Admit it: your home has smelled like a soiled diaper (or two), the wrong end of a dog, or the poop deck of the Black Pearl at some point or another in your life. When this happens—especially if company is coming—we all want to immediately reach for a can of Febreeze and douse the house in a cloud of smelly-good residue.

But the fact remains that, like most aerosol sprays, that really isn’t that good for us to be inhaling. It’s not like it really gets rid of the smell’s source or anything; it just covers it up. It’s like throwing your toddler’s blankie over dog poop instead of cleaning it up—or doing what Adam Sandler did in Big Daddy: using newspaper to lay over vomit and pee, and simply let it sit there.

Rather than do these gross things, we can keep our homes smelling fresh and clean through natural means. The first step is, of course, keeping your home clean to begin with. While this won’t get rid of every smell, it will keep most of them at bay. Next, add a cheap box of baking soda to any high-odor areas to absorb any heavy smells.

Now you get to do what dogs love to do—scent your territory. Depending on your mood, the season, and what you’ve got on hand (or have in your budget to buy), you have limitless choices at your fingertips, such as…

• Simmering your favorite herbs on the stove in some water. Like cinnamon? Ginger? Allspice? Vanilla? Clove? Take your pick and add them to the water.
• Bake something yummy. Fried apples with cinnamon always makes our house smell delicious; a cake, pie, or cookies will do the same.
• Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to a water spritzer bottle and spray like you normally would with an aerosol product. We love black cherry, patchouli and vanilla in our house.
• Coffee grounds sitting in a fridge will make it smell yummy (if you like coffee, that is) rather than stinky; if you have a garbage disposal, use it to chop up leftover citrus fruits for an instant tropical smell.
• Make your own homemade potpourri with dried fruit peelings or wood chips and scent them with your favorite essential oil.
• Hang a natural herbal sachet in a high-traffic zone, or put them in drawers for an aromatic treat every time you open them.

How do you naturally scent your home? Share your tips here.