The Genius Dollar Store Hack That Will Keep Your Home Smelling Beautiful

There's nothing like walking into a smelly home to put a damper on your mood. In fact, living with bad smells over a prolonged period can be bad for your mental health because it can provoke stress and a poorer overall emotional state. Our physical health suffers too, as foul odors have been known to trigger nausea, migraines, and breathing issues. If you're struggling with a stubborn stench, this smart dollar store hack is not only budget-friendly but may be one of the best hacks to control gross smells in your home. All you need are adhesive felt pads, like Dollar General's Pro Essentials Self-Stick Felt Pads, and some heavenly smelling essential oils.

Place a few drops of oil onto a pad, remove the backing, and stick it into place where you need some odor control. It's that simple! You just have to reload them when you notice the scent starting to fade. Since the sense of what smells good and what doesn't is highly personal, you can take your time and go with scent combinations you love. If you're reviving a stale room, peppermint oil brings a cool, invigorating aroma. Eucalyptus is often associated with the smell of a freshly cleaned home and will boost your mood. Calming lavender is a great choice for the bedroom or linen cupboard because it can help you get sleepy before bedtime, while citrus fragrances are cheery and full of energy. Choose your favorite oils, and then sit back and allow the fragrance to handle any unwanted odors, revitalizing your senses and making life fun again.

Now that you have these new secret weapons against household stinkies, how do you know where to put them? The answer is to let your nose direct you to all the sneaky spots in your home that are hiding unwanted odors. As a general guide, you'll want to position each pad out of plain sight but in a spot that's convenient enough to reach when it's time to replenish the essential oil.

Each room in your home has areas that can attract bad smells. The chief odor hotspot in a kitchen is typically around the garbage can. For bins behind closed doors, stick a fragrance pad to the inside wall of the cabinet closest to the garbage. If you have a free-standing step bin, place a pad on the underside of the lid or on the inside wall and slip the garbage bag over it. In the bathroom, a pad on the toilet tank can do wonders to keep the space more inviting.

This sweet-smelling hack doesn't just take down bad odors; it can also cover musty smells lingering in linen cupboards. Use a few drops of Luminessence Signature Fresh Linen Fragrance Oil from Dollar Tree to keep your clean bedding fresh and appealing. Bedroom shoe cabinets also tend to need a little help when it comes to smelling fresh. Whether your shoes are neatly packed in storage boxes, laid out on shelves, or lining the bottom of the closet, a tiny pad of fragrance could make a big difference.

The quest for a better smelling home can be solved in many ways, but these scented pads sidestep many of the drawbacks that come with the alternatives. Room sprays are handy and work for a while, but their effects often dissipate quickly. Scented candles release gentle fragrance but come with a fire risk. You should only use them when you're close enough to keep an eye, and on top of the dangers, quality scented candles can be expensive. Diffusers are a popular option that use features like heat, fans, or vibration to release their scent. These methods can sometimes cause an overpowering scent, though, and even though they're simple to use, they're often still not as low-maintenance as the felt pad hack.

Scented pads are safe and discreet and offer a subtle approach to masking odors that you can use alongside smart small habits to make your home smell better than ever. If you have a localized stink, these offer a low-cost and hassle-free solution that can fit almost anywhere to cover it up. The pads work around the clock and only need a few drops every week or so to revive them when the scent fades. Plus, you can use a wide range of scented products, like your favorite perfumes or colognes. This budget-friendly hack makes it easy to test different fragrances and find the ones that work best for you throughout your home.