Skip to main content
Phone Number +1 903-807-0723
     
Summer Brook Apartments
Summer Brook Apartments

How to Keep Your Apartment Smelling Fresh

Everyone loves to come home to a fresh-smelling apartment. The right blend of aromas makes your home smell clean and welcoming. There was a time when we achieved this goal by throwing open the window to fresh breezes over green fields. Of course, times have changed. Today, modern apartments are designed to stay snugly sealed for energy efficiency. So, how do you invite that fresh seasonal fragrance into your apartment?
The answer is a clever combination of routine cleaning and simmer pots. Simmer pot recipes create a gentle cloud of steam that wafts the smell of fresh ingredients throughout your home. What you simmer in the pot will determine the fragrance. Seasonal simmer pot recipes are especially fun, embracing the aromas of spring, fall, summer, or the winter holidays.
They are also great at removing unwanted smells, like how to get the onion smell out of your apartment after some cooking experiments. Let's dive into a world of great-smelling simmer pots.
 

A Clean Slate

The best way to take control of how your apartment smells is to start with a clean slate. Vacuum, wipe down surfaces, and use a vinegar-water mix to neutralize existing odors. Vinegar is great for removing lingering smells, especially organic smells from past recipes or recent spills.
Don't forget your walls, curtains, and linens. Wash laundry and wall hangings with vinegar, and spray a light mist of vinegar and water over your carpet to remove old smells. Don't worry, the vinegar smell dissipates quickly. Then, you can use simmer pots to redefine the aroma of your apartment for every season.
A person wearing blue gloves is cleaning a surface with a white cloth.

How to Use a Simmer Pot for Aromatics

Simmer pots gently simmer a blend of aromatic ingredients, activating them and releasing the fragrance into your home. You may already know that heat activates aromas, just like an oil diffuser, but you don't have to buy expensive essential oils to make your apartment smell amazing.

All you need are a few aromatic items from the grocery store and a saucepan. 

Using a simmer pot is simple and fun.

  • Fill a saucepan half to three-quarters full of water
  • Add aromatics like sliced fruit, herbs, and spices
  • Bring the water to a boil
  • Turn down the heat to a light simmer
  • Top-up the water
  • Simmer for 2-4 hours, refilling water as you go

Tip: Set a 30-minute timer to check on the simmer pot and refresh the water. Reset the timer and check on it every 30 minutes until you're done simmering, and turn off the stove.

Now, let's explore some of our favorite simmer pot recipes.

 

Lemon Simmer Pot Recipe

The best go-to simmer pot recipe is a sweet lemon blend that makes your home smell clean and fresh. The smell of lemon can lift your mood, and it makes us all feel that a space is especially clean when we smell citrus in the air. A lemon simmer pot is simple and delightful.

  • Slices of Lemon
  • Sprig of Rosemary
  • Cinnamon Sticks
  • 1 tsp  Vanilla Extract

Add these ingredients to your simmer pot and start simmering. You can alter the recipe based on what you have at home, whether that's adding a few slices of orange or leaving out the cinnamon. It will smell delightful either way.

 

Seasonal Simmer Pot Recipes

Seasonal simmer pots make your home smell like the season. They can enhance your enjoyment of the current weather and get into the spirit of the nearby holidays. We absolutely love a rich, earthy fall simmer pot, a festive winter holiday simmer pot, or the light and fresh simmer pots of summer and spring.

We've included two simmer pot recipes for each season so you can choose your favorite or experiment with different ingredients to find the perfect home aroma for every time of year.

A half of a lemon is on a white plate.

Spring Simmer Pots

Spring simmer pots embrace the fresh energy of the season. Some people feel that spring smells like citrus, but a beautiful floral simmer pot also welcomes the blossoms of spring.

Spring Cleaning
  • Sliced Lemons
  • Sliced Oranges
  • Mint Leaves
Spring Flowers
  • Rose Petals
  • Chamomile Flowers
  • Dried Lavender
  • Ming Leaves
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Summer Simmer Pots

Summer is about fresh breezes and sunshine. Whether your summer smells like pineapple and coconut or minty lemon, you're sure to feel energized by these simmer pot recipes.

Island Breeze
  • Pineapple Slices/Chunks
  • Sliced Limes
  • Mint Leaves
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • Coconut-dried or extract
Citrus Sumer
  • Lemon Slices
  • Orange slices
  • Eucalyptus Leaves
  • Mint Leaves

Fall Simmer Pots

Fall is a time of delicious earthy scents when we embrace the delight of strong spices and warm baking. These two simmer pots embrace our shared love of both pumpkin spice everything and warm fresh-baked banana bread.

Pumpkin Spice
  • Cloves
  • Ginger
  • Nutmeg
  • Cinnamon Sticks
  • Pumpkin Pieces
Banana Bread
  • Banana, peeled
  • Cinnamon Sticks
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
A close up of a spiced cider with star anise, cinnamon sticks and raisins.

Winter Simmer Pots

Winter should smell like the holidays. A cranberry spice simmer pot will make your home smell like all our favorite holiday aromas, while the coffee mocha pot will smell like those wonderful mornings with a steaming cup of creamy joy.

Cranberry Spice
  • Fresh cranberries
  • Orange slices
  • Cloves
  • Rosemary Sprigs
  • Cinnamon Sticks
Christmas Coffee Mocha
  • Coffee Beans
  • Cinnamon Sticks
  • 1 tbsp Cocoa Powder
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1 tsp Almond Extract

 

Two oranges in a speckled bowl on a wooden table.

Starting Fresh with a New Apartment in Longview, TX

The best way to enjoy an apartment that smells amazing is to start fresh. You can find beautiful apartments in Longview, TX, ready to adapt to your favorite aromas. Our welcoming floorplans, gorgeous hardwood style floors, and pristine amenities are the perfect setting to personalize your new home. Contact us today to explore availability or ask about more great homemaking tips.

Testimonials