Many of us get the urge to do some spring cleaning when the weather gets warmer. You can finally open the windows, turn off the heat and freshen things up. I know I want my home to kind of match the mood the Spring gives me. Refresh and re-energize after a long winter. 

I’ve already talked about Swedish Death Cleaning (see my post on this) to get rid of the extra STUFF in your home. That is always important to continue periodically through the year.

Once some extra stuff is out of the house, hopefully you have a bit more space and maybe want to do some nice thorough cleaning, and add some fresh smells to the house to really lift your mood for Springtime.

These are some ideas that are worth doing, in my opinion. They will help put you in the best mood!

1. Set up the clothesline, and hang your pillows and blankets outside.

If you’re changing up your winter blankets and comforters for lighter ones, it’s a great time to get those blankets that were hiding in the closet all winter outside for some fresh air.

When it’s a nice day I put freshly washed clothes on the line, but even fabric (especially if it’s touching your skin like pillows and blankets) that is a little musty will benefit from being outside. And anything that’s been out on the line just smells amazing! Think about doing the same thing with Spring coats, or clothes that have been out of circulation too.

2. Baking soda in fridge. We have a relatively new fridge that I keep pretty clean, but in addition to giving it a once over with cleaner now and then, put an opened box of baking soda in there to absorb any yucky smells.

3. Replace old sponges, mops, dish towels. It’s a great time of year to remember to replace anything grungy. The dollar store is your friend for this kind of thing! Maybe try a spring-inspired dish detergent or hand soap!

4. Freshening the garbage can. My husband got me this garbage can for my birthday last year.

I thought it was the most hilarious, surprising, and unromantic gift I’ve ever received. But I love it! When I make things like chicken tenders (see my post on preparing them), it is so helpful to have my hands free with the little step opener, and it’s so easy to remove the can with the latch that keeps the lid open.

In addition to this, it has a little compartment inside the lid to put an air freshener. I got little charcoal squares that fit in there perfectly, and it makes a big difference in improving smells in the kitchen. 

You can also get deodorized garbage bags that smell really good!

5. Air fresheners. I’m a fan of using the plug in kind certain places in the house, and adding, changing or refreshing these is a great thing to do in the Springtime. Places like near garbage cans, the toilet, litter box, shoe racks, and closets are all good places that could use some consistent freshening.  

6. Essential Oil Diffusers. In addition to air fresheners, an option for really nice smells in the home is a diffuser. I like these because they not only spread a nice smelling fragrance in the home, but also vaporize water which is good for combating dryness in the air. You can add your choice of essential oils, so can mix it up depending on your mood.

7. An air purifier is nice-we have one going in our living room. It doesn’t disperse a fragrance into the air, but serves to actually clean it- so it’s something I suggest investing in for a cleaner home, especially if anyone in your family suffers from allergies. 

8. Fabric Refresher. In addition to freshening the air, you can use a fabric refresher within the home to help bring an uplifting mood.

This is great for any fabric furniture like chairs and couches, curtains, and rugs. I spritz a little through the house after vacuuming and enjoy the fresh smell.

7. Home-made potpourri. If you want a more natural smell in your home, try making your own recipe to simmer on the stovetop. Naturally cleaners and deodorizers you buy at the store will smell fresh, but also kind of artificial. A scent I love for springtime is lavender. It’s well known for its calming properties, and I regularly use it in my sleep spray and bath salts to relax at night. You can get dried lavender at Amazon or specialty shops.

You can make a nice lavender spice mix that you can leave on the lowest heat all day until it’s evaporated and it smells divine- here’s the recipe.

• 1 whole lemon, sliced
• 1 cup of dried lavender
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• 1 quart of water
• A few drops of lavender essential oil

Boil the water and add the ingredients, bringing it down to simmer. Enjoy!

If you want to take the lavender flavor to the next level, try making a simple syrup (one part water, one part sugar, boiled until a syrup consistency- infused with lavender sprigs- or whatever flavor you’d like).

Use this in a cocktail or latte, in place of regular syrup or sweetener. Try it in your frother for a lavender cold foam!! Endless ideas to add this beautiful spring flavor to elevate your drinks!

Not just fragrances in the home make it smell fresh, but a little deeper cleaning too. High traffic areas that get a lot of use obviously get dirtier, and extra cleaning will make a difference in how everything smells.

8. Steam Cleaning. This is a great way to deep clean things like couch cushions, rugs, and curtains. When you see the dirty color of the water, you’ll be really glad you did! I bought a small steam cleaner

9. Washing machine cleaner. I really never thought about it until I saw this.

Out of curiosity I took a good sniff of the washer, and yep, it needed some extra help. This worked so well! My daughter does her share of laundry in the summers and noticed the freshness right away after I used it. Worth it!

10. Plants, Flowers and Candles. This is an easy and maybe obvious one, but remember that natural plants clean your air. Not everyone is interested in caring for real plants, but having a few around the house is worth it for a fresher home. So go get a few this spring! I find spider plants to be simple to care for if you have them near a little light.

I usually pick up some scented candles every time I hit the dollar store (Target has a great selection of more natural ones), and I light them every night in our living room- all year round. Pick up a bunch of fresh flowers at the grocery store too.

Treat yourself to these little things, and try some of these 10 ideas to make your house smell pretty and give you a wonderful little boost of happiness this Spring!