The best air fresheners for a brightly fragranced home

WE'VE searched high and low for the best air fresheners so your home will always smell like a sunny spring day.

A great alternative to candles and oil burners, air fresheners tend to smell stronger and last longer making them a great choice for scenting your home daily.

From room sprays and automatic sprays to plug-ins and gels, there are so many available that choosing the right one can be a bit of a minefield. So we’ve picked our top types for each room.

Whether you want a burst of freshness every so often or a continuous fragrance that lasts for days or even weeks, we’ve got you covered. 

Best air fresheners at a glance:

• Best spray:
• Best plug-in:
• Best rotating scent:
• Best luxury:
• Best continuous:
• Best non-air freshener:
• Best gel:
• Best reed diffuser:
• Best for cars:
• Best for purifying:

1. Best spray: Febreze Air Freshener Spray 

• Febreze Air Freshener spray, £15 for 6 from Amazon -

Reason to buy: For a quick refresh that removes long-lasting odours and leave surfaces smelling clean

Rating: 9/10

An air freshener spray is handy for rooms like bathrooms and kitchens, and Febreze Air spray is a popular choice which not only leaves a fresh smell, but also boasts OdourClear technology to clean away any long-lasting odours, too. 

'This is an excellent air freshener that leaves a very pleasant atmosphere. 'It seems to remove odours rather than just mask them. Excellent value and highly recommended', writes a fan.

READ MORE:

• Best car air fresheners
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• Best car vacuum cleaners 

2. Best plug-in: Airwick Essential Oils Air Freshener

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• Airwick Essential Oils Air Freshener, £6.25 from Amazon -

Reason to buy: An easy to use, hands-free gadget to constantly keep your home scented

Rating: 9/10

This long-lasting plug-in air freshener from Air Wick is a popular choice made with essential oils that provides a lovely scent for up to 80 days.

Choose between five settings to determine how intense you'd like the scent to be, and adjust accordingly with the turn of a dial.

Easy to use and affordable, it's a must have around the house.

3. Best rotating scent: Febreze Ambi Pur 3Volution Plug In Device

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• Ambi Pur 3Volution Plug In Device, £4.50 from Wilko -

Reason to buy: 

This long-lasting plug-in air freshener automatically switches between three scents every 45 minutes meaning you'll never go nose blind to the fragrance.

It leaves a light fresh scent that lasts for up to 90 days and makes sure to dispel of odours using Odourclear technology.

It's reusable as the scents are sold separately, so once you've bought the plug in, you'll only need to repurchase the 3Volution refills.

4. Best luxury: Diptique Electric Diffuser

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• Diptique Electric Diffuser, £240 from Space NK -

Reason to buy: Use this battery-powered device anywhere in the home for a heavenly scent.

Rating: 9/10

It's a well-known fact that lighting a Diptique candle makes a home smell heavenly, which is why this luxury air freshener is a favourite for anyone who wants to treat themselves to an indulgent fragrance. It'll turn your home into a Parisian perfumery and looks stunning to boot; just place the battery-powered device anywhere in the house and enjoy how it releases fragrance three times an hour.

5. Best continuous: AirWick Freshmatic Gadget Machine

• AirWick Freshmatic Gadget Machine, £14.49 from Amazon -

Reason to buy: Don't worry about smells you can't control in the bathroom because this regularly releases fragrance for up to 60 days.

Rating: 8/10

Whether you're looking to diminish pet smells or want a fresh scent all-day long, AirWick's Freshmatic air freshener continuously releases fragrance for up to 60 days.

It's particularly good in smaller spaces, like bathrooms, and you'll know when it releases its scent before you smell it because it'll sound like a 'cat sneezing'. Cute.

6. Best non-air freshener: Zoflora Multi-purpose Antibacterial Disinfectant

• Zoflora Multi-purpose Antibacterial Disinfectant, £5 from Ocado -

Reason to buy: This multi-purpose product doesn't just make your home smell great, it keeps it spick and span too.

Rating: 7/10

Okay, so this one obviously isn't designed as an air freshener, but Mrs Hinch's favourite cleaning aid isn't just good at getting rid of bacteria in the home, it'll also make it smell great. Just dilute 1.5 capfuls with water and use it in a trigger spray bottle.

