The entryway is the first impression your guests get of your home, and you want it to be a good one. The best way to do this? A delicious, inviting home fragrance.
To create this welcoming feel, home fragrance experts swear by an ingredient that you probably already have in your pantry: Vanilla essence.
Here, they explain how to use it, and why spritzing it around a doorway is one of the things people with nice-smelling entryways always do.
Your entryway is undoubtedly the most trafficked area in your home. However, all that coming and going often brings musty odors, caused by damp footprints, dirty doormats, and poor ventilation.
Jennifer Pressimone, Holistic Clinical Aromatherapist and Founder of JennScents, explains that this culmination of smells creates what she refers to as a 'bacteria haven.'
To combat this, 'The scent of vanilla can help neutralize other unwanted smells that enter your home, like sweaty people, dirty shoes, smelly clothing, pets, takeout food, and groceries,' she recommends. 'Vanilla has been shown to naturally help neutralize those odors rather than just cover them up.'
It's not just useful for getting rid of musty smells in an entryway, either. 'When most people think of vanilla, an immediate memory or feeling pops into their head,' adds Jennifer. 'The common thread is that it brings feelings of comfort and a sense of “being home” where you feel safe.
'Spraying a vanilla-scented mist can be a great way to greet you after a long, stressful day at work, school, or an event. It is where you transition between whatever energy you carry in from your day or commute, and your sacred space environment − your home.'
There's a reason, too, that vanilla notes are often featured in the best candles or best reed diffusers that people buy time and time again. According to Jennifer, it's one of the most universally comforting aromas.
'In my own practice, I find it helps my clients calm anxiety, sadness, and ruminating thoughts associated with an unhappy situation or event,' she shares. 'It is a wonderful scent to help your nervous system come off high alert and supports feelings of self-worth and self-esteem.
'Spraying it at your entrance means that calming sensation starts as soon as you smell it. This is because when you smell a scent, it immediately activates your limbic system, which is your emotion and thought-regulating center.'
How to Make Your Own Entryway Vanilla Spray
To make your own entryway spray, it's just as simple as mixing up a homemade room spray. All you will need is a reusable Amber Glass Spray Bottle (available at Amazon), one teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 500 millilitres of water. Then, simply shake in the bottle to combine before spritzing generously around your entryway. This is the affordable option.
The only problem with this mix, says Jennifer, is that vanilla essence, though non-toxic, is also synthetic. This means 'it doesn't offer therapeutic benefits (although it may smell nice to some),' she explains. 'It is important to note that there is a difference between culinary vanilla extract you get from the baking aisle, fragrance vanilla, and vanilla oleoresin, vanilla CO2 extract, and vanilla absolute.
'They are extracted differently, provide different therapeutic properties, and act differently when combined in a spray. However, they all can stimulate the same psychological effect.'
For a plant-based option, switch the essence to extract, though you'll need more of this as it's less strong, or, even better, suggests Jennifer, in a bottle combine one teaspoon of coconut emulsifier (the Time Laboratories Coconut Emulsifier is her favorite) and 20 to 30 drops of vanilla CO2 extract or Vanilla Extract, available at Amazon. Let it sit in a cool, dark area for a minimum of 15 minutes before using four ounces of distilled water to fill the rest of the bottle.
'Because this isn't a professionally made emulsion, shake it before every use,' she adds. 'Spray two to three pumps at your entrance or environment as often as you'd like. I like doing it before I leave, as it can linger for a while and the scent will still be present when I get home. Then I spray again when I get home.'
What to Shop
If you're feeling inspired to create your own vanilla spray to spritz around your entryway space, you can shop what you'll need below, along with freshening favorites to add to this high-traffic area.
All prices were correct at the time of publication.
These amber spray bottles provide UV protection to prevent ingredients like vanilla essence from degrading. They're made of non-toxic glass, and are sustainably refillable and reusable.
Bad odors emanating from your shoes can seriously affect the way your entryway smells. This spray uses a plant-based formula to neutralize stubborn smells at the source, and each bottle contains over 700 sprays.
A Diptyque candle always looks as striking as it smells. This particular scent is warm, inviting, and timeless. After burning, you can then reuse the candle jar all around your home.
This home spray features notes of sage, eucalyptus, and leather, and eliminates 95 per cent of unwanted odors and creates lasting freshness for up to two hours. I've tested it in my home with four dogs, and it really does work.
Dirty carpets are a common cause of musty odors in an entryway. This portable, lightweight machine makes it easy to avoid any carpet cleaning mistakes and conveniently stores in small spaces like cabinets and closets.
This air purifier removes 99.97% of dust, smoke, mold, and pollen particles to combat the cause of bad entryway odors. It also features a timer for two, four, six, or eight hours, and a useful filter check indicator.
Meet the Expert
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