Everyone’s home is different, and everyone’s home has its own smell. It’s often made up of a mixture of things; washing powder, perfume and the natural smell of the people that live there. Nobody wants their home to smell bad, and it can sometimes be difficult to source and sort, but don’t let it get to that. Prevent bad odours from occurring beforehand.
Help! How can I get rid of any bad odours?
Bad odours can be caused by a multitude of things, and they can be tricky to remove without a professional, especially if you don’t know where the smell is coming from. So, here are some helpful tips to ensure that your house will always smell pleasant and fresh.
Regularly clean your home
Cleaning your home on a regular basis is one of the most simple things you can do to ensure that your home looks and smells great. Regularly vacuuming carpets, and getting rid of stains using a carpet cleaner, are the key things to do if you want to make sure that your home remains odour-free. Making cleaning into a family activity can be a great way to get jobs done fast and to get everyone involved.
Find the source of the odour
If you’ve tried spraying air freshener and scented candles, and the smell is still sticking around, then there’s probably an odour that needs tracking down. When thinking of what could be causing the problem, you might have to think outside the box. Think of things such as mould, an animal carcass in the walls or vents, sewer smells and pet mess. Make sure that if the source of the odour is something you can just remove, then do so immediately.
Dust and wipe down all your rooms and furniture
This one is especially important if you’re a landlord with tenants moving in and out of your home. Nobody wants to move into an unclean or bad-smelling home. So, between tenancies, it’s a good idea to have a deep clean of the entire place. That includes dusting and wiping down the furniture, skirting boards and window ledges in every room. This way, if there is something that is causing an odour on one of these things, then it can be removed before it’s an annoyance to anyone.
Keep your kitchen and fridge clean
Your kitchen can look sparkling clean, but it could still have a bad odour. After all, it is where you cook so it’s expected in some respect. Saying that, it could actually be your fridge that is responsible for making your kitchen smell unpleasant. If you keep opened food or don’t clean up spillages in your fridge, your fridge will end up smelling pretty awful fast. There are antibacterial sprays you can use to get your fridge back in pristine condition, however, if you’re looking for a cheaper fix, baking soda and water should be your go-to. The baking soda and water solution is a natural method of deodorising your fridge, and once you’ve finished with the mixture, leave a little bit open in your fridge to get rid of any future lingering smells.
Once you’ve got your fridge clean again, establish good hygiene habits within your kitchen to make sure odours don’t occur again. For example, if someone in your family opens food, teach them to wrap it up with tin foil or put it in a glass container with a sealed lid.
Clean out your bins
Bins are a pretty obvious offender when it comes to making your house smell bad. Make sure that you’re taking the bins out regularly, and cleaning both the inside, outside and lid of the bin. Most people change the bin bag when it’s full, but they forget to clean these areas. Food and liquids can leak from the bin bag and settle inside the bottom of the bin, so make sure that you’re rinsing it out regularly. You can use a baking soda and water solution, or just opt for something you’ve already got, like fairy liquid. Swill some fairy liquid and water in the bottom of your bin, and it will remove any leftover debris which may otherwise linger in your home.
Wash your clothes regularly
Dirty clothes, especially when wet, can really smell and can also make your house damp. So make sure that you’re putting any dirty clothes in your washing machine and washing them as soon as you can.
If your washing machine is loaded at the front, it’s fairly easy to clean. Mix a paste of baking soda and water and use this mixture to clean the rubber seal of your washing machine. You can also use a mixture of white vinegar and baking soda to do the same. If you find that your rubber seal is growing mould on it, then try to leave the washing machine door open as often as possible.
Keep your pets clean
Pets, although we love them, they sometimes make our houses messy. Especially when they’re going outside to play or for a walk, and then they’re coming back into our homes with their wet and muddy paws. To prevent this from happening, when they come in from outside on a wet day, take a moment to wipe their paws before they tread dirt further into your house. If you’ve got a dog, make sure you’re washing them regularly to make sure the smell of wet dogs doesn’t overpower your home.
You could always hire an expert to clean your home
If you’re finding that you have got a stubborn bad odour in your home, or you can’t seem to locate it, then expert cleaning services may be able to help you out. A professional cleaning service is likely to have the products on hand to completely eradicate a foul smell, and most companies will do it quickly too. Getting extra help will just mean that you will spend less time stressing about the smell, and more time doing the things that matter.