There are very few things that are as embarrassing as having a guest walk into your home and ask, “What is that horrible smell?” Many times it is difficult for homeowners to pinpoint the exact source of a bad odor or to be able to remove the bad smell entirely. Homes that have a naturally appealing scent feel warm and inviting. A good example of this is the sensation that a person feels when they walk into a home where the smell of delicious food being cooked permeates the house. It literally makes the house feel amazing. The following are five things that homeowners can do to get rid of the stink and make their house feel warm and inviting.
Identify Odors
There are many sources for foul odors in the home. Older homes might have must that comes from mold. Pets often produce a foul smell either because they have accidents on the carpet or on the floor or because their body’s naturally produce a bad smell to help them mark their territory. Homes that have poor air circulation, older carpet, and deteriorating wallpaper might also have a less than pleasant smell. When a person has lived in a home for an extended period of time, it is easy to become insensitive to the smell. For this reason, the first step in identifying the source of a bad odor in the home is to ask a trusted friend or family member if your home smells bad.
Eliminating Must
If a home has a musty odor, it is likely because the home is aging. One option is for homeowners to paint the walls, replace wallpaper, or change the carpet. Older wooden floors can also be a source of must and may need to be replaced. Older furniture can be professionally cleaned. Removing musty odors from the home is one of the most difficult things to do since the smell may have become embedded in the home.
Removing Pet Smells
For most homeowners, getting rid of their pet is not an option. Yet, the smell from pets can linger in the carpet and on furniture. Having carpets steam cleaned on a regular basis, training pets to only use the restroom outdoors, and sprinkling the carpet with baby powder or another substance to remove pet smells can keep animal odor to a minimum.
Change How You Cook
In many homes, a bad odor comes as a result of the types of foods that are being cooked. It is not necessary to change what you’re cooking, but you may need to make some adjustments to your cooking habits. For example, you may need to include in your cooking routine the habit of airing out your kitchen. Installing a range hood vent will help to remove cooking orders from the home. Emptying the trash can as soon as you finish cooking and using neutralizers in the kitchen to expel odors will also help. Squeezing lemons down the drain or putting lemons in the garbage disposal will help keep it clean and odor free.
Using Candles and Fragrant Oils
Nothing makes a home feel warmer than the scent of vanilla candles or the scent of potpourri in the home. Some homeowners have even gone as far as using household cleaners like those found from Gary Young’s Young Living Essential Oils to both clean their upholstery and their fixtures while at the same time embedding a natural yet pleasing smell into the home.
Researchers have found that smell is the strongest sense that is linked to memory. Make sure that when people remember your home, they don’t remember the smell of must, your pet, or dirty carpet, but instead they remember a place that was warm, inviting, and clean.
