Is your home a harbor for 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 a few of your cleaning rituals. A little extra work can make a big difference.
25 Easy Ways to Keep Your Home Smelling Fresh
It’s a constant struggle to keep up with your home, job, and family. Do you have an area of concern that is really bothering you, like the laundry? Every family has a unique smell about their home based on their spices for cooking and their lifestyle.
However, if you want to make sure your home has a pleasant aroma, then follow some of these tips.
1. Empty the Trash Frequently
2. Don’t Smoke Inside
While it’s challenging to smoke outside when it’s cold or raining, cigarette smoke can destroy the inside of a home. It’s one of the bad smells that is dangerous when it’s lurking inside.
If you can’t stop this habit, then smoke in a covered area. It would help if you talked to your doctor about ways to help you quit for your health and those around you.
3. Bathe Your Dogs
Dogs should be bathed at least once a month, and they may need more baths during the winter months. Nothing smells worse than a dirty dog that has had their grooming neglected. Lather up Fido and use some essential oils like clove to help keep odors at bay.
4. Wipe Pet Paws When It’s Raining
Is there anything worse than the smell of a wet dog? Since dogs must use the restroom outside, you should try to wipe their paws and body with a towel when they come back inside during inclement weather. The smell of a wet dog can penetrate your carpet and cause an awful aroma.
5. Deep Clean the Bathroom Frequently
So, the bathroom is one place that could be classified as a hazardous dumpsite. First, you should make sure to flush after each use. Second, the commode needs a good scrubbing at least once a week, if not more frequently. Don’t forget to wipe down the shower and get rid of any soap scum. And if you need other repair services like for instance plumber indianapolis services, make sure to contact professional contractors for expert services. And if you have plumbing issues like a toilet not flushing, make sure to contact a plumber. You may consider getting the services from Wills Plumbing Services for prompt action. And if you need water heater repair services, make sure to enlist the help of the professionals.
6. Don’t Let Dirty Dishes Sit
Dirty dishes can get a funk as well as develop strong odors. Have you tried to scrape spaghetti off a plate that has set for days? It can be like chiseling concrete, trying to get it clean.
Since most households have a dishwasher, rinse your dishes, and put them through the wash. Never let dishes sit longer than a few hours as bacteria start growing immediately.
7. Empty Cooking Grease
Cooking grease has an awful odor about it. If you want to save your bacon drippings, put it in a covered container, and put it in the refrigerator. Grease is also a big attraction for bugs and vermin.
8. Scoop the Kitty Litter Box Daily
Cat litter boxes have bad smells if they don’t get emptied regularly. Make sure to scoop out the droppings every day or every other day to prevent odors.
9. Throw Out Leftovers After Three Days
Benjamin Franklin said that the company and fish both stink after three days, so you don’t want to keep leftovers long. Fruits and vegetables are big culprits of rotting and getting shoved into a drawer in your refrigerator. If you’re going to keep your icebox smelling fresh, then pitch leftovers sooner rather than later.
10. Have a Designated Area for Shoes
Shoes and boots can really carry some nasty smells. If you have a garage, it’s a great place to store stinky shoes. When someone in the home has foot odor, it can penetrate the entire house. Designate an area where you can store the smelly shoes to keep your home smelling fresh.
11. Clean Sink Drains with Deodorizer
When you’re washing dishes or rinsing them for the dishwasher, it’s only natural that bits of food go down the drain. You can stop the smells that cause odors by using drain deodorizers. They make special drain sticks that can slip into the drain and keep odors at bay.
12. Change Furnace Filter Regularly
Your furnace filters collect dust particles as well as toxins in the air. Each furnace has different requirements, but typically, you should change it once a month. Duct cleaning can also help to keep the fresh air moving through your home.
13. Deodorize the Trash Cans
While you’re emptying your trash cans, take the time to clean them too. Sprinkle baking soda inside the can, and hose it off. Your bins get all kinds of spills and food debris left on the inside and out, and you want to clean it off.
14. Keep Up with Your Laundry
Nothing is as smells as bad as dirty socks and musty towels. If you do just one or two loads of laundry each day, then you won’t have any build-up. Using chemical-based fabric softeners and detergents should be tossed for earth-friendly ones too.
Laundry is a big problem for many working people, but you should get the whole family involved to help with this chore.
15. Keep Bathroom Windows Open
Do you have a window in your bathroom? You should keep the fresh air flowing in this frequently used room. If you don’t have a window, make sure you have an operational ventilation fan to help with bad smells.
16. Don’t Fry Foods Use Crockpots and Air Fryers Instead
Frying foods permeate the entire home, especially if you fry something as potent as fish. A better way to cook with less mess is to use a crockpot or an air fryer. Plus, these methods are healthier too.
17. Sprinkle Carpets with Baking Soda and Vacuum Often
You should vacuum your carpets a couple of times a week. Before you do this chore, sprinkle some baking soda on them and allow it to penetrate for an hour or so. Baking soda really helps get rid of smells in the home.
18. Open Your Windows When Possible
When it’s a lovely day outside, then you should open as many windows as possible. Let the sunshine and fresh air blow through your home and bring with it the healing kiss of Mother Nature.
19. Run the Washer on the Cleaning Cycle
If you have a front loader washing machine, they can harbor bad smells after so many washes. Did you know that they have a self-cleaning mode to help get rid of any aromas? Plus, a washing machine that is not thoroughly cleaned can make the clothes stink too.
20. Clean Garbage Disposal with Lemon or Orange Rinds
About once a month, make sure to put some ice cubes with lemon or orange rinds down your garbage disposal and allow it to run with warm water for a few minutes. The food builds up on the inside of these can cause horrific smells.
21. Launder Linens Regularly
Change your sheets and pillowcases once a week, and wash your blankets once a month. You sweat, and your natural body odors can give the whole bed a weird smell.
22. Make Sure Basement Has No Stagnant Water
Make sure your sump pump is working if you have a basement. If there is stagnate water sitting in a crawl space or basement, it can permeate your whole abode. It’s also a health hazard to have standing water, so make sure you keep this area dry.
23. Clean the Filter In Your Dishwasher
Did you know that your dishwasher needs cleaned? Since it removes food, it has a trap where this stuff is collected. A build-up of food can cause some smelly situations.
24. Deep Clean Your Carpets Annually
If you have carpeting, you need to shampoo your carpets at least once a year. When you have pets in the home with carpeting, you might want to do it twice a year. Carpets collect a lot of dust and bacteria from constant foot traffic. Don’t wear your shoes in the house to cut down on the need for more frequent cleaning.
25. Use an Air Purifier
Air purifiers are great for bad smells, 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 pollutants like cigarette smoke, heavy cooking smells, and pets, then it’s worth the investment. If you suspect that the smell comes from your HVAC unit, make sure to have an hvac system repair immediately. Call emergency ac repair services in Fort Worth, TX to repair it. You may also check nearby services like AirMax Heating & Air for job opportunities.
Final Thoughts on Bad Smells in Your Home
Candles and air fresheners only mask the odors, but you need to get to the root cause. Isn’t it funny how people will put these round disk deodorizers on their litter boxes? If they just cleaned it a bit more, they wouldn’t need to cover up the smell.
You can change a few things about your cleaning routine and the way you store items, and it will make a big difference. Carpets are a significant source of odors, which is why so many people are ripping them out and going for wood floors. Whatever you can do to help your home be safer and smell better will only make it more comfortable for all who live there.
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