Everyone wants to have their home smell great. Sometimes though, odors in the home can smell anything but fresh. Whether from mold, mildew, or pets; these smells can really be a nuisance and can cause yourself as well as guests to crinkle up their noses at your abode. Here are 10 ways to get rid of the stenches in your home and make your home a pleasure to smell.
1. Deep clean! Get rid of that mold today! Clean all types of fabric. Some of the culprits are carpets, drapes, bath rugs, etc. Rent a carpet shampooer and deep clean those carpets. Throw the rest in the laundry. Not only will these items smell like they've just been washed, the smells won't come back for a while. Remember to clean anything that gets overlooked on a day-to-day cleaning run.
2. Does your kitchen smell? Maybe it's your sink! If so, try getting some nice smelling fruit that has a rind like an orange. The older, the better; but not rotten. Drop it in your disposal (make sure you don't clog it), and blend the rinds for a few seconds and let it sit overnight. In the morning, run the disposal until the rinds are gone. The smell is great and lasts about a week. When the week is up, the bad smell from the disposal won't be back!
Warning: do not do this if you have a bug problem. Bugs are not afraid of climbing in the disposal if they're a lot of those critters around.
3. Do what my mother and grandmother did to make their house smell good-- cook! This works great to impress guests that come over. Things like cookies or breads give a nice, warm, welcoming aroma. Your house will smell fantastic, bread is cheap to bake, and you get to feed yourself as well!
4. Flowers and plants help a lot, and they look pretty. Change once a week if they aren't in some soil. Growing plants just seem to make the air smell better. They are nature's air cleanser!
5. Get some wood! Some chunks of cedar in dresser drawers; some sandalwood for the closet. These are smell-good wood and the smells last months! A helpful tip to keep splinters out of your unmentionables is to put the wood in some pantyhose or a muslin cloth bag. The smells are allowed out, but the wood will remain inside.
6. There are various plug-in air fresheners on the market. Some will smell better than others depending upon your tastes. Some are too strong for me. They are easy and quick, but do cost more than most other techniques for that pleasant home aroma.
7. Fabric sprays leaves a fresh clean scent and completely remove some odors, but will mask others such as mold. It is especially great on smoke and some pet odors, such as pet dander. Watch out if you suffer from asthma, though. This could trigger an attack!
8. For very little money, you can set out disposable pie tins full of baking soda (I buy the generic brand--it costs pennies to distribute around the house). These can be placed under sofas, beds, in closets, behind drapes, etc. Very effective and very cheap. If you spill it, no problem. You just have to vacuum it up! This method takes some time, but is very effective if you don't have guests coming over tonight.The baking soda soaks in the odors, leaving you with a fresh smelling home.
9. Boil your favorite herbs. Some can't stand the sweet, sappy smells of artificial aromas. Boiling your favorite herbs will leave you with a natural smelling goodness in your home that you're sure to love.
10. Scented candles are a great alternative. If you're burning candles, look for soy wax candles as these candles burn much cleaner than paraffin based waxes. If you're looking for a safer alternative, consider a wickless candle. This works by melting wax cubes in a warmer specifically designed to melt small amounts of wax. Depending on the brand and scent, these cubes of wax should last up to 4 days making them very affordable.
Take a few of these ideas and try them yourself. Once you find your favorite methods, you'll love the way your home smells!
