How to Keep Your Home Free from Bad Odors

The sense of smell is probably not the one you think of as being the most important in how you perceive the world. However, it is enough for a bad smell to appear in a room for you to realize how much it actually affects you. No one wants their house or apartment to be foul-smelling, and it is not always possible to identify and get rid of the direct cause.

There may be numerous sources of different odors in your home. An unpleasant smell can give you or your guests the impression that the room is filthy – even when you have just cleaned it. If you want to get rid of the smell disrupting your everyday life, we are here to help.

Read on to discover how to keep bad smells from your home.

Get an Air Purifier

According to air quality experts from Home Air Guides, an air purifier is the closest you can get to getting rid of the cause of the smell instead of only covering it up with air fresheners. It won’t work in all cases, but if the reason is airborne (e.g., an odor of your dog, cooked salmon, smoke, or garbage), an air purifier will suck in the particles, preventing them from reentering the room. Moreover, such a device may also get rid of other compounds you breathe in that can be potentially harmful, such as chemicals released by your cleaning products or coming from the outside air pollution. Please note that you need to change air filters regularly for an air purifier to stay beneficial and effective.

Clean All the Nooks and Corners

If we are being completely honest, there are not many people who are incredibly thorough during each weekly cleaning routine. However, if you struggle with unpleasant odors, especially in the kitchen, you need to start cleaning all the hidden places in the room, such as kitchen tops, all the corners, and forgotten surfaces. That’s because smells tend to stay longer in such locations – if you neglect them for a longer period of time, the smelly particles will pile up. Also, don’t forget about the cleaning and draining the sink regularly, or washing the trash can from time to time, even if nothing has spilled from the trash bag.

Ventilate Properly

Once you make sure the source of the foul odors in your house is not outside, make a habit of opening windows during the daytime. Proper ventilation is essential if you want your home to smell fresh and seem cleaner. The worst thing you can do is to allow odors to remain stagnant – if you don’t have any ventilation system, open windows and some fans will be enough to keep the air circulating. However, you should keep everything closed if you live in a busy, polluted area or when it’s the peak pollen season.

Introduce Your Favorite Smells

An air freshener smelling like your favorite flowers, your preferred essential oils, or scented candles… Make sure to place them all strategically around the house. It’s good to have a pleasant smell near a linen closet or a couch, as fabrics tend to absorb odors – both pleasant and unpleasant. Candles are especially liked by homeowners, as they add significantly to the house’s decor and atmosphere. If you want your bathroom, living room, or kitchen smelling fresh, be sure it has something nice to smell of.

Use Odor Absorbers

Of course, you can buy some ready-to-use products that will neutralize odors, but they are quite expensive. Luckily, there are many household items you can use to create a DIY odor absorber. For example, if you don’t like what your house smells like, you should make friends with baking soda. It is an excellent idea to sprinkle some baking soda on different things around the room (e.g., furniture, upholstery, carpets) a while before brushing. You can also mix it with your favorite essential oil and place the mixture here and there – you will be amazed by how effectively it neutralizes the smells. And if it’s horrible, use vinegar in the place of baking soda – it’s an even more potent absorber.

Final Thoughts

You can’t always get rid of the source of the home odors, but there’s a lot you can do to neutralize the unpleasant ones. First and foremost, make sure you clean all the corners, nooks, and surfaces thoroughly, especially in a room such as a kitchen or a bathroom, which tend to accumulate moisture – by doing so, you will also prevent mold and mildew development. Then, keep your windows or even door open whenever you can to let fresh air in – there’s no better remedy for bad smells than proper ventilation. Last but not least, neutralize the odors you don’t like and introduce your favorite ones – as you can see, there are many DIY methods of fighting the stink, even if you have a tight budget.

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