When you step inside someone else’s home, what is one of the first things you notice, if not the only thing you notice? How it smells.
A home that doesn’t smell inviting for any reason – whether they have a lot of unwashed pets or haven’t taken out their trash for days on end – gives a terrible first impression, and most homeowners hate the thought of their home smelling anything other than fresh and clean. But, there are some smells that all homeowners have had to face at some stage, and which affect all homes in the same way, even luxury mansions and ocean-facing villas!
Fortunately, there are some highly effective ways to eliminate these odors for good, and below are simple fixes for 3 of the most common household odors:
- The kitchen trash can
One way to stop your home smelling like garbage is to make sure that you take the trash out on a regular basis, particularly if something that you know will create a real stink, has gone inside it. But, there may come a point when even that doesn’t eliminate the trashy smell, which could indicate that the trash can itself is the culprit.
It’s not uncommon for trash bags to become split and start leaking, or in some cases, a particularly corrosive substance might have been placed inside the bin and started to leak through to the bottom of the can. If left, this rotten odor only gets worse, and even if you don’t suspect this to be the problem, it’s a good idea to wash the can with warm soapy water once a week. Just be sure to let it dry out thoroughly before placing a clean bag inside it, otherwise you’ll encourage a whole new type of offensive odor!
- The garbage disposal
These are fantastically convenient appliances for any home, but it’s easy for moisture to become trapped in them which can lead to smelly mold and mildew growth, or for food particles to get stuck and start decomposing, causing a rotten odor to persist. To combat a smelly garbage disposal, take the time to clean both the top and bottom of the rubber seal found in the sink button with a regular kitchen cleaner, and then grab some white vinegar and baking soda to clean the garbage disposal itself.
Pour a quarter cup of the baking soda down the drain of the sink, and then gradually pour at least a cup of white vinegar down after it, waiting for it to bubble and fizz before flushing it with boiling water.
- Carpets
Notorious for absorbing and holding on to smells, the fabric fibers of carpets can soon become smelly, especially if you share your home with pets. While vacuuming is a great way of picking up dust, dirt and debris from carpets, it isn’t enough to help eliminate unpleasant odors. For this, you need to deodorize it by creating a solution of water and vinegar that you can spray over it and allow to dry, or by sprinkling baking soda over the smelliest areas and vacuuming it up after a number of hours (ideally overnight).
If your carpets are still smelly after this, it might be time to call a cleaning service who can deep clean it and restore it to its former glory.
Another highly effective way to make your home smell fresh and clean (and keep it that way), is to hire a regular cleaning service. That way, you won’t ever need to worry about bad smells and lingering odors, as they likely won’t occur in the first place!
