Top 5 Ways to Eliminate Bad Smell at Home
Let’s admit it. We often base our judgment about the quality of air based on its smell. But this may be incorrect most of the time. Nowadays, numerous products are coming out in the market promising to make your home fresh, including air fresheners, scented candles, etc.
While these products can remove undesirable odor inside your home, they don’t eliminate the cause. So, instead of covering up these smells with scented sprays that possibly contain hazardous chemicals, it’s more important to understand why your house smells in the first place. As soon as you know where it’s coming from, you can take some steps to eliminate it entirely.
Common Causes of Bad Smell at Home
- Leftover food
- Dirty and damp laundry
- Uncleaned carpet
- Stagnant air
- Dust
- Pet urine/waste
- Garbage disposal
- Stagnant sheets
- Mold
Tips to Make Your House Smell Fresh
1. Find the Source of the Odor
It may be appealing to conceal the foul smell with an air freshener, but keep in mind that this is only a short-term remedy. It may not work for long and can also affect your family’s health. Did you know that some air fresheners may release hazardous volatile organic compounds (VOC) into the air in your home? According to experts, VOCs can cause shortness of breath, headaches, eye, nose, and throat inflammation, lightheadedness, and skin problems.
That’s why it’s advisable to inspect every room in your house for molds, water leakages, mildew, moisture, or condensation. Clean visible sources of mold or mildew immediately. If you can, repair any water leaks right away since this is where moisture is gathering.
2. Clean All Rooms and Floors
Remove dust in every space in your home from top to bottom, including shelves, tables, ceiling fans, blinds, lights, doors, windows, carpets, and electronic devices. Dust usually originates from the outdoors but also takes place naturally indoors. Aside from causing a bad smell in your home, it also causes allergies.
When it comes to your floors, you can use a damp cloth instead of sweeping or using a dry mop as these may stir dust back up into the air. Also, use warm water and dish soap for your tiles. But if you think the problem is severe, you may need professionals because they know how to clean tile grout. Plus, they have complete tools and equipment and advanced strategies to complete the task.
3. Clean All Upholstery
Your upholstery, particularly the sofa, can easily trap spills, fur, dust, oil, and cooking odors. Check the label of your couch for proper care. Usually, they tell you what cleaning liquids are safe, along with the techniques. Dry brush and vacuum are among the safest and excellent tools to remove dust, dry particles, and crumbs. Homemade options such as baking soda and vinegar solutions can also help eliminate couch odor.
If you often use your sofa or have children and pets, the more you need to clean. You may need odor removal services experts for deep cleaning.
4. Wash Your Laundry and Sheets
Generally, people wash their sheets once per week. But if you sleep on your mattress often or you have pets that sleep in your bed, you may need to wash your sheets more than once a week. Sheets can accumulate dead skin cells, dirt, sweat, dust, mites and their fecal matter and carcasses, and body oils that trigger a bad smell.
On the other hand, avoid mixing sweaty clothing or damp towels with your dry laundry because this can muster a stinky odor. Or better yet, clean them right away. If you can’t, air dry before throwing them into your laundry basket. On top of these, hang them in a well-lit room or dry outside to ensure the freshest odor, given that fungi quickly grows on moist and wet clothes.
5. Open Your Windows
Pollutants and odors can build up in a closed home that hang in the air for a long time. Open your windows to let outdoor air enter your house. You can check with the local air quality report before opening your windows if you have pollen allergies.
Key Takeaways
The suggestions discussed above are some of the many things you can do to eliminate foul smells inside your home. Doing the cleaning yourself using homemade cleaning solutions is one way to cut additional expenses. However, if the problem is severe, like damage caused by a harsh chemical or bleach spill, you need professional help because they have the experience and equipment to do the job quickly.
If you’re looking for professional cleaning services, check out EcoClean company to find out what they can do for you.