apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I have scented candles on my dining table right now, but that's just because I couldn't find any other pillar candles to fit in my particular candleholder. Normally I shy away from scented candles around food. I work hard at making my food smell and taste wonderful, so why would I want something interfering with that?

I often burn a scented candle in the kitchen while I'm preparing a meal simply because the laundry room is right next to the kitchen, and the cats' litter box is housed there, and it seems that just when I'm about to make something delicious, they decide they need to stink up the house. Nothing takes care of that smell faster than a scented candle (convex: nothing ruins plans to bake up something delicious like the smell of cat poop).

(I'm ashamed to admit that) We rarely entertain and usually eat sitting on the couch watching TV, so candles are not usually near the eating portion of our days. But, if I've been burning a candle in the kitchen for a few hours and we're going to eat at the table, I might move it over there. I usually choose scents that are mild and slightly floral or fruity (like hyacinth or strawberry), and my husband hasn't complained yet.

Never. Blegh.

Citrus scented ones in the kitchen, only after eating and when nothing is cooking - helps to get rid of lingering smells like fish . . .

Like some of the other posters, I sometimes light a candle in the kitchen to get rid of lingering odors. But I can't stand floral smells near food, so I'm likely to pick something citrusy or herby. I think we have a lime coriander candle now...

no candles in the kitchen.

I had a roommate in college who would burn incense in the kitchen during cooking and that drove me crazy.

An exhaust fan in the kitchen should take care of undesirable fumes. Artificial scents just confuse things.

Restaurants are starting to use scents in the dining room and bathrooms now to stimulate sales and moods of customers. For instance, chocolate scents pumped into the dining room at certain times are meant to increase chocolate cake sales.

*Sigh*. I wish had a hood that vented to the outside. It would make for a fresher smelling and much cleaner kitchen. Instead ours recirculates, so I have a window fan blowing out that only does a mediocre job.

I don't particularly care for scented candles at all. Fake florals trigger really bad headaches for me.

In the kitchen, I let the smell of food reign supreme while I'm cooking and while we're eating. Since the litterbox is under the sink if the cats decide to make a stink, I just scoop it right away, scrub my hands and continue on.

You're just baiting us, right? I mean, no WAY a scented candle comes near my dining room or kitchen!

I dislike almost all scented candles, most scented anything actually. And the ones I like tend to be very, very expensive.

I do like the smell of natural unprocessed beeswax candles. The scent is very very faint and quite nice at a formal dinner.

I'm with TtR. Heavily scented anything gives me headaches and makes me sneeze. I can't stand the candle aisle at department stores.

I don't mind one scented candle (just one, mind you) lit for a few minutes to give the house a hint of pleasantness, but I definitely don't want to smell it while I am eating.

People are particularly bad about scent manners in the fall and winter - apples & cinnamon in one room, pine in another, and pumpkin pie in another. It gets overwhelming very quickly.

Many people I know are allergic to artificial scents, so I am careful about scented candles in my home, period. No scented candles are lit in my home, and the ones I have are not in the kitchen or dining room.

I am sensitive to artificial scents as well (migraine trigger), but I do sometimes burn a natural candle in my kitchen after cooking when there is a particularly overwhelming cooking smell. I wish my kitchen had a fan or vent, but it doesn't.

I never would burn one when actually cooking or eating.

Bathroom, bedroom or lounge.