25 Ways to Get Rid of Bad Smells from Your Home

Is your house a port of bad smells? Do you have pets, teenagers and shoes that need to be fumigated? You can live in a house with good air quality by changing some of your cleaning rituals. A little extra work can make a big difference. There are some ways to masks unhealthy odors in your house, however how do you really eliminate them? Here’s methods to eliminate unhealthy family smells as soon as and for all!

Why Can We Smell?

Neuroscientists say people can distinguish 10,000 scents, although we don’t have names for lots of them. Our sense of smell – the olfactory sense – brings depth and emotional richness to each day life. Think concerning the emotions and recollections that move if you catch a whiff of fresh-cut grass or lilacs in bloom, bury your face in a sun-dried mattress sheet simply off the road, or enter the kitchen simply as a cinnamon-rich apple pie emerges from the oven.

Our olfactory system additionally alerts us to potential risks: spoiled food, rot and decay, dangerous molds. Most American properties comprise quite a lot of sprays, plug-ins, stick-ons, scented candles, and different merchandise designed to masks or take away unhealthy odors.

However, many individuals undergo allergic reactions to the fragrances in a few of these merchandise, and some air fresheners even comprise toxins.

Yet a couple of cheap family necessities you most likely have available already – vinegar, salt, coffee, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide – will neutralize most noxious odors round your private home and in your autos.

Here are 25 easy ways to keep your home smelling fresh

It is a constant struggle to keep up with your home, work, and family. Do you have an area of concern that really bothers you, like dirty laundry? Each family has a unique scent in their home based on their cooking spices and lifestyle. However, if you want to make sure your home smells nice, then follow some of these tips.

1. Empty Trash Frequently

Your trash is the biggest cause of odors in your home. Never let trash overflow and sit for days. If you have a large amount of garbage, you should take it out often.

2. Don’t smoke inside

While it’s challenging to smoke outside when it’s cold or rainy, cigarette smoke can destroy the interior of a home. It is one of the bad odors that is dangerous when lurking indoors.

If you can’t kick this habit, then smoke in a covered area. It would be helpful if you talked to your doctor about ways to help you quit for the health of yourself and those around you.

3. Bathe your dogs

Dogs should be bathed at least once a month and may need more baths during the winter months. Nothing smells worse than a dirty dog that has been neglected grooming. Lather up Fido and use some essential oils like clove to help keep odors at bay.

4. Clean pet’s paws when it rains

Is there anything worse than the smell of a wet dog? Since dogs must use the bathroom outside, you should try to wipe their paws and body with a towel when they come back inside during inclement weather. The wet dog smell can penetrate the carpet and cause an unpleasant smell.

5. Deep clean the bathroom frequently

Therefore, the bathroom is a place that could be classified as a dangerous landfill . First, you need to make sure to rinse after each use. Second, the toilet needs a good scrubbing at least once a week, if not more often. Don’t forget to clean the shower and get rid of soap scum.

6. Don’t let dirty dishes sit

Dirty dishes can spoil and develop strong odors. Have you tried to scrape spaghetti off a plate that has been sitting for days? It can be like chiseling concrete, trying to clean it.

Since most homes have a dishwasher, rinse the dishes and put them in the wash. Never let dishes sit for more than a few hours as bacteria begin to grow immediately.

7. Empty cooking fat

Cooking fat has a horrible smell. If you want to save the bacon fat, put it in a covered container and store it in the refrigerator. Fat is also a great attraction for insects and vermin.

8. Take out the cat litter box every day

Cat litter boxes have bad odors if they are not emptied regularly. Be sure to scoop out the droppings every day or every other day to avoid odors.

9. Throw away leftovers after three days

Benjamin Franklin said that both company and fish stink after three days, so you don’t want to keep leftovers for too long. Fruits and vegetables are big culprits for rotting and getting pushed into a drawer in your fridge. If you’re going to keep your fridge smelling fresh, dispose of leftovers as soon as possible .

10. Have a designated area for shoes

Shoes and boots can really have some unpleasant odors. If you have a garage, it’s a great place to store stinky shoes. When someone in the home has foot odor, it can permeate the entire house. Designate an area where you can store smelly shoes to keep your home smelling fresh.

