Why Does My Wax Melt Smell Stronger Upstairs?
Strong Scented Wax Melts: The (very normal) science behind why scent travels upward, why it can feel stronger in higher rooms, and how to place your warmer so your fragrance throw behaves.
UK fragrance education guide: explains why wax melt scent can smell stronger upstairs, how diffusion and warm air movement carry fragrance molecules upward, and simple placement tips for better fragrance throw. Last updated: .
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Glossary
- Fragrance compounds
- Tiny volatile molecules released from wax as it warms, which your nose detects as “scent.”
- Diffusion
- How fragrance molecules spread through the air by moving from higher concentration to lower concentration.
- Convection
- Movement of air caused by heat. Warm air rises, carrying scent molecules upward with it.
- Fragrance throw
- How strongly and how far a scent travels through a home.
- Airflow
- How air moves around a room (through doors, hallways, vents, and open windows), affecting where scent ends up.
Why Is it Smelling so Strong Upstairs?
When you melt those fragrant little wax cubes, they release a bunch of tiny fragrance compounds into the air. These compounds are like microscopic party animals, eager to mingle and spread out into every nook and cranny.
This spreading out is called diffusion, and it's the reason why smells don't just stay put. It's like those tiny fragrance molecules are playing a chaotic game of tag, bumping into each other and air molecules, until they've thoroughly explored the entire space.
This is why the intensity of the scent is often more noticeable in higher areas of your home.
The fragrance compounds, having travelled upwards with the warm air, concentrate in the upper areas of your home, boldly invading even the sacred space that is your teenager's bedroom.
Picture those fragrance molecules like a bunch of tiny tourists. Hitching a ride on a hot air balloon.
As the balloon (warm air) rises, so do the tourists (fragrance molecules), reaching new heights and spreading their joy (scent) all around, even into rooms you haven't set foot in for days (and maybe don't want to).
Airflow and Your Warmer: It's All About Location
Here's the thing: Fragrance throw (that's the fancy term for how far your scent spreads) is a bit like real estate – it's all about location, location, location.
If your wax warmer is hiding in a corner or perched on a high shelf, those fragrance molecules are going to feel cramped and claustrophobic.
They need room to do their thing, to party like it's 1999.
Give your warmer some breathing room on a lower or medium-height surface, and let those scent molecules spread their wings and fill your entire home with their delightful scent, banishing any lingering teenage funk along the way.
So, next time you're wondering why your wax melt is acting like it has multiple personalities
Just remember: it's not possessed; it's just science doing its thing.
Embrace the high altitude and let those scent molecules turn your home into a nose-tastic wonderland. Your nose (and anyone else lucky enough to be in your home, stinky teenagers included) will thank you!
Fancy learning about other random waxy related stuff?
Go on then. Have a nosy at these:
Is Wax Melt Vapour Safe? Nose Blind? When Your Favourite Scents Go AWOL How Long Do Wax Melts Last? | The Science of Scent Throw & Notes
