8 Easy Ways To Make Your Entryway Smell Good All Day

An entryway is an important part of the home because it is the first area guests encounter. As such, it will provide the first impression of your home. Whether the impression is positive or negative depends on several factors, including whether your entryway is cluttered or organized and whether it is uninviting or nicely decorated, to name a couple of examples. Another highly important characteristic of your entryway is its smell; even if you know how to eliminate funky odors, making this area of the home smell good (beyond odor-busting) can help your guests feel welcome and at home. 

There are many ways to help your entryway smell great all day, so it really comes down to your preferences, budget, personal style, and the design of your home's foyer. You can keep things simple with a scented candle — light it when guests arrive or shortly before to infuse the area with its aroma — or with an incense stick or cone, each of which will make for a beautiful scent. You can also, however, eliminate the need for a flame or maintenance with an automated scented oil warmer, a lavender swag, or a bunch of dried eucalyptus. You can also keep things smelling fresh by adding a small dish of baking soda to the space, with a few drops of essential oil added — an odor-neutralizing and scent-boosting combo.

A freshly scented candle is one of the easiest ways to make your entryway smell fresh and inviting all day. If you're hoping to quickly fill the space with a candle's aroma, opt for a larger candle, as these generally release more scent during the burn. Not entirely sure what scent to go for? Here are the best candle scents you should have in your home.

Incense is a potent way to boost the scent of a room or home without spending a fortune. In fact, it's how to make your house smell amazing, according to a home fragrance expert. Since the aroma of incense can be pretty strong, however, it may be best to burn a stick of it only before guests come over. You can also partially burn a stick and then snuff it out if you find an entire incense stick is too overpowering. You can also find incense cones, which are just another form of the same product, at many online and in-person shops.

For something a little lower-maintenance, scented oil warmers are a great option. There are many brands and fragrances available, offering a consistent aroma with a simple electrical outlet plug-in. The Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Plug-In Oil Warmer ($6.99) is highly rated and comes in a variety of their signature scents. It's designed to be customizable to your needs, so you can adjust how much scent the diffuser releases. This particular oil warmer's refills are also made of glass, so they look nice and smell good.

For a more subtle, personalized option, an essential oil diffuser can be an economical way to keep your entryway smelling fantastic. You can purchase your favorite pure essential oils and then add them to the diffuser according to instructions. A few drops will provide a light scent, while more will produce a stronger aroma. You can also mix your own scent blends by choosing a couple of essential oils, such as lavender and lemon, which make for a bright, clean scent.

Reed diffusers are easy to maintain and an economical option that will keep your entryway smelling wonderful while looking nice. These simple scent boosters work by soaking reeds in potently scented oil and then allowing the oil to saturate the reeds' capillaries until they begin to diffuse the scent all the way up the sticks. Wanting to save some money? You can DIY your own reed diffuser with items you likely already have at home.

A swag, wreath, or lavender sachet is an easy, rustic way to make your entryway smell nice. You can purchase a wide variety of dried lavender products online, each of which will infuse your home's entrance with a calming, rich aroma. If you have lavender in the yard, this is one of the many brilliant ways you can use it in your home.

Baking soda is renowned for its ability to neutralize odors, and when you pair it with pure essential oils, those powers are only made more significant. In fact, this is a great way to use old essential oils around the house: just mix crowd-pleasing scents with the baking soda, then place the combination in a nice-looking dish in your entryway or foyer. You can also make your own sachets with baking soda and essential oils — remember to refresh or replace them routinely to keep their active ingredients working properly.

Opening windows to freshen your entryway might seem too easy to be true, but it is a foolproof way to make it smell better. By cracking a window and letting in fresh air, stale odors trapped in your home and entryway can be replaced with cleaner air, free of pet odors, kitchen smells, and garbage stench. If you can, try to create a cross-breeze by opening the front door and a window open on the opposite side of the house — this will result in a faster air exchange and better results.