Removing Odor From Room

Who doesn't like good smell and when it comes to good smelling house, I thoroughly believe that its well kept and clean:) But after cooking good spicy Indian food the whole house smells like a restaurant. And since in US one tends to use AC , it does wonders in spreading the smell in the entire house. It’s even worse when you have guests for lunch or dinner. Poor guests, sometimes they end up carrying the lovely aroma of spices in their hair and clothes!!!

In order to avoid such miracles I do following tricks (some of which I got from internet) -

• Lit few scented candles (candles absorbs the food odor really well) in the kitchen and living room while cooking along with switching on my exhaust fan. After finishing cooking, I spray an air freshener or sometimes warm scented oil in oil burner. Along with that opening window helps a lot in circulating fresh air in the room. Though it takes around an hour for the smell to completely go but it usually do the trick.
  
  
• keep potpourri in different corners of your house. Good Smell from that will help in reducing the cooking smell.
  
  
• Alternatively Combine 2 cups (16 fl oz/500 ml) water, 1 cup (8 fl oz/250 ml) vinegar and 1 tsp. whole cloves in a shallow, wide pan. Simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes. Repeat later if needed.
  
  
• You can pick up a few favorite essential oils. They can be found in many floral shops or even craft and department stores or use your favorite perfume. Depending upon the scent you want, choose oil and place a few drops of it on a cotton ball then stash the cotton ball somewhere in the room you wish to scent, preferably on a small dish.
  
  
• You can make your own air freshener by taking two tablespoons of cinnamon and some orange/lemon peels or just add drops of spicy oil and boil them in a cup of water. Then allow the fresh scent to permeate throughout your house giving it a pleasant fruity smell. This will also help humidify the house as well as make it seem fresher.
  
  
• For removing cigarette odor, place a bowl of water and vinegar in the room. The vinegar-water will absorb the smoke.
  
  
• In order to remove smell of wood or fresh paint, place a bowl of coffee beans for few days in the room. It will absorb all the smell.
  
  
• Take a fresh orange, and using a toothpick poke holes through the rind. Stuff whole cloves through the holes. This makes a wonderful scent and lasts a while. You can even wrap a 1/4" - 1/2" wide ribbon around the orange so it can hang.
  
  
• To remove pungent cooking odors from cooking things such as cabbage or cauliflower, add a tablespoon of lemon juice to the cooking water. You can also add lemon juice to your dishwasher cup so that it smells lemony clean.
  
  
• Spicy air freshener using apple sauce and cinnamon-
  You need 1 cup of chilled apple sauce, 1/2 cup of ground cloves, 1/2 cup of ground cinnamon, and 1/2 cup of nutmeg. Mix all ingredients together and it will form a dough. Roll the dough out until it is 1/4" thick and cut into any shape you wish, with a cookie cutter or free hand.Using a straw poke a hole in the top of the shapes for hanging. Lay out shapes on wax paper until they are completely dry, which can take 24-48 hours. Insert ribbon or string through hole and hang as desired.