How to Make Your Bathroom Smell Like a Spa

Who doesn’t love a spa ambiance in the bathroom? Creating an ambiance is all about using the five senses, and the way your environment smells goes a long way in how you feel. Taking a shower in a fresh-smelling bathroom gives you that “Ahh” spa feeling which can have mood-boosting benefits.

Keep it Clean 

The absolute #1 way to keep a bathroom smelling nice is to keep it clean and dry. Bathrooms get heavy-duty use, and simple daily habits go a long way in keeping your bathroom smelling fresh. Additionally, keeping your bathroom dry by using a vent fan or an open window will prevent any dampness, mildew, and mold from stinking up the bathroom. 

Depending on your lifestyle, household size, and other factors, here are some tips to keep your bathroom clean. You could do them all, or you could add one to the rotation on your bathroom cleaning checklist. Whichever it is, the choice is yours. 

Daily Habits

• Glass shower door: Squeegee the shower glass 
• Shower interior: Spray the shower interior with a cleaning spray  
• Shower liner: Close the shower liner between uses to allow it to dry, and if you live in a humid area, towel dry the liner
• Bathroom counters: Dry off after use (I use a Swedish dishcloth since they dry fast and don’t get stinky)

Weekly Habits

• Toilet: Clean surfaces and toilet bowl (you might prefer more frequent cleaning if you have young children or issues with hard water deposits)
• Towels and bath mats: Wash with hot water and dry

RELATED: Eco-Friendly Bath Mats 

Incorporate Essential Oils

A clean bathroom is a great way to keep it smelling fresh. If you’d like to add scent to give your bathroom spa vibes, you can use your pick of essential oils. 

What are essential oils?

Essential oils are highly concentrated plant extracts that are obtained through distillation or other methods. These oils have been used for their various therapeutic properties for thousands of years and have become more popular over the last few years. 

Essential oil uses

• Aromatherapy: Essential oils can be used in aromatherapy to promote relaxation, relieve stress, and improve mood.
• Natural cleaning: Some essential oils have antimicrobial properties that can be useful for cleaning and disinfecting surfaces in your home.
• Skincare: Many essential oils have soothing and moisturizing properties that can benefit skin health.
• Pain relief: Some essential oils, such as peppermint and eucalyptus, have analgesic properties that may help to alleviate pain.
• Respiratory health: Essential oils like tea tree and eucalyptus can be helpful for respiratory health, as they have antiseptic and expectorant properties that can help to clear congestion and soothe the respiratory system.
• Sleep aid: Essential oils such as lavender and chamomile have calming properties that promote relaxation and improve sleep quality.

Essential Oil Safety  

It is important to note that essential oils should be used cautiously and diluted properly, as they are highly concentrated and harmful if used improperly. It is also recommended to consult with a healthcare professional before using essential oils for any specific health concerns. 

Some concentrations and varieties can also be harmful to your pets. For example, citrus oils can have serious implications for dogs. 

Common spa scents using essential oils

There are several scents that are commonly used in spas to create a relaxing and soothing environment. Some popular spa scents include lavender, peppermint, lemongrass, sandalwood, rose, jasmine, or ylang-ylang. Oftentimes, a blend may be used. 

Types of Diffusers

• Electric Diffuser: These are typically plugged into a wall outlet and diffuse essential oils into the air with a slight mist and may have a stronger scent payoff. There are some smaller varieties, but they may be better suited to medium or slightly larger bathrooms.
• Reed Diffuser: I love the way these look, and they can have decent scent payoff in small spaces, such as the bathroom. They usually are composed of a glass vessel and bamboo sticks, from which oil diffuses into the air. Since they have a small footprint, they can work well in the smallest of spaces. 
• “Sunshine Diffuser”: This is simply a bowl of water with a few drops of essential oils added and placed by a sunny window to naturally diffuse into the air. 
• Essential oils directly onto the surface: This one is easy — simply add oils to bath water or shower floor. Be careful to ensure the variety and potency you are using is safe for skin contact — some can be irritants. Additionally, you don’t want to add so much oil that your shower floor becomes a slipping hazard. Last, if you have pets, this is a method to avoid. Some essential oils can be hazardous to your pets if they get onto their fur and then are ingested. 

RELATED: Benefits of an Essential Oil Diffuser 

Use a Natural Scented Linen Spray on Towels

You can purchase or DIY a fresh scented linen spray onto your towels to keep them smelling fresh. There are several recipes available online — for example, one includes a blend of witch hazel and lavender essential oil. From here, you can also customize your own blends to your taste. 

Hang Eucalyptus in the Shower

You can hang fresh eucalyptus in your shower to create a spa-like ambiance in your shower. It not only smells great but looks great too. Muted green eucalyptus branches also have visual appeal, adding freshness and calming energy to your shower. Note that some people may be sensitive to eucalyptus scent, so discontinue use if you experience any adverse effects. Additionally, eucalyptus is not safe for pets to ingest.

Benefits of eucalyptus

Eucalyptus aromatherapy has several therapeutic benefits, including reduced stress, decreased pain, lowered blood pressure, and respiratory and sinus relief. It can also promote mental clarity — who doesn’t love that in the morning?

How to use eucalyptus 

You can purchase fresh eucalyptus branches from a local florist, grocer, or online delivery service and hang the branches from your shower head with twine.

Make sure the branches are not directly under the stream of water so they don’t get soaked. The steam of your shower will release the scent of the eucalyptus.  

Naturally Scented Candles

I find that for me, the simple addition of a candle in a space fosters a calming environment and a restful place for the eye to gaze. Note that not all scented candles are created equally. For example, you may opt for soy wax or beeswax candle varieties. Additionally, you can choose varieties with essential oil fragrances that are lightly scented that can work well in a small space such as a bathroom. In fact, some candles can give off a subtle scent even when unlit. 

Potpourri

If you like floral and other scents that can be made into potpourri, you can either DIY bathroom potpourri or purchase some online from a site such as Etsy. For example, you may set a bowl on a countertop or add potpourri to a small sachet hung on a towel hook. Make sure that it’s somewhere where it won’t be getting directly wet or too damp. 

Decorate with Plants or Flowers

Another idea would be adding a potted plant to your bathroom. Many varieties of plants can do well in bathrooms. For example, pothos is a favorite of mine for an extremely easy-to-grow plant that comes in a few colors. 

You could also consider a fragrant potted plant. Check out some ideas below!

• Mint
• Arabian Jasmine
• Tea Rose Begonia
• Orchids 

FAQs