Best air fresheners – 9 best buys for banishing home odours

Because there's nothing worse than an odour that you simply just can't get rid of, why not try these best air fresheners out for size to impress your guests and freshen up your rooms? We've found everything from an air freshener for your bins to several eco-friendly options, plus we've listed all types of air fresheners from sprays to plug-ins, powders, bags and even solid options. In short: there are plenty of air fresheners that have our seal of approval.

Find an air freshener that you'll love and you'll never want to switch things up again. Why is this so important? Because scent is among one of the first things that guests notice when entering your home. And let's face it: if you have children or pets, it's probably not the most pleasant scent, 99% of the time. With a little help from an air freshener and some of the best home fragrance buys out there, though, your guests will be commenting on it in no time. You'll even notice it, too.

See our top air freshener suggestions below, to keep your rooms smelling lovely – and free from odours. Whether you enjoy cooking smelly things or your pet enjoys getting wet and muddy in the park, just be sure to open a few windows before going to town with them...

The best air fresheners to buy for your home

We rate the Puressentiel Purifying Air Spray as the best air freshener for your home, simply because it can remove smells and odours from the air within seconds. Though admittedly pricey, this air freshener will last you a good while – you needn't use a lot for it to do the job. You can use this air freshener anywhere in your home, although beware that it's pretty strong. So, we suggest opening windows and doors when spraying, and you'll want to use it sparingly. They say you need one spray in each corner of the room, but we think that in most cases, just one spray inside a room should do the trick. You can also spray this on carpets, bedding and furniture for a refresh, should they be tainted by cooking smells, pets or even smoke.

Thanks to 41 different purifying essential oils in the ingredients – including Tea Tree, Lemon, Geranium and Lavender – this spray will leave your home smelling very fresh and clean. It comes in your choice of a 75ml bottle (great for initial trying) or a 200ml bottle.

This air freshener has been approved by Mrs Hinch (and by us). Not only can it make your home smell nice, but it's proven to kill 99.9% of bacteria and viruses, too. It's safe to use pretty much anywhere in your home, just be sure to, if you have pets, spray when they are out of the room, and wait for it to dry to let them back in. Other than that, you can use it in your kitchen, bathroom, living room, on upholstery, furniture, mattresses – it's versatile. Simply just shake, spray and wait as there's no need to wipe.

Obviously, since we've listed this as our best air freshener, it needs to make the air in your home smell fresh – and by fresh, we mean lovely. There are three scents to choose from, including Crisp Linen, Lemon Breeze and Orchard Blossom. Choose based on your preferences, but we recommend the subtle Crisp Linen.

Scent your home all day long with help from this undeniably handy buy from Botanica by Air Wick. Buy the device once and you can switch up the fragrance as you like. It's mess-free, portable and best of all: eco-friendly. This diffuser works to turn essential oils into a fine mist, to scent the air inside of your home. Its compact design means that you can place it anywhere, from on display on a bathroom shelf to hidden at the back of your bookcase inside your living room. It works on one of three intensity settings, depending on your room size – and how powerful you like your fragrance.

This scent, Balancing Peony & Jasmine, is sweet yet subtle. With this pack, you'll get one diffuser, a refill plus three batteries. Once finished, you need only buy refills as the machine will last for months or even years. You can switch up your scent between several options including a warm Apple & Cinnamon scent, or a refreshing Lavender fragrance.

This small, so easy to store (or hide) bathroom spray certainly does the trick. Wave goodbye to misty bathroom air fresheners that make your tiles and your shower screen look dirty, and hello to this one that you only need to spray once, inside your toilet bowl, to make a difference. This small 59ml bottle is enough for 100 uses, which is impressive in itself. Essentially, you spray this air freshener down the toilet before you go – and ta-dah!

There are a range of aptly named smells to choose from including Royal Flush, Lavender Vanilla, Wild Poppy Berry, Citrus, Tropical Hibiscus, Déjà Poo, Vanilla Mint, No.2 and Ship Happens. All PooPourri sprays are made using no harsh chemicals, parabens, phthalates, or formaldehyde.

Searching for an easy way to scent your hallway? Look no further than a plug-in air freshener. It requires zero effort from you, besides plugging it in and refilling every now and then, and it'll make your home smell nice just as your guests enter or as you move around. Plus, scent is released close to the floor so that it rises. This kit comes with the plug itself as well as one refill, and in terms of design, it's surprisingly elegant so will hopefully blend into your home. You can adjust its intensity to suit your room size using the dial, but realistically, a refill will last around 100 days – impressive.

As for the scents available, there's Fresh Pineapple & Tunisian Rosemary, Island Rose & African Geranium, Moroccan Mint & Pink Grapefruit, French Lavender & Honey Blossom and Caribbean Vetiver & Sandalwood. Best of all? The ingredients in these air fresheners have been responsibly sourced. They are also infused with essential oils, and they are free from phthalates, acetone and dyes. What's more, Botanica by Air Wick has collaborated with WWF to restore 1 sq. ft of UK wildflower habitats with each Botanica pack purchase.