11. Clean sink drains with deodorant

When you wash dishes or rinse them for the dishwasher, it’s natural for leftover food to go down the drain. You can stop odor-causing odors by using drain deodorizers. They make special drain rods that can slide into the drain and keep odors at bay.

12. Change the furnace filter regularly

Your furnace filters collect dust particles and toxins in the air. Each oven has different requirements, but generally you should change it once a month. Duct cleaning can also help keep fresh air circulating in your home.

13. Deodorize trash cans

As you empty your trash cans, take the time to clean them, too. Sprinkle baking soda inside the can and hose it off. Your containers have all kinds of spills and food scraps inside and out, and you want to clean them up.

14. Keep up with your clothes

Nothing smells as bad as dirty socks and moldy towels. If you only do one or two loads of laundry each day, then you won’t have any buildup. The use of chemical-based fabric softeners and detergents should also be disposed of by those that do not harm the environment.

Laundry is a big deal for many working people, but you need to get the whole family involved to help with this task.

15. Keep bathroom windows open

Do you have a window in your bathroom? You need to keep fresh air flowing in this frequently used room. If you don’t have a window, make sure you have a working fan to help with odors.

16. Don’t fry food, use slow cookers and air fryers instead

Fry foods permeate the entire home, especially if you’re frying something as potent as fish. A better way to cook with less mess is to use a crockpot or deep fryer. In addition, these methods are also healthier.

17. Dust carpets with baking soda and vacuum often.

You should vacuum your rugs a couple of times a week. Before doing this task, sprinkle on some baking soda and let it soak in for an hour or so. Baking soda really helps get rid of odors in the home.

18. Open your Windows when possible

When it’s a beautiful day outside, you should open as many windows as possible. Let sunlight and fresh air fill your home, bringing with them the healing kiss of Mother Nature.

19. Run washer through clean cycle

If you have a front-loading washing machine, they can harbor bad odors after so many washes. Did you know they have a self-cleaning mode to help remove any scent? Also, a washing machine that doesn’t clean itself thoroughly can also cause your clothes to smell bad.

20. Clean garbage disposal with lemon or orange peels

About once a month, be sure to put some ice cubes with lemon or orange peels in the garbage disposal and run it under warm water for a few minutes. Accumulated food inside these can cause horrible odors.

21. Wash bedding regularly.

Change your sheets and pillowcases once a week and wash your blankets once a month. You sweat and your body’s natural odors can make the whole bed smell weird.

22. Make sure your basement doesn’t have standing water

Make sure your sump pump is working if you have a basement. If there is standing water in a crawl space or basement, it can permeate your entire dwelling. Standing water is also a health hazard, so be sure to keep this area dry.

23. Clean your dishwasher filter

Did you know that your dishwasher needs a cleaning? Since it removes food, it has a trap where these things are collected. A buildup of food can cause some smelly situations.

24. Deep clean your carpets annually

If you have rugs, you should shampoo them at least once a year. When you have pets in the house with rugs, you may want to do it twice a year. Carpets collect a lot of dust and bacteria from constant foot traffic. Keep your shoes out of the house to reduce the need for more frequent cleaning.

25. Use an air purifier

Air purifiers are great for bad odors, especially when you have people with sensitive allergies like asthma. You can get a small tabletop unit or opt for a more extensive system that is professionally installed with your HVAC unit.

If you have contaminants like cigarette smoke, strong cooking odors, and pets, then it’s worth the investment. If you suspect the odor is coming from your HVAC unit, be sure to have the HVAC system repaired immediately.

Final thoughts on keeping bad smells out of your home

Candles and air fresheners only mask odors, but you need to get to the root cause. Isn’t it funny how people put these round disc deodorizers in their litter boxes? If they cleaned it up a bit more, they wouldn’t need to cover up the smell.

You can change a few things about your home cleaning routine and the way you store items, and it will make a world of difference. Carpets are a major source of odors, which is why so many people rip them out and opt for hardwood floors. Anything you can do to help make your home safer and smell better will only make it more comfortable for everyone who lives there.