Follow Your Nose – Dealing with Common Household Smells
Our sense of smell has an enormous effect on our lives. A bad odor can make a beautiful home the last place anybody wants to be. Thankfully, stink-prevention is simple – keep your home clean. But how do you remove bad odors that are already there? Well, the first thing to do is find out where the smell is coming from. Often it’s the Refrigerator, Basement, or Carpet.
The Refrigerator: One of the most common stench makers is the fridge – it’s a problem we all run into. Thankfully, it’s also a problem we can all easily fix. These steps come from WikiHow article, “2 Ways to Get Rid of Bad Smells in Your Fridge.”
1 – Turn the Fridge Off
You don’t have to do this, but it’s best not to waste energy.
2 – Remove the Food
Take everything out and check its expiration date. If it’s bad or about to go bad, get rid of it (Compost if you can). Put everything else in an cooler.
3 – Remove Everything Else
Take out every shelf, drawer, and rack you can. Don’t forget to take the Drip Tray out as well. If you can, take the plastic edging of the shelves’ glass/plastic panes.
4 – Prepare the Solution
Mix 1/2 cup of baking soda in warm water in your sink.
5 – Scrub
Get a scouring pad or sponge and soak it in the baking soda solution and start scrubbing the fridge. Get rid of all visible spills and debris.
6 – Scrub some more
Start scrubbing the drawers and shelves you’ve removed. Once again, don’t stop until everything is gone. You may need to let some of these soak in the hot water for a while.
7 – Reassemble
Put everything back in the fridge and turn it on.
8 – Further Odor Removal
If that didn’t remove your smell, try these tips:
Put an open box of baking soda it in your fridge.
Put an open bowl of white vinegar in your fridge (Put one on each shelf.)
Put an open bowl of oats in your fridge (Put one on each shelf.)
Put an open bowl of coffee grounds in the fridge (Put one on each shelf.)
Put an open bowl of charcoal (Put one on each shelf.)
All of these are odor absorbers that will slowly extract the bad smells from the air.
The Basement: Often, basements get a musty, dank smell due to excess humidity and a lack of sunlight.
1 – Check
The first thing to do is check for mold and mildew. If you find any, you should call an abatement company ASAP.
2 – Dehumidify
If mold isn’t a problem, the next step is getting a dehumidifier. These machines will suck excess moisture out of the air, removing the cause of those musty
odors. Some models come with a hose and pump to automatically empty it, but many have to be manually emptied. (As an added bonus, the water the dehumidifier removes can be used in your garden or on your houseplants!)
The Carpet: Another common source of smells are carpets. Sometimes the source of the smell is pretty obvious (Spot or Whiskers) but other times its a mystery. Either way, baking soda is a great solution. These tips come from Annie Bond’s “Wonder of Baking Soda” article at Care2.com.
1 – Sprinkle
Sprinkle lots of baking soda all over the carpet with the odor issues.
2 – Dwell
Let the baking soda sit there at least overnight, but ideally longer. It will naturally absorb and neutralize any bad smells
3 – Vacuum
After letting it dwell, vacuum up the baking soda. Repeat the entire process if necessary.
Now, this is a great method, but sometimes you’ll encounter very tough carpet odors caused by pet urine, and more specifically, the bacteria in the pet urine. Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning has special products designed to kill off such bacteria. So the next time you get have a carpet cleaning and there’s a bad pet smell, be sure to ask about our Odor Destroyer.
Well, we hope these tips have helped you on your way to making your home smell wonderful again.
Have a great day!
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If you’d like to learn more about our green carpet cleanings or our fast dry times, go to OxiFresh.com. You can also get some great carpet cleaning coupons!
