Have you ever noticed foul odors tend to occur more during the summer than any other season? There's a scientific reason!

During summer, higher temperatures and humidity accelerate decomposition and create a breeding ground for odor-causing bacteria. This can leave certain areas of your home smelling downright awful if left unchecked. As such, the best way to combat summertime funk is to maintain a clean, well-ventilated space. Here are some tips for keeping some household odor hotspots fresh and funk-free.

Bathrooms

Bathrooms are one of the most humid areas in your home, making them one of the hardest areas to maintain a pleasant scent.

• Clean tile and porcelain regularly. Odor-causing bacteria and mold thrive in warm, damp environments, and bathroom tiles are no exception.
• Use a fan to remove humidity after showering. If your bathroom doesn't have a vent fan, consider using a dehumidifier.
• Wash/replace bath mats, especially cloth ones, regularly.
• Use an air freshener, like BluntPower's Ocean Breeze scent, to keep your bathroom smelling like an aquatic retreat.

Kitchens

In kitchens, the most common culprit behind foul odors is leftover foodstuffs. Here are some easy tips to keep your kitchen smelling clean without overpowering that delicious dish you're cooking.

• Clean your sink and range top regularly. Crumbs and other messes love to accumulate here, making these a common source for unwanted smells.
• Periodically spritz the inside of your trash can with an odor eliminator spray, such as BluntPower Lavender Fields Odor Eliminator.
  
• Make sure your kitchen is well ventilated while cooking. This helps stop grease buildup and its associated odors.

The Science of Air Fresheners

Time to nerd out for a bit! BluntPower air freshener and odor eliminator sprays work by chemically binding fragrance molecules to odor-causing molecules in the air, effectively eliminating their ability to trigger your smell receptors. 

Picking the Right Air Freshener

When combating hot weather odors in your home, picking the right type of air freshener for your space and needs is important. Let's look at a few common air care methods and evaluate their performance.

Scented Candles:

Scented candles are a tried-and-true favorite among fragrance lovers. They are lauded for their accessibility, ease of use, and ability to deliver a strong fragrance to a wide area from a single point.

• Pros: 
  • Candles create a cozy environment while gradually releasing fragrance over a wide area.
  • Depending on quality, candles can last quite a long time. For example, Bath & Body Works 3-wick candles are advertised to burn for 25-45 hours.
• Cons:
  • Candles cannot be left unattended due to the risk of fire.
  • While candles are more than capable of providing a nice aroma, sprays and other air care methods are often more effective at eliminating odors.

Oil-Based Air Freshener  & Odor Eliminator Sprays:

Oil-based room sprays, like those sold on MasterCreationsInc.com, are the simplest, easiest, and most effective way to keep your home smelling incredible.

What's the difference between an Air Freshener and an Odor Eliminator? Our Air Fresheners excel at removing milder odors and quickly delivering a strong, long-lasting scent to any space. Our Odor Eliminators deliver an even stronger aroma and are formulated to stop the funkiest smells on earth in their tracks.

• Pros:
  • Room sprays provide immediate odor elimination.
  • Use can be targeted to a specific spot or an entire room, depending on your needs.
  • 2-3 sprays of BluntPower Odor Eliminator in your bathroom will provide days of freshness!
  • Because a little goes a long way, oil-based sprays like BluntPower are highly economical compared to the mass-produced aerosol and water-based sprays offered by other major brands. Some customers have even reported that a single 1.5 fl. oz. bottle lasted them more than a year!
  • Concentrated fragrance oil sprays deliver the strongest scent experience on the market today.
• Cons:
  • Oil-based sprays can leave a residue on surfaces they're used over.
  • Some users report that oil-based air fresheners and odor eliminators are too strong.

Water-Based Air Freshener Sprays

• Pros:
  • Major brands like Febreze are obtainable from many major retailers.
  • Water-based sprays provide a milder scent experience compared to their oil-based counterparts.
• Cons:
  • Water-based air fresheners dissipate much faster than other air care methods, with most only lasting a few minutes.
  • Due to their milder nature, you'll need to use more product to effectively combat odors and achieve your desired scent level, making them less economical than oil-based air fresheners.

Plug-In, Gel, and Solid Air Fresheners

• Pros:
  • Consistent, non-overpowering aroma.
  • Zero maintenance.
  • Ideal for smaller spaces.
  • Most plug-ins, gels, and solid air fresheners last up to 30 days, with their potency starting to wane in the third or fourth week.
• Cons:
  • Less effective at combating odors than other air-care methods.
  • Unnecessary Waste: Most plug-ins, gels, and solid air fresheners are single-use, made of plastic, and cannot be easily recycled.

Electronic Aroma Diffusers:

Think of electronic aroma diffusers as a souped-up version of store-bought plug-ins. They're refillable, work with most fragrance oils, and deliver a much stronger aroma. They're also significantly more effective at combating odors, including those enhanced by hot summer weather.

These little marvels come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes and largely fit into two broad categories: Waterless and Water-Based. Let's examine both and some of their subtypes.

One method for waterless fragrance oil diffusion is to use heat. Heat-based waterless diffusers work by placing the essential oil in a tray or container directly above a heating element and allowing the process of evaporation to diffuse the scent throughout your home or vehicle. While this very traditional method can be quite effective, it also comes with some significant drawbacks. First of all, heating certain essential oils can alter their molecular structure, change or lessen their scent, or cause them to become volatile in other ways. Secondly, whenever a heating element is involved, the risk of fire becomes heightened. This is especially true if a heat-based diffuser is made cheaply with poor-quality parts.