It can also be used in the vacuum filters to release a fresh smell when cleaning, and you can even add it to an empty diffuser bottle to release the scent around the home with no fuss.

7. Best gel: Cotton Fresh Odour Absorbing Gel

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• Cotton Fresh odour absorbing gel, £6.99 from Lakeland –

Reason to buy: Fuss free and easy to move around as needed, this will help your house to smell fresh.

Rating: 8/10

If you have an open-plan kitchen, getting rid of cooking odours can be a problem, so give your extractor fan a helping hand with an odour-absorbing gel freshener.

Simply pop this discreet and compact air purifier between your kitchen and living space and let it absorb and neutralise unwanted smells. You'll be left with a fresh laundry scent instead. 

And it lasts an impressive three months too.

8. Best reed diffuser: Next New York Diffuser

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• New York 400ml diffuser, £28 from Next –

Reason to buy: Add elegance to your living space while banishing unwanted smells.

Rating: 8/10

When a bulky automatic air freshener or a boring-looking plug-in just won’t do, go for a chic reed diffuser instead. This pretty number even has faux flowers nestled among the reeds for extra style points, meaning it won’t look out of place on a coffee table or hallway console.

And the best thing? Your room will smell amazing for up to 14 weeks.

9. Best for cars: Febreze Car Fresh Escape Air Freshener

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• Febreze Car Fresh Escape air freshener in Open Sky, £16.33 from Amazon –

Reason to buy: Keep your car smelling as fresh as your home with this clip on refresher.

Rating: 8/10

We can spend a lot of hours in the car, so why not make it smell as nice as your home?

Similar to a regular plug-in, an in-car air freshener clips on to the heat vents and circulates air around your vehicle. It eliminates odours, freshens, lasts up to 70 days and has five fragrance intensity settings - perfect for getting rid of that wet-dog smell after you’ve taken your pooch for a walk.

10. Best for purifying: Puressentiel Purifying Air Spray

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• Puressentiel Purifying Air Spray, £10, from Boots -

Reason to buy: For quick touch ups that eliminate nasty odours and replace with fresh smelling essential oils.

Rating: 7/10

Although not visible to the naked eye there are many bacteria, viruses and microscopic funghi lurking in the air, particularly in our homes. The Puressentiel spray is designed to help eliminate them at the touch of a spritz.

It is recommended to be sprayed in the air for six to eight sprays per day, concentrating on the four corners of the room where there is more dirt and bacteria lurking.

After spraying several times per day, it is also suggested to spray at night, particularly before bed to get the most out of the 41 essential oils used.

How do I make my house smell good?

There are lots of tips and tricks to make your house smell good, all the time - even if you have pets and young children. Cleaning sensation Mrs Hinch swears by Zoflora, a disinfectant product that not only cleans but also smells amazing. It doubles as a room freshener and you can put a capful down plugholes to leave drains smelling nice. Febreze is another alternative that can be sprayed all over fabric items, like curtains and bedsheets, to leave them smelling fresh. If you need to deodorise your home to get rid of any unpleasant smells, try sprinkling baking soda on floors and furniture before hoovering it up. Air fresheners can also add a lovely smell to your home. Some release fragrance automatically; others work as sprays that you can use as required.

Are plug in air fresheners safe?

While there are many different types of air fresheners on the market, most contain a variety of fragrances and essential oils to make the air smell good. In short, most air fresheners are usually not dangerous as they are used slowly and gradually. While aerosols have lost their popularity due to many becoming concerned for the environment, product manufacturers decided to make their air fresheners by changing them into reed diffusers, bottle sprays, scented oils, beads, candles, and gels. Getting air freshener on the skin can hurt or cause some irritation and inflammation, particularly if you have sensitive skin. Normally it is best to wash well with warm soapy water and dry to eliminate any problems on the skin.

Can air fresheners cause coughing?

It is best to not breathe in air freshener when spraying around the room. While a little won't harm you, it may make you cough from breathing in, so if it does, it is best to get fresh air immediately after.

What are the best air fresheners for the house?

There are many great air fresheners on the market but first it is recommended to decide which may suit your home best. For continuous air freshening then a reed diffuser is a great addition and also looks pretty stylish too! Department stores such as John Lewis, For spays then and work well while are also a useful addition.