Nobody likes to talk about household odors, but it’s really important to deal with them. Animal, food and musty smells can settle into your rooms and, like an unwanted houseguest, refuse to leave. To make matters worse, many people choose to tackle unwanted scents with air fresheners that only mask odors and do nothing to eradicate them. Rather than plugging deodorizers into your electrical sockets or lighting an arsenal of scented candles, use a few household staples such as baking soda, distilled white vinegar, coffee grounds, vanilla extract and lemons to get rid of odors once and for all. Here are natural remedies for six of the smelliest problems in your home.
• Your trash can smells bad
Food spills and waste can make both your outdoor and kitchen trash cans stink. To freshen them, first wash them — inside and out — with warm soapy water, rinse clean, and dry thoroughly. To prevent future odors, try one of these solutions: Dust the bottom of the garbage can with scented cat litter or throw a few citrus — lemon or orange — peels in the bottom of the can before you insert your garbage bag. You can also dust the bottom of your garbage can with baking soda or unused coffee grounds — either will neutralize future odors. Just be careful with metal trash cans; you don’t want the baking soda to corrode the can’s bottom, so instead of sprinkling the baking soda over the bottom of the can, make a sachet by placing about a half-cup of baking soda in a paper coffee filter, close it up with a rubber band or twist tie, then place in the bottom of the can. Just remember to replace it every month.
• Your drawers or closets smell musty
That musty furniture smell that is particular to old furniture and cabinetry can make anything you put inside smell too. So before you fill your drawers or closets, crinkle up some newspaper, sprinkle it with distilled white vinegar, and stuff it inside each musty drawer or place it on the closet shelf for a couple of days to absorb the bad odor (this is also a good way to freshen smelly shoes). Once the smell is gone, keep drawers smelling fresh by placing scented dryer sheets in the drawers or on the shelves (use dryer sheets in your car glove compartment, car trunk and luggage to keep them smelling fresh too). I also place the silica gel packs that you get when you buy new shoes, electronics or some food products in my drawers — they keep out moisture, which is the real culprit.
• Your room sells like a dead animal
There is nothing worse than the smell that occurs when an animal dies within your walls — and the odor can last for months while the carcass decomposes. I have found the best remedy is to pour some distilled white vinegar into a plastic container and cover it with a tight-fitting lid that you have punched with holes. Place the container in a corner of the offensive smelling room. The vinegar will absorb the odor (your room will smell a bit like salad for a few days, but it’s worth it) and over time the smell will dissipate.
