No Need for Stink: DIY Remove Odor from House
Your nose is the most sensitive of all your five senses, and the one tied closest to memory. When you walk into your home, the last thing you want is to be greeted by offensive odors. All you have to do is get rid of the stinky stuff and some basic cleanup.
This article provides a DIYers guide on the basics of how to remove odor from house spaces and furniture. Learn how to give your house a fresh, clean scent and get rid of that old, musty one.
The DIY Guide on How to Remove Odor from House Spaces
As you might expect, getting the way to remove odor from house furniture and rooms is to clean thoroughly. So get out your rubber gloves and all-purpose cleaner, because it’s about to get messy.
The first step is to identify where the odor is coming from. Take an odor measurement on a scale of 1 to 10. 1 is a slightly dirty sock, whereas,10 is a rotting carcass. If the stench is foul enough, use a breathing mask while you clean.
Removing Odors from Your House 101
The odor comes from somewhere. So, no matter how foul the smell, it can be eliminated. As long as you are not violating public health ordinances, then the smell is from a manageable source. Follow this guide and the odor in your house will be gone:
The Kitchen
The kitchen is the place to start. If you have an overflow of dirty dishes, dirty floors, or filthy counter space, it can cause a pervasively musty stench. As the old food on your dishes, floors, and counters begins to rot, you will smell a subtle musty stench that turns acrid.
Begin by taking out all of the trash. While you’re at it, just take out the trash for your entire house. Trash is understandably smelly and gross.
If you take out the trash but the smell persists from the trashcan, take it outside and wash the trashcan with a hose. Your trashcan itself can be the culprit of the smell, rather than the trash.
Before you place a clean bag in your clean trashcan, sprinkle some baking soda on the inside of the trash. This protects against future odors.
One of the most neglected pits of bacteria and mold in the kitchen is the refrigerator. Do a solid cleaning of your fridge. That includes taking everything out and using the all-purpose cleaner on every surface. Take out the drawers and shelves to wash with soap and water.
Check all of your food to be sure none of it is past its prime. Use cleaner to disinfect and wipe out the microwave. Disinfect all of the cabinet doors, handles, countertops, and floors in your kitchen.
Lastly, check under the sink to be sure that the smell is not mildew caused by a water leak. If the smell is coming from water-damage, you have to replace the rotting material.
The Bathroom
If there is one place in the house where you do more smelly stuff than anywhere else, it’s the bathroom. It is not any fun, but it is the most important room in your home to clean regularly. The area’s of importance in the bathroom are obvious: the toilet and sink.
Get your gloves and mask on. Begin by spraying the toilet and sink down with disinfectant and wiping it off with paper towels. Then, use a bleach spray on the same areas and wipe it off.
Sweep the floors clean of any debris from the toilet. Then, mix some bleach into mop water and wash the floors.
Worst Case: Dead Animal Smell
If there is a dead animal, like a mouse, decomposing in your walls, there is nothing to do but cover the smell and let nature take its course. Put a jar of distilled white vinegar in the corner of the room, as well as an ozone machine.
The vinegar captures the bad smell while the ozone machine filters the smell of vinegar.
Final Thoughts
Now your home smells better, and it is up to you to keep it that way. Place oxygen producing plants around the home, like spider plants. Oxygenating plants constantly refresh the air circulation in your house and keep things smelling clean.
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