How do you make sure your listing smells nice?

[Stephanie]

Hi everyone, 

The way a house smells when you first step in through the door might not be something everyone actively thinks about, but it is really important. Our sense of smell is often used as an indicator of how clean or welcoming a place is. 

There are many ways to make sure your listing smells inviting: whether it’s open windows, scented cleaning products, essential oil diffusers, air fresheners, candles, or natural things such as potpourri or plants.

We’d love to hear your tips: how do you make sure your listing smells nice for your guests?

Thanks, 

Stephanie

[Normen0]

Hi Stephanie, 
I agree that smell is very important. As some of my guests cook in the apartment, I smudge with sage and peppermint after each guest. Then i bake either muffins or cookies In the rental  prior to their stay to provide fresh baking for them and leave that coming home scent. Always a hit! 

[Stephanie]

Oh I can just see your guests now, a bit like 

@Normen0 !

I'm a more fruity smell sort of person, all my Yankee candles are from the fruit or food and spice range!

Thanks for sharing and making me hungry!

Stephanie

[Natasha380]

Hi, I rely on diffuser after guest checked out and incense prior to checking- in. Fresh flower (frangipani in our case) in the bathrooms and on bedcovers help in optical sense. Can’t hurt anyway, gorgeous color. 

[Dimitry1]

What kind of diffuser do you use ?

[Sarah977]

I would say a complete absence of smell is what hosts should aim for. Essential oils, scented candles, and scented cleaning products don't seem like a great idea. Not everyone likes the same scents and a guest might very much dislike some scent the host thinks is wonderful. 

Never heard anyone say they didn't like the smell of fresh bread or cookies baking, though. 

[Stephanie]

Do you think they could tell they were gluten free by smell alone? Seems like the type of thing some people would complain about @Sarah977  😉

[Sarah977]

@Stephanie  I was actually wondering if celiacs would find the smell of bread baking to be nasty. I'll have to ask my celiac friend. I suspect it would just make them frustrated, knowing they couldn't eat it. And I imagine they'd have to have the nose of a dog to be able to differentiate between whether it was gluten free or not, but who knows?

[Sharon1014]

@Sarah977 @Stephanie  My co-host and daughter is Coeliac and gluten free.  We still bake GF and enjoy the smells.  But yes, you can immediately tell it is different, not the same smell as ordinary gluten containing baked goods.  Walking past a bakery or having to look at bakery goods that she can't eat does drive her nuts and it wouldn't be welcome or appreciated if we encountered this at an Airbnb as guests.  Would we complain about it though?  No.  We'd just toss whatever it was in the bin outside and air the place out.

[Stephanie]

That's super interesting, I had no idea they smelt differently. And I'm sure the birds don't mind either way if it's going out on the lawn! @Sharon1014 

[Sarah977]

@Sharon1014  My celiac friend was young when she was finally diagnosed (after years of horrible stomach aches, constant hunger even though she ate constantly, and was so skinny). She was at that time employed in a restaurant as their baker- she loved to bake and was planning to take more courses and to make it her career. Needless to say, she had to change career paths, although if it had happened these days, she could have specialized in gluten-free baking, but it wasn't a thing then.

[Sharon1014]

@Sarah977  Gosh, how awful for your friend to be a pastry chef/baker and then find out you have Coeliacs.  Terrible.   And yes, diagnosis often comes late (often in tandem with being hospitalized for cardiac arrhythmia / high risk of heart attack courtesy of malnourishment, despite eating lots).  Many good gluten free options available now fortunately but you do have to shop around for the best of what's out there (or bake at home).  Please ask your friend to invent a gluten free croissant, my daughter and I will be eternally grateful ! 

[Normen0]

As part of my check in in info message, I ask if they have any special dietary needs or any other special needs. I do bake gluten free if needed.
 In a strange turn of events - my previous AIRBNB in my home at $70/nt brought in 50% people with vegan, vegetarian, celiac or gluten free diets. 
Now our current place with separate apartment at $120-160 night, not one single dietary need yet. Strange observation.  

[Jeanie12]

My husband hates the aroma of freshly baking bread and cookie.  I have to run the fan full blast and open windows even in wintertime.  I think it is best to shoot for no scent at all.

[Sharon1014]

We've had odd occasions when female guests absolutely smother themselves in some kind of very intense long lasting perfume that hangs around in the apartment for days, so now it's an auto given that we fresh air ventilate for as long as possible as soon as the guest leaves, spray/wipe all surfaces with nice smelling disinfectant, use lovely fresh smelling washing powder and fabric softener, then use a nice smelling 99.9% germ killing spray on all furniture and bedding.  After that we turn the ducted air con on and spray a fresh linen scent directly into the intake vent which circulates through the whole apartment.  All together, this little routine makes the whole place smell super clean and fresh, and totally eradicates any residual smells from previous guests.