Put two capfuls of vanilla extract in a coffee cup and place it in the oven at 300 degrees for an hour; within about twenty minutes the whole house smells wonderful. It's a common trick among real estate agents staging a home.
Two Handy Hints for a Better-Smelling, Cleaner Home
Old t-shirts, socks, and worn-out sheets make better cleaning rags than paper towels ever will, and a couple of other quick fixes can freshen up the whole house just as easily.
Make Your Home Smell Like Heaven
Wash Shower Liners and Curtains the Right Way
A plastic liner or washable plastic curtain can go in the washer on the highest water level with a regular amount of detergent plus two or three bath towels for agitation, then hang to dry or tumble on low/air. A fabric or decorative curtain should follow its care label, or get a spin on air/fluff with a fabric softener sheet to freshen it up.
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This edition is part of the Genius House Hacks archive: 20+ years of tips, rebuilt from the original Handy Hints newsletter. Browse more hacks →