In our daily home lives, we stumble across all kinds of smells. Some of them are pleasant, like freshly baked cookies. While others are foul and we cannot find the source for days. Managing those smells and making the bad ones disappear is what makes us truly successful as homemakers. Especially since sometimes designated products don’t do anything more than mingle with the smell. Then you get a cocktail of, for example, lemongrass and toilet water. Ugh. To avoid such unpleasantries, check out these straightforward tips on how to destroy the bad smells in your home for good:
Remove the source
Well, this isn’t as much a method as something required. No matter how many air fresheners you use around the house, the bad smells will keep lingering until you find the source and destroy it. It could be a spill, a dead pest, a clogged drain, a dirty pet or food rotting somewhere in the fridge, but the source needs to disappear. Take some time to inspect your home and make sure there is nothing smelly hiding under the couch. Sometimes even hidden mould can emit unpleasant odours.
Use oats to refresh the atmosphere
Not only a part of balanced breakfast, but oats can also serve as a powerful smell absorber. Just leave a bowl of them in a place where they can work their magic. If you’re afraid people might think you’re weird with your choice for conversation pieces, go full-on avant-garde with it. Mix it with some potpourri or mint leaves, put some fresh flowers in it, add coffee grounds, or vanilla powder, sandalwood, the possibilities are endless.
Cat litter also absorbs bad odours
The stuff they make the silicone cat litter from is very useful for a variety of cleaning tasks because of its absorption powers. In the case – smells. It’s not as artsy as oats, but it tends to work a little bit better. Fill a sock with it and hang it in your shoe closet and you’ll never smell socks again. It also works for cooking smells, mildew, and pretty much all kinds of lingering smells in your kitchen. If it works for cat faeces it will work for anything, right?
Citrus aromatherapy
One of the most delightful smells out there is the smell of citrus fruit. It brings a nice tropical feel in our home. It’s rather easy to make your home smell like your favourite equatorial place. You can easily achieve this. All you need is a spray bottle, water and some essential oils. Fill the bottle with distilled water. Fill all the way up and put four to five drops of your favourite essential oil. Give it a good shake and spray around. You can also spray it on your curtains, this way the smell will hold for longer.
Another great trick is to put 2-3 drops of essential oil on a light bulb. When you turn on the lights, the heated light bulb will start to emit a nice smell in the room.
Dried lavender air freshener
Having a lavender smell in your home can be really helpful if you have hard times taking a rest and simply de-stressing after work. Mix a jar full of lavender, baking soda and lavender oil and put it in a room that you want to smell fantastic. To make the scent even more prominent, you can add a few drops of lavender essential oil to it. This air freshener can serve you well for a very long time, the only thing you’ll need to do is drop a couple of new drops every three to four days in order to maintain the nice scent.
Using pine cones
Gather pine cones. They are relatively easy to find. When you get home take a look at them and give them a wash if they are too dirty or dusty. Let them dry thoroughly and once they do, place them in the desired place. After that, drop a couple of drops of essential oil (the one that you love) and put them in a basket or something. This way you’ll be using the pine cones as a decoration and as a great air freshener. Add a few drops of essential oil every few days, to maintain it.
Coffee grounds
The wafting smell of coffee brewing can do wonders for the atmosphere in your den. If you have a bad odour in a small space (like your closet) then you need to put a cup of coffee beans and leave them there. The coffee beans will absorb any excess odor and will make your closet smell nice again. It’s very important that you place whole beans, not ground coffee. Only they will absorb the odor.
Automatic air fresheners
If you are looking to buy automatic air fresheners, then you should know that you’ll need one for each room. Most of the time it will take a while for the smell to be absorbed in the furniture, but automatic fresheners are a great way to deodorize the room.
Cook some delicious cookies
What’s the best way to make your home smell like your grandmother’s house around Christmas? Of course, it’s to cook some delightful cookies in the oven! By this simple act, you will both get a delicious snack for the whole family, and you will introduce a warm and cozy smell that will bring you back to your childhood.
