Brits spent £9bn making homes smell nice - with half ditching pongy partners
Brits splash out at eye-watering £9billion each year keeping their homes smelling nice - with more than half saying they'd dump their partner if their home stunk. Each British household splashes out an average of £25 a month on home fragrances, including hand wash, which equates to a whopping £8.8 billion a year.
Citrus proved a hit, with a third (32%) leaning toward zesty scents, while other top household aromas include fresh laundry (35%), lavender (30%) and coffee (23%). At the other end of the scale, pongs topping the least-liked fragrance list include cigarette smoke (48%), body odour (46%) and rotten food (43%).
Our hooters plays a part in our romantic lives too, with more than half (52%) of Brits revealing they'd end a relationship if a partner's home stunk.
A third (31%) also revealed they would avoid going to someone else's home if it smelt bad, according to the study by luxury brand Baylis & Harding. Cleanliness (56%) is the number one feeling most associated with home scents, followed by comfort (51%) and calmness (49%).
Baylis & Harding quizzed the nation on their favourite smells to mark Sweet Mandarin & Grapefruit, a favourite of brand ambassador Amanda Holden, being crowned its inaugural home scent of the year.
Of the 2,000 people surveyed, in celebration of the Discover Your Signature Fragrance campaign launch, 79% say they are inspired by other people's nice smelling homes, while 89% feel more confident having guests over when their home smells nice.
Three-quarters of people take note of the smell of hand wash they use, with baked bread (19%), freshly cut grass (15%) and fresh coffee (14%) topping the list of quirky aromas Brits would try.
Scent expert Suzy Nightingale revealed a good aroma has the power to give us a mood and energy boost. Suzy said: "Our smell is a hidden superpower that we can tap into whenever we need, selecting hand wash aromas to enhance our mood and help us feel better every single day.
"Our choice of scent, whether that's as a hand wash or perfume, also indicates something about who we are. Those who choose Sweet Mandarin & Grapefruit as their favourite fragrance are confident people who welcome a lively home - perhaps enjoying entertaining guests regularly."
Tania Slater, co-founder of Baylis & Harding, said: "We've always known the power of scent, whether its bursts of citrus or floral fragrances.
"We're thrilled to spotlight Sweet Mandarin & Grapefruit as our first ever Home Scent of the Year. It's a smell that perfectly captures the refreshing and uplifting experience people want in their homes.
"Part of our Signature collection, Sweet Mandarin & Grapefruit has been a customer favourite since launch, so we're under no illusion how important nice scents are to people."
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