How To Make Your Home Smell Like Cinnamon By Turning On Lights

There's something magical about creating a holiday vibe year-round to invoke coziness, warmth, and connection. No one said that holidays only get to happen at the end of the year. Even if it's late summer, one surefire way to pull in that joyous feeling of celebration is through scent. Unlike our other senses, odors bypass the thalamus, or the brain's relay station, and travel directly to the brain's smell center, where they are processed and connected with memories. That's why we can respond so quickly and create such strong emotional connections with different scents.

One scent with exceptionally warm connotations for many of us is cinnamon. You can start experimenting with cinnamon oil and your light fixtures as a handy, extremely low-cost diffuser. Once you add the oil to your light bulbs, your home will be filled with a delicious scent every time you flip on a switch. If you're excited by the thought of every inch of your home smelling like cookies, here's a bonus tip: you could even consider using cinnamon oil while vacuuming to keep your home smelling fresh and pastry-like. 

You'll just need two items to complete this hack: a microfiber cloth and a bottle of cinnamon oil. We recommend you use the real thing, like this Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil, and not a fake, cheap cinnamon scent. Choose a light fixture, something with a light bulb that's easy for you to access. Swipe the bulb with a microfiber cloth to remove any excess dust. Then, while the light is off and the bulb feels cool to the touch, place a drop of cinnamon oil onto it. Turn it on and you're good to go.

Less is more with essential oils. During your first go at using a light bulb as a diffuser, just experiment with one drop on one bulb. You want to take it easy and learn how much one drop can do scent-wise, as you don't want to overpower your nose every time you switch on the lights. Additionally, dogs have an especially sensitive sense of smell, so even a small amount of essential oil can be too much for them. As the bulb heats up, enjoy the aroma. This essential oil hack could freshen any room and, if the scent fades, it can easily be repeated.