Buy now: Botanica by Air Wick Air Freshener Electrical Plug-In Diffuser Kit

Is there anything worse than a smelly bin? We think not. Use this air freshener powder to absorb odours, soak up bin liquid and also repel flies and insects. Use it on your inside or outside bins (or both!) and rest assured it will also leave behind a lovely scent. Each pot has enough powder inside for around 30 uses.

Available in a range of scents from Fresh Citrus Zing to Fresh Spring Blossom, Fresh Berry Blast, Fresh Pink Grapefruit and even Festive Orange and Cinnamon, switch up your fragrance with the season for a lovely smelling kitchen.

If you want a scented air freshener, to banish odours and leave behind an enjoyable scent, then this is our top pick. Similar to the above plug-ins, this room spray is infused with essential oils. Although with total control, you can use it if and when you please, and as much of it as you like. Its packaging is made from 99 per cent recycled plastic, and the trigger is made with 35 per cent recycled plastic. It's also a spray and not an aerosol, making it a much better option for the environment. A few sprays is enough to make your home smell lovely and remove any odours.

You can find this room spray in a range of scents, including Fresh Pineapple & Tunisian Rosemary, Island Rose & African Geranium, Moroccan Mint & Pink Grapefruit, French Lavender & Honey Blossom and Caribbean Vetiver & Sandalwood. As with other Botanica by Air Wick products, these room sprays are free from dyes, propellant, phthalates and acetone. Botanica by Air Wick has also collaborated with WWF to help restore UK wildflower habitats with every purchase of a pack.

Your bedroom air freshener is an important one because this is the place in which you sleep for eight or so hours every night, breathing and creating smells (sorry, but it's true). You might not be too keen on using a spray air freshener in your bedroom, as you might not want it to touch your bedding, so we'd recommend a fragrance sphere. This one from Yankee Candle smells like fluffy towels, so it shouldn't be too obtrusive. It'll basically make your bedroom smell like clean washing all of the time. What's not to love?

Essentially, you remove the seal under the lid and pop it anywhere in your bedroom whether that's on show on a side or on top of a wardrobe. Over time, (30 days, to be exact) fragrance will be released into your bedroom, without you doing a thing. As the fragrance is released, the beads inside this pot will shrink. After all of the beads have disappeared, it's time to buy a new one. Simple!

This Yankee Candle fragrance sphere is 170g and it should last in your home for 30 days. It also comes in 12 classic Yankee candle scents, from Clean Cotton to Pink Sands.

 If you are searching for an eco-friendly air freshener, then these charcoal bags are it. They can be used anywhere in your home, not just in a kids' room or nursery, but you can even pop them in a car, wardrobe, fridge or inside a shoe cupboard. Filled with natural bamboo charcoal to remove odours while freshening the air you breathe at the same time, they can even absorb moisture, too. The reason we suggest them for the kids' room? You can place them well out of the way of inquisitive hands, and they are fragrance-free. They have a metal hanging hole to place them up high. Every month or so, you'll need to take these bags outside and lay them in the sun for a few hours – to release the odours they have collected and make them work like brand new.

Due to their nature, these bags are eco-friendly while their bamboo charcoal filling makes them chemical-free, and of course, fragrance-free. These air purifying bags come in a pack of four and each one can be reused for two years. Just be sure to write the date on the front that you started using them, so you know when they need to be thrown away and repurchased. You'll want to use two bags in larger spaces.

What type of air freshener should I choose?

If you are wondering which type of air freshener you should choose, then we think this is dependant on how much time you have, the size of your home and also where you will be using this new air freshener. These are the most common types of air freshener:

Choose a spray air freshener if you are looking for something with immediate effect. Perhaps for getting rid of cooking smells, making your living room smell lovely just before guests arrive, or to reduce the smell of your pet around your home. Spray air fresheners can be used in every room, with the obvious point of them needing you to action them to work, which leads us onto plug-in air fresheners.

Choose a plug-in option for a hallway or a kitchen, to constantly push out a lovely scent into your home. You needn't do much with a plug-in air freshener, so these are great for use along with a spray.

Solid air fresheners are exactly what they sound like – they sit on your side and give off scent over time. These are subtle so they are not the best for removing smells from the air fast, but they can be great for use in a spare bedroom that's not often used, to make it smell nice.

Charcoal bags are similar to solid air fresheners in the way they need to be placed somewhere away from pets and children, and they do their job over time. These are obviously a more natural option, though.

How often should I use an air freshener?

This is typically down to your preference and your house size. You'll obviously want to use your new air freshener to rid your home of smells as and when they arise, but other than that, you may want to give your home a good spray once every few days. Again, this will depend on whether you have pets, children in nappies, and whether you smoke. Always open your windows before using an air freshener in your home.