There’s nothing less inviting than entering a house with an unpleasant odor. A lot of things can contribute to a home’s less-than-rosy scent. Cooking, pets, mildew, mold and smoke can produce odors that can permeate the air and stick around a room or a living space. If left untreated, these nasty smells will penetrate the furniture, carpeting and walls.
The good news is you can take effective steps to eliminate these pungent odors from your home.
Here are a few tips to help you remove and prevent these potentially offensive smells in your household:
- Track Down the Source of the Unpleasant Odor
The first thing you need to do is locate the source of the odor. Simply using air fresheners and fragrant candles won’t fix the root cause of the problem.
If you, for instance, have noticed an unpleasant smell in your bathroom and drain that just won’t go away, the issue might be an obstructed sewer clog. You’ll need to have your sewer line cleaned to eliminate the main problem.
- Open Your Windows
One of the best presents you can give to your family is the gift of fresh air. As much as possible, let the outside air flow through your living spaces by opening the windows. Even if the temperature is cold outside, consider opening your windows for a few minutes. Fresh air naturally and quickly gets rid of offensive airborne odors, such as those from cooking and cigarette smoke.
- Use Activated Charcoal
This product is porous, which means that it’s effective at absorbing smells and moisture – and an awesome way to remove unwanted odors inside a house. Place small activated charcoal filters in the stinkiest areas around your home. You could, for example, place them in litter boxes, garbage disposal bins and diaper pails.
- Wash Your Home
Clean the hard surfaces in your house regularly. Use a mild cleaner or soap and water to wash tables, sinks, countertops, hardwood flooring and glossy paint.
Alternatively, you can create a homemade cleaner of your own. Use a mixture of equal parts water and vinegar. This custom cleaning product is effective, affordable and environmentally friendly.
- Refresh Musty Couches and Curtains
If you’ve got some vodka just sitting around your liquor cabinet, you could use it to fix your home’s dingy-smelling window treatments and upholstered sofas. Cleaning is simple: put some undiluted vodka into a spray bottle. Then, mist it lightly over the fabric.
The beauty of this alcoholic drink is that it’s a natural disinfectant and deodorizer. It lifts away odors, so that your sofa stays smelling fresh in between more thorough cleaning sessions.
- Change Your Home Filters
Start by cleaning and replacing the filters in your home’s heating and cooling systems. This task not only helps your appliances become much more efficient, but also helps improve air quality. Also, don’t forget to check and replace the filter in your vacuum cleaner.
- Vacuum Your House
Keep the rooms in your house smelling fresh by cleaning upholstery, carpets and floors with a vacuum cleaner. Pro-tip: Before you vacuum, add baking soda or a room deodorizer to improve the smell in the room. Just sprinkle onto carpeting or rugs and let it sit long enough to absorb the dirt and oil.
- Use Vanilla to Freshen Your Refrigerator
Many use vanilla extract as an ingredient to bake cupcakes, cookies and other delicious sweet treats. As a homeowner, you could this vanilla to make your inside of your fridge smell better.
Here’s how this works: once you’ve addressed the potential causes of pungent odor, such as sauce spills and moldy veggies, add a few drops of vanilla extract into a cotton ball, leave the ball on a small dish and place that inside your refrigerator. The warm scent of vanilla will permeate the fridge.
- Give the Walls a Fresh Coat of Paint
Do the walls in your home smell bad? Consider repainting your living spaces. The fresh paint will cover the bad paint and eliminate the scent associated with it.
- Start a Simmer Pot
Mixing up a simmer pot is a great way to make your whole house smell amazing right away. This suggestion is ideal if you are inviting guests over to your home in a few hours.
When creating this type of pot, simmer spices, herbs and other aromatics in a pot of water. This will fill your room with a delicious scent. If you want a spring-themed scent circulating your home, simmer fresh citrus like lemon slices together with spring herbs like thyme.
Say goodbye to bad smells by following these 10 home tips. If you’re still having trouble getting the smell out, take drastic action by hiring a professional cleaning crew to address the bad odor.
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