Did you know that your nose can detect around 1 trillion different smells? Humans have about 400 types of scent receptors that help detect all these different scents that exist in the world. Previous studies suggested that humans were only able to detect about 10,000 different odors.
The sense of smell and different scents are powerful in how they can elicit certain memories or create feelings of pleasantness or disgust. Bad odors, especially when they're in your home, are an annoyance everyone would prefer to avoid.
Keep reading to learn some of the best ways to remove odors from home and have the best smelling house in the neighborhood.
1. The Best Way to Get Rid of Smoke Odors
This is more often an issue when you've moved into a new place where the previous owner was a heavy smoker. The more time someone has spent smoking inside a home, the harder it gets to get rid of the smell.
When you're ready to start the deodorizing process the first thing you'll want to do is open up windows and doors to let fresh air circulate through your house. It might sound odd but cat liter is great at absorbing the smell of smoke. You can leave it out overnight and clean it up in the morning.
When the smell of smoke has taken over the walls inside your home a more powerful clean might be necessary. Add a cup of ammonia to a gallon of water and use that mixture to clean the walls.
2. It's Possible to Have a Fresh Smelling Laundry Room
If you want to remove odor from your house, a good place to start is your laundry room. The laundry room is filled with dirty clothes and it can start to smell musty if you let the laundry pile up from time to time. Make sure to wash your clothes regularly to prevent these smells from lingering.
Washing machines can also start to get a little smelly over time. It's simple to clean them by starting a wash while the machine is empty.
Use hot water and add a cup of baking soda to it, add vinegar where you would usually add the fabric softener. Make sure to leave the machine open to prevent more bad smells from forming.
3. Remove the Awful Smell of Pet Urine
We all love our pets but they can leave behind some unpleasant odors in our homes. You can rest assured that living with pets doesn't have to mean you'll have a smelly house. Follow these tips to get rid of the smell of urine and other pet odors.
The first thing you'll have to do is make a routine of vacuuming up your pet hair. You'll also want to make a habit of washing your pet's beds and blankets often. Urine stains will typically come out with a mix of vinegar and water.
4. The Best Ways to Get a Kitchen to Smell Good
The best tips for removing home odors is to tackle each problem area, one smell at a time. If the bad smell is coming from your refrigerator, you'll want to check it for rotten food and throw that out first. Taking out all the food and giving your refrigerator a wipe down with baking soda and warm water should do the trick.
Another source of a smelly kitchen is a dirty sponge. A sponge collects a lot of germs and it should be changed regularly to prevent bad smell and the spread of bacteria. If you'd like to sterilize the sponge and get your kitchen smelling clean again, you can let it soak in a mix of water and bleach overnight.
5. Here's How to Get Rid of Moldy Smells
Mold isn't just bad for the structure of a house and your health, it also creates an unpleasant odor in your home. Mold comes from moisture so when tackling moldy smells, it's important that the area is getting good ventilation.
If you have a fabric shower curtain in your bathroom make sure you're washing it often. Mix vinegar and water to scrub areas where mold is present, like your shower. Odor removal is possible when you follow these tips.
6. Don't Struggle With Carpet Odors
Carpets can hold on to dirt and spill if not properly cleaned. This will create a bad odor that'll linger throughout your home.
Some tips for getting rid of odors that come out of your carpet is to use baking soda or white vinegar with water. You'll want to work the baking soda into your carpet and leave it there for a couple of days. This will not only clean your carpet but keep it smelling great too.
If there are certain spots in your carpet that need more targeted cleaning, a vinegar and water solution should do. You'll want to cover the area with the solution and then clean it up with some paper towels until it's dry.
7. Stop Dealing With a Smelly Bathroom
No one likes cleaning a bathroom but it's necessary to prevent smells from forming and spreading to the rest of the house. Attack the source of the smell first, most likely the toilet. The solution is simple, you just have to leave a cup of vinegar soaking in the toilet for about ten minutes before scrubbing and flushing.
You can also make a DIY spray to keep your bathroom smelling fresh every day. You can add some of your favorite essential oils to some water with baking soda and you'll no longer have to deal with bad bathroom smells.
8. Your Room Can Smell Good Too
Some of the odors in the house that you're most desperate to get rid of are probably bad smells coming from your bedroom. Your room is your sanctuary, the place where you go to rest after a long day. Making sure it smells great is important.
While washing your sheets often is a necessity, you don't often think about cleaning your mattress. A mattress collects a lot of gunk over the years and simply spreading some baking soda over it and letting it sit for a couple of hours before vacuuming it up is good enough to get rid of any bad odors.
Make sure you're doing this at least twice a year to remove odors from home areas.
The Best Tips You Should Know to Remove Odors From Home
No one wants nasty odors in their space, remove odors from home with the tips listed in this article. Check out some of our other blog posts to learn more about home improvement and house maintenance in the Real Estate section of our site.