The short answer: getting your home to smell good before guests comes down to a simple order: air it out first, remove the source of any smell (the bin, the dishes, damp towels), get the bathroom ready, and then add scent last in the entrance and living room. Air freshener completes a clean home; it doesn't cover a smell that has a cause.
1. Open the windows first
Fresh air comes first. Open two windows facing each other if you can, so air flows through and refreshes the house. If you're cooking, turn on the kitchen extractor and leave the kitchen door ajar. Airing before you spray lets a pleasant scent come through instead of mixing with a stale one.
2. Remove the source of the smell
- The bin: tie the bag, take it out, and put in a fresh one.
- The sink: dishes waiting there give off a smell. Wash them, or at least clear the leftovers and rinse them.
- Damp towels and gym clothes: hang them up or put them in the laundry basket, away from the living room.
- Shoes: inside the shoe cabinet, with the door closed.
3. The bathroom: the room guests notice most
- Wipe the basin and mirror, and swap the hand towel for a clean, dry one.
- Make sure there's hand soap with a pleasant scent.
- Close the toilet lid, and open the window or turn on the extractor.
- Then a light spray of a clean-smelling air freshener.
If the bathroom is clean but still doesn't smell right, there's usually another cause: Bathroom clean but still smells off?
4. The kitchen and cooking smells
If you're cooking for guests, keep the extractor on the whole time, and wipe the counter and stovetop as soon as you finish. Put empty pots in the sink with soapy water instead of leaving them out.
5. Scent last: the entrance and living room
- Just one scent. One calm scent in the entrance and living room feels more put-together than several scents competing with each other. That hotel scent at home: what's the secret?
- Spray a little before guests arrive, not as they walk in, so the scent can settle and spread.
- Spray into the air, away from food and the dining table, and not on fabrics unless the label says that's suitable.
6. Final touches
Straighten the sofa cushions, wipe the coffee table, and leave a window slightly open in the room where guests will sit, if the weather allows. These small details are what make a guest's first impression "this home feels refined."
A quick table before guests
| Area | What to do |
| Entrance and living room | Air it out, tidy up, and one calm scent last |
| Bathroom | Clean towel, hand soap, fresh air, and a light spray of air freshener |
| Kitchen | Extractor on, fresh bin bag, empty sink |
For what each room needs in detail: Which scent for which room?
Frequently asked questions
When should I spray before guests arrive?
After airing and tidying, and a little before guests arrive. That way the scent has spread and softened, rather than being the first thing that hits whoever walks in.
The scent came out too strong. What should I do?
Open a window a little until it softens, and spray less next time. A pleasant scent should be felt, not smelled from outside the door.
Why can't I smell it when my guests can?
Your nose gets used to the smell of the place you're in and stops noticing it. Someone coming in from outside smells it more clearly than you do, so don't spray more because of that.
Can I use more than one scent at home?
You can have one scent for the living room and another for the bathroom, but don't mix scents in the same space.
In short
Fresh air, remove the source of the smell, a ready bathroom, and one calm scent last in the entrance and living room. In that order, your home is ready for guests without drowning it in air freshener.
RAWAQ scents are coming soon. Join the waitlist and tell us which scent you'd welcome your guests with.
