Our homes are our sanctuary. This is the place we sleep, eat, rest, and stay. And there’s no denying that part of living in a comfortable home is by its smell aside from its cleanliness. A fresh smell in your home gives you peace of mind to relax and enjoy, especially for home buddies.
Based on studies, smell has a huge impact on our brains. It either enhances or breaks our moods. And when it comes to our homes, if the place smells fresh, our stress naturally reduces. Who would want to stay at home if it stinks, right? If it smells bad, we feel uneasy.
In this blog, we will share with you some of the effective ways to eliminate bad odors in your homes.
Fragrance Sprays Are Not Always The Solution
Here’s the thing, it becomes a misconception (and a habit) that when we smell something funny in our house, we tend to spray, spray, and spray fragrance solutions. But did you know that it is not entirely the right way to aid this problem?
Yes, through spraying strong fragrance solutions or aerosols, the smell fades away. However, the bad odor is not gone. What happens is it only gives a temporary solution but still the bad odor issue still exists. And eventually, it will persist, giving a stronger foul smell. Yes, a stronger foul smell!
It’s either the fragrance of the solution you spray fades away over time or it mixes with the bad odor which causes a stronger foul smell. And we don’t want that right?
How To Aid The Issue?
Actually, there is one basic solution to remove the bad odor. In order for you to solve the issue is by finding what causes it. Yes, that’s what we often miss doing. It is important to find what or which causes the foul smell. And once you do, you can see how to deal with it. It’s always about thoroughly cleaning!
Cleaning is so important. When after cleaning an area in your house and aesthetically it looks sparkling, but there’s still foul odor in the air, then it means something is not right. There is probably one part you might have missed cleaning.
Effective Ways To Eliminate Bad Odors
There are ways you can eliminate unwanted smells in your house. There’s actually a long list about it. And we listed some of the most important you might want to consider. We believe that the list below can greatly help you with your cleaning.
- Open the windows
Know the humidity level of the room or area. Oftentimes, for example, mopping the floor, we tend to let the floor wet and dry naturally. It’s not good or bad—it actually varies depending on the situation.
If you mop the floor of a room with windows, open it so the natural air comes in which would help for the wet floor to dry more naturally. Opening the window has a big factor because it brings in the natural smell of nature (of course it varies, who knows if you are living in the city and opening the windows is not pleasant at all).
If opening the windows is not an option, then consider mopping with a dry cloth as your final moping. This helps dry the floor faster. This also helps so that the moisture in the room won’t be bad that may cause mold. If you can, you can use a dehumidifier.
- Spot the obvious
Garbage bins, litter boxes, fridges, and all others that can produce foul smells should be attended to. Use the proper solutions when cleaning it to eliminate the smell or from keeping it from producing foul odors.
Our sense of smell can actually adapt to the situation. This leads us to sometimes miss some areas to clean because we just got used to its smell. But this is not good at all. We should keep our focus straight and realize which spots, areas, and stuff to be cleaned. As mentioned earlier, don’t just spray fragrance solutions just to hide the foul smell lingering on the issue.
- Freshen up the air vents
It’s another thing we sometimes miss. Sometimes, your home is already clean yet there’s still something not right. You might find the cause of it through your air vents. Who knows that the reason why the air inside your house is not coming in/out is that the air vent filter is not clean.
- Don’t miss out the soft surfaces
Pillows, quilts, bed sheets, sofas, linen, and window covers are smell-magnets. Take time to check these also and change/clean them when needed. For example on your couch, juice splurge into it and you just let it dry then spray fragrance solution. You thought it’s good again, but it’s not. It might look clean again aesthetically but bacteria and germs might have started to accumulate there. You should check out how to properly clean it.
- Neutralizers
There are neutralizers that can be used to eliminate odors. It may come in different forms or commercial products. One best example is charcoal. Did you know that you can use it in your fridge to eliminate its funny smell? You can place it inside the fridge and it absorbs the smell/odor. You can also use it in a room by just placing it on a surface.
Another good example is plant. There are plants that naturally help purify the air and smell of your house. But please take note that it has its limits and proper ways of using it!
- Simmer fruits and herbs in the stove
This works best if you want your kitchen to have a fruity or herb-like scent. However, this just suggests that it’s a good air freshener. So, much better to do this once you have resolved the bad odor issue in your home and want to make it have a brand new fresh (nature-inspired) smell.
In Conclusion
Eliminating bad odor(s) in your home can be said that it depends on how you thoroughly clean. When your house is odorless, then it is safe to say that it is clean. Fragrance sprays are not entirely the answer to eliminating the bad smells. You have to find the root cause!
When you are cleaning and want to achieve a high-quality of cleanliness, do it the right way. There is no shortcut to achieving it. Everything needs time, focus, and effort to achieve it! But if you need assistance, you can always do so.
If you are living in Aurora, IL, and its surrounding areas, and need help making your house sparkling clean, contact us today! My Marvelous Maids are ready to help you clean your house. We have a team of professional house cleaners who are ready to provide the best service possible. You can call us to book an appointment.