Why Can’t I Smell My Wax Melts? 7 Ways to Get a Stronger Scent Throw

You’ve popped a gorgeous wax melt into your burner, waited for it to melt and then thought…

Hang on. Where’s the bloody smell gone? 😂

Before you blame the wax melt, there are actually quite a few things that can affect how strongly you can smell a fragrance in your home.

So if your wax melts suddenly don’t seem as strong as they used to, here are a few things worth checking.

1. You might have gone nose blind

This is probably one of the biggest culprits.

When you’re surrounded by the same fragrance for a while, your brain can start filtering it out. It’s called olfactory fatigue — although we prefer nose blind because it sounds considerably less scientific. 😂

Try leaving the room for a little while and coming back in. You might suddenly smell your wax melt again.

Another trick is to completely change fragrance families. If you’ve been melting sweet scents all week, switch to something fresh, fruity, laundry or perfume-inspired.

Your nose sometimes just needs something new.

2. Your room might be too big

A wax melt that absolutely fills a bedroom may seem much softer in a huge open-plan kitchen or living room.

There’s simply more space for the fragrance to travel through.

If you have a particularly large room, think about where your burner is positioned rather than immediately piling more wax into it.

3. Check where you've put your burner

Your burner placement can make a surprisingly big difference.

If it’s right beside an open window, door or strong draught, all that gorgeous fragrance could be disappearing straight out of the room.

Try moving it somewhere away from strong airflow where the fragrance can circulate around the room instead. �

Cosy Aromas +1

4. Don't overload your burner

More wax doesn't automatically equal more fragrance.

Your burner dish only needs an appropriate amount of wax for its size. Filling it to the brim isn't necessarily going to make your house smell stronger — and you definitely don't need to sacrifice half a snap bar every time you fancy making the house smell nice!

Start small. You can always add more if your burner and room need it.

5. Your wax might simply be finished

Here’s something that catches new wax-melt users out:

The wax itself doesn't disappear when the fragrance is finished.

You can still have a perfectly normal-looking pool of wax sitting in your burner even though the fragrance has been released.

Wax melts can usually be reheated for multiple sessions while they still have fragrance left. Once you can no longer smell anything when the wax is warm, it's time for a fresh piece. �

COW Home & Body +1

6. Give your burner a clean when changing scents

Adding gorgeous fresh wax on top of old, spent wax isn't doing your new fragrance any favours.

Once the old wax has finished, remove it and start again with a clean burner dish.

This also stops several completely different fragrances becoming one mysterious concoction that nobody asked for. 😂

7. Store your wax melts properly

Don't forget about your melts when they're waiting to be used.

Heat and direct sunlight aren't ideal for fragrance, so keep your wax melts somewhere cool, dry and away from direct sunlight, preferably in their original packaging.

That helps protect the fragrance until you're ready to melt them. �

COW Home & Body +1

One last thing…

Every fragrance behaves differently.

Some scents hit you the second the wax starts melting. Others are softer or develop gradually. Your burner, room size, airflow and even how accustomed you've become to a particular fragrance can all affect what you smell.

So before declaring your wax melt dead, give your nose a break, check your burner placement and try switching to a completely different scent.

And if that doesn't work?

Well… sounds like an excellent excuse to choose a new wax melt. 👀😂

Scent & Home Creations

Making homes smell bloody gorgeous, one melt at a time.