Cold-air waterless diffusers, like the models offered on MasterCreationsInc.com, use ultrasonic vibrations instead of heat to atomize your essential fragrance oils and diffuse them throughout your space in bursts. This method is ideal because the essential oil's aroma remains pure while being evenly and consistently dispersed throughout your home or vehicle.

Unlike their waterless counterparts, water-based diffusers require that you dilute your essential oils with water to a ratio specific to that model of diffuser. This means that, while your oils may last a bit longer, you may also need to run your diffuser for a longer period and at a higher intensity to achieve your desired results.

Cold-Air Waterless Aroma Diffusers:

• Pros:
  • Consistent performance: Unlike plug-ins, gels, and solid air fresheners, cold-air waterless diffusers never lose their potency and deliver a pure aroma experience every time.
  • Aesthetically pleasing: Electronic scent diffusers come in a wide variety of stylish designs so your space can look as good as it smells!
  • Refillable: All of our diffusers include a refillable oil bottle, and most can be threaded directly with 15 ml or 2 oz. Urban Encounter Scents for Diffusers.
  • Intensity Control: Change how frequently or intensely the diffuser runs at the press of a button.
  • Works on your schedule: Our diffusers can be powered on or off manually or set to shut off automatically after a time of your choosing.
  • Low maintenance: If you ever notice your diffuser's output dipping or stopping altogether, simply run a small amount of rubbing alcohol through it on high settings for 10-15 minutes. Be sure to rinse all alcohol out of the refillable bottle before adding more oil.
  • Long-lasting & economical: A single fill-up can last anywhere from 60 days to six months, depending on your model and intensity of use.
  • Environment-friendly: By being refillable, electronic aroma diffusers significantly reduce single-use plastic waste. Furthermore, most, if not all, waste from packaging for our diffusers and diffuser refills can be locally recycled.
• Cons:
  • Needs to be powered or charged.
  • Needs to be cleaned periodically if performance wanes.
  • Potential for mess: Refilling the diffuser involves a small risk of spilling and wasting fragrance oil. Additionally, the diffuser should be kept upright to prevent leaking.

Reed Diffusers

Reed diffusers are one of the easiest, oldest, and most effective ways to dispense aromas. They usually consist of a vial or jar filled with fragrance oil, and a perforated cap through which reeds are inserted to soak. Once the reed has absorbed enough fragrance oil, it will naturally diffuse it throughout your room.

• Pros:
  • Refillable.
  • Easy to set up: Fill, place, and forget until it's time for a refill.
  • Low maintenance.
  • Long-lasting: Depending on the size of your diffuser, each fill-up can consistently deliver scent for up to two months.
  • Compatible with most fragrance oils, including all Urban Encounter Scents for Diffusers.
  • Aesthetically pleasing: Reed diffusers come in a wide variety of gorgeous designs to fit your tastes. 
  • Environment friendly: Most, if not all, waste associated with reed diffusers is either biodegradable or locally recyclable.
    
• Cons:
  • Potential for mess: Filling a reed diffuser always involves the risk of spills and wasted fragrance oil.
  • Replacement reeds: Anytime you need to refill your diffuser, and especially when changing scents, you also need to replace the reeds. Not every diffuser has reeds readily available that are an exact fit, which means you'll likely need to cut generic reeds to fit your model.

Natural Air Fresheners

At Master Creations, we believe Mother Earth is the ultimate rock star perfumer. And, if you're looking for a natural way to keep your home smelling great, Fast & Furious Plant-Based Air Fresheners can't be beat! These beautiful botanical aromas are crafted in small batches using the finest essential oils on the market. And, just like our regular air fresheners and odor eliminators, 2-3 sprays will do wonders for foul odors while giving your space an incredible, long-lasting scent.

Try these wonderful plant-based fragrances in different areas of your home for a burst of all-natural aromatic goodness:

• Fast and Furious Plant-Based Air Freshener - Lemon & Basil Scent: The refreshing sparkle of gleaming lemon zest lifted with an alluring, fragrant accord of sweet fennel, just-picked garden basil, and a soft touch of sugared tangerine.
• Fast and Furious Plant-Based Air Freshener - Fir & Hawthorne Scent: Refreshing notes of forest pine and noble fir sway against a rich accord of winter hawthorne, wild cypress, crushed cedar leaf, and the aromatic coolness of crisp peppermint.
• Fast and Furious Plant-Based Air Freshener - Bergamot & Sage Scent: Shimmering aspects of white bergamot zest, succulent orange, and verdant sage leaf intermingle with the smooth, calming essence of freshly crushed lavender petals.

Hot Weather and Pet Odors:

Hot weather makes pet odors more pronounced and allows them to cling to couches, carpets, and clothes with even greater tenacity. Thankfully, Fast & Furious Pet Odor Eliminator Sprays are here to help! This reimagining of our classic odor eliminator formula is specially crafted to tackle the foulest smells left behind by our furry friends. From wet-dog to urine and feces, 2-3 sprays will take your home from funky to fresh in the blink of an eye!

Summary

Hot summer weather can cause odor-causing bacteria to grow significantly faster, leaving certain areas of your home smelling foul if left unchecked. To help combat summer funk,  we recommend keeping your home clean, well-ventilated, and stocked with your favorite Master Creations air-care products. From all-natural odor control to sleek & stylish aroma diffusers, we've got you covered when it comes to keeping your space smelling fresh and funk-free!

We hope this guide helps you have the best-smelling home in the neighborhood this summer! Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below, and as always, thanks for reading!