Your home bathroom may be one of the most viewed and used rooms in your house. It is a focal point for interesting decor and amazing scents for many.

There may be instances where the bathroom needs a spruce. It may be in the form of a cleaning, improving the scent or changing the towels and decor.

You may be having guests or just need to lift yours and your family’s spirits. What ever the case, here are 18 ways to make your bathroom smell great.

Sitting Air Freshener

When your bathroom gets used frequently, odors can build up quickly. You may not always have time to freshen up or clean.

You can make your bathroom smell great by using sitting air fresheners. These may come in the form of beads, gel or can be an easy DIY project.

For a DIY, just use, 1 cup of baking soda and 10 drops of your favorite essential oil. A personal favorite is Ylang Ylang essential oil.

Mix these 2 ingredients well and let it sit in your bathroom in a decorative, open container. The baking soda will absorb bad odors while essential oil releases amazing scents.

Essential Oils

Essential oils are great for creating a calm environment with great scents. Scents can be relaxing and can dispel nausea or upset stomachs.

To use essential oils in the bathroom just add a few drops to your static decor. Your favorite oil can also be added to toilet paper rolls.

Place a few drops on to the inside of your toilet paper roll or to the toilet paper itself. The scent will slow release with each roll.

If you add it to the toilet paper itself, choose ones that are good for the skin.

Fabric Softener in the Tank

If you’re having guests, this is a quick way to make your bathroom smell good. Just pour 1 cup of fabric softener into your toilet tank.

This will give your bathroom a burst of freshness on the next flush. For a more lasting scent, pour a small amount into your toilet brush holder.

Fabric softener can also be added to the toilet bowl after you flush to freshen the room.

Be careful not to do this too much as softeners can be greasy. It is not advisable to pour grease into your toilet tank regularly.

Mopping the Floor

If your bathroom is now musty from frequent use, it might suit you to give it a wipe.

Mopping the floor will freshen the room and remove odor causing enzymes and bacteria. Use this tested and tried bathroom mopping mixture to lift the scent of your bathroom.

1 gallon of water, 1 cup of baking soda, 1 cup of Murphy’s oil soap and 2 cups of hydrogen peroxide. Mop the floor as you would normally do.

This solution will strip the floor of dirt, odor causing enzymes and bacteria that lingers and causes mold over time.

Ventilation

A more effortless and natural way to make your bathroom smell great is to ensure there is ventilation.

A bathroom with closed windows will trap odors and odor causing moisture. To make your bathroom smell good, open a window and keep it open as long as you can.

The bad odors will not only escape but the freshness from the air will come in. If you have greenery outside, this will be a great way to invite oxygen inside.

Ventilation will also make your bathroom cooler in the summer and spring.

Dry up Moisture

It is important to dry up moisture as it occurs to keep your bathroom smelling fantastic.

If there is moisture that lingers it will contribute to a more musty environment. Moisture will also help to trap bad odors which will make your bathroom smell awful.

Things tend to smell worse when there is moisture in the air. Keep cotton mats to dry your feet after each shower and use tiles over concrete where possible.

Tiles will not absorb moisture but concrete and paint will. Where ever the moisture goes, bad odors will follow.

Neutralize Bad Odors

With the right combination, bad odors can be neutralized. If you neutralize bad odors, there will be room for your bathroom to smell great.

This will also help the good scents to spread without mixing with the bad odors, making them worse.

An easy way to neutralize odors is to set a container or box of baking soda in a corner of the bathroom.

Baking soda can be sprinkled in the toilet bowl and toilet tank after each use to absorb the odors and wash them away.

Lemon Slices

Lemon slices are beneficial to your nasal cavity and will make your bathroom smell fresh and clean.

These can be placed on the side of your shower or bathroom sink. Just slice up a large lemon and set it down in a small dish or palette of your choice.

Lemon scent is calming, detoxifying and has anti-fungal properties that will be beneficial when using the bathroom.

Imagine using the bathroom between sleep and reaping the benefits of your lemon slices.

These also have decorative value, adding a pop of color to the room.

Scented Candles

Scented candles can provide some of the same benefits as essential oils. You can also customize your scents by adding essential oils to your scented candles.

