The Clever Way Anti-Scratch Furniture Pads Can Keep Your Home Smelling Fresh

Everyone loves to step into a fresh-smelling home, but making that scent linger can prove difficult. It usually sticks around for only a day when you finish cleaning, flowers only scent the room they're in, and burning a candle around the clock can become pricey. But there's a clever furniture-pad hack that can help you with that dilemma.

Furniture pads are the small felt stickers you put on the bottom of furniture legs to protect your floors. They ensure your pieces won't scratch the hardwood or tile they're sitting on, but they have more uses than just that. Since they're made from felt, which is absorbent, it's the perfect product to use to create scent stickers. Simply take one of the larger pads, add a few drops of your favorite essential oil, and use the adhesive back to stick them around your house. And there you have it! A freshly scented home with little effort.

There are plenty of places where you can add these felt pads to keep your home smelling fresh. First and foremost, you want to add them to a spot that isn't obtrusive, meaning you don't want it to be in your sightline. One of the best places to add it is inside dresser drawers or closet walls, ensuring these closed spaces smell fresh rather than musty. In this way, the felt pad acts much like a scent satchel.

You can also add it to spots that are prone to being stinky. For example, place it at the bottom of your trash can or on the back of a kitty litter box, ensuring the area stays fresher for longer.

If your goal is to scent an entire room, try adding it in inconspicuous spots. For example, you can add it to the wall just behind your couch or to the side of a cabinet. You can also stick it on the underside of your coffee or dining table if you want the scent to waft over the areas you sit at the most.

There are a ton of different ways to scent your home and keep it smelling fresh throughout the day, from using candles to potpourri to scented plug-ins. So why should you use this furniture-pad hack instead? As it turns out, it's a healthier alternative than those listed above. Essential oils are highly concentrated plant extracts that contain volatiles, the compounds that create the fragrance of the plant. You're inhaling something completely natural, as opposed to air fresheners, which use synthetic fragrances and chemicals.

Candles are another alternative, but they also pose a risk. Certain scented candles, particularly those made with cheap or low-quality materials, may contain toxic ingredients. When burned, these candles can release harmful chemicals into the air, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), formaldehyde, or soot particles. Prolonged exposure to these substances can lead to respiratory issues, headaches, and allergies. Further, even the organic ones can pose a risk since burning them releases carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide into the air.

Using essential-oil felt pads, on the other hand, does neither, and as noted, they're incredibly versatile given their small size and anywhere application.