My strange kitchen-bathroom

[mjohnben]

Hello everyone,

I recently moved into a small studio apartment in Paris. It's incredibly charming but has one very strange feature: the kitchen and the toilet/shower are in the same room! I was a little alarmed to see this, at first, but ended up renting the apartment out of desperation (for a small budget, finding an apartment in this city is near impossible). Additionally, I constantly remind myself that I've got my own toilet (most studios in Paris have communal toilets with the rest of the floor...). Being that I'll be the only person in my apartment 98% of the time, I'm completely fine with this feature. I'm a very hygienic individual and this feature does not bother me in the slightest. However, I've got a friend visiting my soon and she was very hesitant when I told her about the situation, understandably.

So my question is, what is a good way to keep the room smelling fresh? There is no window and no fan. My current plan is to buy good-quality scented candles and just have them burn before and after use. Any other suggestions? Are there any plants or flowers that absorb odors or that emit natural smells? I'm not a fan of chemicals and sprays that are harmful to my health and the environment.

Thanks!
mjohnben

[TheHousingForum]

Hello everyone,

I recently moved into a small studio apartment in Paris. It's incredibly charming but has one very strange feature: the kitchen and the toilet/shower are in the same room! I was a little alarmed to see this, at first, but ended up renting the apartment out of desperation (for a small budget, finding an apartment in this city is near impossible). Additionally, I constantly remind myself that I've got my own toilet (most studios in Paris have communal toilets with the rest of the floor...). Being that I'll be the only person in my apartment 98% of the time, I'm completely fine with this feature. I'm a very hygienic individual and this feature does not bother me in the slightest. However, I've got a friend visiting my soon and she was very hesitant when I told her about the situation, understandably.

So my question is, what is a good way to keep the room smelling fresh? There is no window and no fan. My current plan is to buy good-quality scented candles and just have them burn before and after use. Any other suggestions? Are there any plants or flowers that absorb odors or that emit natural smells? I'm not a fan of chemicals and sprays that are harmful to my health and the environment.

Thanks!
mjohnben

Hi mjohnben,
  First welcome to the forum, you may find the information in this thread helpful: http://thehousingforum.com/forum/interior-home-improvement/how-to-keep-our-bathroom-always-smelling-good/
  There are some good nuggets towards the end (2nd page).

[Penny]

Hello everyone,

I recently moved into a small studio apartment in Paris. It's incredibly charming but has one very strange feature: the kitchen and the toilet/shower are in the same room! I was a little alarmed to see this, at first, but ended up renting the apartment out of desperation (for a small budget, finding an apartment in this city is near impossible). Additionally, I constantly remind myself that I've got my own toilet (most studios in Paris have communal toilets with the rest of the floor...). Being that I'll be the only person in my apartment 98% of the time, I'm completely fine with this feature. I'm a very hygienic individual and this feature does not bother me in the slightest. However, I've got a friend visiting my soon and she was very hesitant when I told her about the situation, understandably.

So my question is, what is a good way to keep the room smelling fresh? There is no window and no fan. My current plan is to buy good-quality scented candles and just have them burn before and after use. Any other suggestions? Are there any plants or flowers that absorb odors or that emit natural smells? I'm not a fan of chemicals and sprays that are harmful to my health and the environment.

Thanks!
mjohnben

Welcome to the THF forum, Mjohnben!  It would take some getting used to having the toilet/shower in the kitchen.  I guess it does keep the cost down to have all the plumbing contained in one small area though.

As THF-Man stated, we have been discussing this on some of the other threads.  The one THF-Man suggested has a lot of good suggestions for keeping a bathroom smelling good.  You may also find the thread on natural kitchen air fresheners helpful: http://thehousingforum.com/forum/interior-home-improvement/natural-kitchen-air-freshener/msg1636/?topicseen#msg1636

We've covered using plants, such as flowers and herbs.  We've covered using candles, spices, and absorbent materials, such as baking soda and slices of bread.  And we've covered using fruits.

[coolpeter]

Hello mjohnben, welcome to the forum. As far as you query is concerned, I think it would be better if you arrange for some kind of a ventilator in the room. Otherwise, you can dip in some cotton balls in some room freshener or scent and keep them in all corners of the room. These work well.

[Penny]

Hello mjohnben, welcome to the forum. As far as you query is concerned, I think it would be better if you arrange for some kind of a ventilator in the room. Otherwise, you can dip in some cotton balls in some room freshener or scent and keep them in all corners of the room. These work well.

These are some good suggestions, Coolpeter!  What type of ventilation would you suggest Mjohnben use, since he is living in a small studio apartment?  Since I have never been to Paris or France, I am not familiar with the types of ventilation systems they may have there.

[Rebecca]

Hi so you have got some good suggestions. But it's really a horrible experience that you have...

[Penny]

Hi so you have got some good suggestions. But it's really a horrible experience that you have...

Hi, Rebecca!  I assume you are addressing this statement to Mjohnben.  So if you were in his shoes, what would you do?