Just light one up to make your bathroom smell good. These can also add a sense of luxe to your bathroom and will lift the spirits of even your guests.

To customize a scent just get a pairing of essential oil. While the candle is burning it will create a well at the top.

Add a few drops of your essential oil and the heat will do the rest. Be careful not to add too much or the candle will go out.

Cleaning

If your bathroom is dirty, odors will be present. Trying to add scents in this case will only make it worse as it will mix with the bad odors.

This may ruin your perception of your favorite scent. Just give your bathroom a cleaning before adding scents.

Wash the shower and tub, scrub the toilet and sink and mop the floor. Using baking soda in the mix will help to neutralize any odor.

This will also prep your bathroom for those great scents.

Coffee Beans and Candle

Coffee candles and scented candles in general can be expensive. Make your own coffee candle to place in your bathroom.

It’s simple, inexpensive and a little will go a long way. Just place coffee beans in a dish and embed a tea candle in the middle.

Don’t put too many beans or they will end up burning. Next, just light the candle and as it heats up the scent will be released.

The smell of coffee can go a long way and will be therapeutic, especially if paired with a warm bath.

Decorative Soaps

Another long lasting solution to make your bathroom smell amazing is decorative soaps. These come in various shapes, sizes and colors.

Choose a color and scent that will suit your decor and your tastes. Scented decorative soaps will last a long time and keep your bathroom smelling amazing.

If the scent starts to fade just get it wet and rub it briefly to reactivate it. These soaps may also serve as emergency soap for days when you run out of shower gel.

Fresh Towels

Changing your towels can freshen the room and make your bathroom smell great.

Over time the moisture from warm showers and the general heat in the bathroom gets soaked into even your decorative towels.

This causes mold and mildew which has an odor even before it becomes visible. It always helps to have 2 sets that you use interchangeably.

Simply take them down and wash them and put the new ones up. This will help to maintain the look of your bathroom while keeping it fresh.

Baking Soda in the Trash Can

Another way to make your bathroom smell great is to take care of the trash can. Odors can sneak up from the trash and catch you off guard.

These odors can also spread to areas outside of the bathroom. To keep the smell of trash low just sprinkle some baking soda in the bin.

In an empty bin liner, sprinkle baking soda each time you take out the trash. This will act to neutralize odors until you take the trash out again.

If you want to add a little fragrance just sprinkle some citric acid or a few drops of essential oil along with the baking soda.

Fresh Flowers

Putting fresh flowers in your bathroom can make the room smell like a beautiful garden.

Just take a cutting of your favorite flowers and place in a vase with water. This tip is a bit high maintenance so it can be used for special occasions.

It may also be a part of your daily routine to prune your garden. Then you can use those cuttings to freshen your bathroom instead of throwing them out.

Fresh flowers will also work to lift yours and your family’s spirits.

Freshening Spray

Another method to make your bathroom smell great is using freshening spray. You can use your choice of spray from the store or make your own at home.

Its as simple as dissolving 1 cup of baking soda in water and alcohol and adding your favorite essential oil.

This can be sprayed after each use or just to add some freshness throughout the day. This is especially great if you have a lot of guests for a party or get together.

Making your own is also safe for the environment and non-toxic to children and pets.

Baking Soda and Vinegar Down the Drains

Pour baking soda down the drain followed by vinegar will rid your bathroom of odors.

These odors will build up from washed away soap scum, hair and dirt and ventures down the drain.

Clear your drain by filling it with baking soda and pouring vinegar after. The fizzing action is a sign that the odor causing build up is being oxidized.

Allow this solution to work its way down the drain. Baking soda and vinegar will make your bathroom smell awesome when its through.

Change the Rugs

As a rule of thumb, it is advisable to change your bathroom rugs on a weekly basis.

Simply remove and wash the ones currently in use and keep a spare set to replace them. Bathroom rugs hold on to a lot of moisture and odors.

Allow your rugs to dispel any odor by washing them frequently.

As a hack, you can sprinkle a small amount of baking soda over your rugs to keep them fresh. However, nothing beats a freshly washed rug.