Have you ever walked in the door after a busy day and thought, “My house smells”? Everyone has at some point or another. And smelly homes are bound to happen if you haven’t had time to take the trash out or wash your yoga clothes in a few days. But if you are keeping up with these chores and still have a stench in the house, it’s time to take further action.
Learn how to deodorize your home using the following tips.
Treat the Cause Not the Symptoms
One common mistake many people make is masking the odor. While your candle warmer or favorite room spray may spread pleasant scents when used, you need to actually remove odors from your home if you want it to smell nice all of the time.
Now that you’re armed with this knowledge, you’re ready to learn how to deodorize your home.
How to Remove Odors from Your Home
Surely you’ve heard the expression “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” This adage holds true when it comes to figuring out how to deodorize your home. The best way to maintain a pleasant smelling house is to create a regular cleaning routine and stick with it.
To actually deodorize your home, you can sprinkle baking soda on floors and furniture and vacuum it up. Baking soda neutralizes odors instead of just masking them. Note: If you have pets, you’ll want to make sure they’re not in the room until you’ve vacuumed up the baking soda as it can make animals ill.
In addition, you want to look at other ways you can minimize smells such as:
Leaving gross shoes and sneakers outside or investing in foot odor products
Washing your pets when they’re dirty and keeping bedding and litter boxes clean
Taking out the trash regularly and cleaning your trash cans when they begin to smell
Washing dishes on a daily basis
Keeping sink drains free of food debris
Replacing your kitchen sponge before it starts to stink
Maintaining a clean refrigerator
Doing laundry on a regular basis
Keeping sporting and fishing gear outdoors or in the garage
Tossing out unrefrigerated produce or other foods before they spoil
Opening windows (when the weather is nice) to air out your home
Leaving your bathroom door open after showers so the room gets some ventilation
Making sure no one in the family is leaving food, dirty dishes or piles of smelly laundry in his or her room
What if You Can’t Remove Odors from Your Home?
If you’ve tried deodorizing and have directly treated what you thought to be the source of the smell, you may be dealing with a more serious issue than a stinky trash can or stale laundry. Foul odors that hang around could be a sign that mold is growing somewhere in your home.
A simple clean won’t do the trick when mold is involved. Instead, you’ll need to contact a professional that’s equipped to deal with this issue. And don’t put off getting help with mold control. When left to linger mold can cause serious health issues, including headaches, breathing difficulties, skin irritation, allergic reactions and aggravation of asthma symptoms.
What if you have trouble getting rid of smells even though you’ve been cleaning and have had your home inspected for mold? Well, it may be time to call in some professional backup.