
Incense: Burning incense is an inexpensive, though smoky, way to mask other odors. Repeated use in the same room increases the duration of the scent. Incense can be messy unless cleaned immediately after use, and like candles, represents a fire hazard if left unattended.
Liquid Scents
Essence Oils: Add essence oils to light bulb rings, which emit a burst of fragrance when the light is on. Also add oils to potpourri to refresh scents. Holds onto fragrance best. Available at gift shops, specialty stores, retail outlets, and online.
Linen Sprays: These sprays infuse bed linens, towels, and clothes with a variety of scents. Fragrance lasts only briefly once sprayed. Available at gift shops, specialty stores, linen stores, and online.
Room Sprays: Room sprays are fast acting and short-lived. Provide a burst of fragrance instantly. Available at most retail outlets.
Plug-ins: These can be liquid or solid form. Available in a variety of scents, plug-ins fill a small-to-medium-sized room with fragrance using minimal heat from an electrical socket. Scent lasts until the product is gone. (Plug-ins occasionally stain walls and cause allergy attacks if the space is too confined.) Available at most retail outlets and online.
So if you’re still not scenting your home, office, or home office (or still scenting it with eucalyptus), try exploring some of your many options for different aromas to suit your mood or enhance the season.
