Your Bathroom Will Smell Fresher Than Ever With One Genius Cotton Ball Trick

Keeping your bathroom smelling fresh can be tricky, especially with odors that tend to linger around the trash can. But there's a surprisingly simple and effective hack to banish unwanted smells: all you need is a cotton ball and a few drops of essential oil. This natural and affordable trick tackles odors right at the source, keeping your bathroom fresher for longer. Here's how to do it.

First, take a cotton ball or even a piece of toilet paper, then choose an essential oil you enjoy. Add a few drops — five to ten should do the trick — until the cotton ball is nicely infused with the scent. Now, simply place it at the bottom of your bathroom trash can. This allows the essential oil's fragrance to diffuse gently throughout your bathroom, effectively masking any unwanted odors coming from the trash can's contents.

For best results, place the cotton ball in the can itself, outside of the trash bag. Just remove it and replace it each time you switch out the bag. If that sounds like too much upkeep, you can also place it directly in the bag. For best results, use a lidded bathroom trash can to help contain unpleasant smells and allow the essential oil fragrance to shine through. Also, be sure to clean the inside of the trash can regularly to remove any spills or lingering odors. This simple step will make the cotton ball trick even more effective!

Not all essential oils are equally effective at masking and eliminating odors, so picking the right one for this bathroom hack is key. Lemon oil, for example, is popular for its natural antimicrobial and antibacterial properties, which make it great at fighting bathroom odors. This is also why lemons can be used to clean the home. Similarly, lemongrass is a common essential oil for homemade cleaning solutions because it has refreshing citrus notes that help mask smells effectively.

Be mindful when selecting essential oils, especially if you have pets. Some oils, like eucalyptus, are fantastic for freshening up a bathroom with their woodsy, outdoorsy scent, and they've even been shown to help combat bacteria like E. coli and staph. However, eucalyptus is toxic to many pets, so it's best to steer clear if you have furry friends at home. For pet-safe alternatives, consider peppermint or lavender, both of which offer a pleasant aroma and are safer options for households with pets. It's worth getting the right one, because this trick is just one of many ways to use essential oils at home to keep odors in check!