Neutralize Odors in the Kitchen and Bathroom: Half a cup of baking soda in two quarts of water and a soft cloth or brush also work well for cleaning the fridge, as well as scrubbing down and freshening the tub, tiles, sinks, drains, trash cans, and toilet bowls.
Dissolve half a cup of baking soda into two cups of very hot water. Add a quarter cup of lemon juice, and pour it into a misting spray bottle.
Several common household items (most notably baking soda and white vinegar) contain powerful properties that eliminate smells without the use of chemicals. But less-commonly known products like coffee and vodka can do wonders when it comes to eliminating, not simply covering, bad smells.
Add about 25 drops of your favorite essential oil to 2 tablespoons of baking soda and stir to combine. Lemon and lavender are great choices, but eucalyptus is my favorite because of the refreshing scent. Pour the baking soda and essential oil mix into the water and stir. Then funnel the water into your spray bottle.
Some of the best odor eliminators are coffee grounds, tea, vinegar, oats, and baking soda. Leaving a bowl of any of these odor absorbers out in a room that's due for a little freshening up will help clear out the less-than-pleasant smells from the air.
'In the morning, the vinegar will have absorbed all the unsavory smells and your kitchen will be as fresh as a daisy. ' White vinegar is made of acetic acid which perfectly neutralizes the alkaline scents that we call bad odors. You can add white vinegar to laundry to help deodorize clothes too.
Spread baking soda over carpets and big furniture
With a large colander, sprinkle a deodorizing powder like baking soda on carpets and big furniture. Let it sit for at least 30-60 minutes. Then vacuum it up, using your vacuum attachments on couches and chairs.
There are many solutions that you can boil to help sanitize the air. As previously mentioned, bowling vinegar can help to eliminate odors in the air. Further, you can use herbs and essential oils in boiling water to help naturally purify the air in your home, and replace it with a fresh smell of your choosing.
For an Instant Fix. Another way to quickly get that lemon scent filtering through your house is to simply cut a few lemons into quarters and put them in a pot of water. Let the water boil for a while, and as that citrus-infused steam is released into the air, everything will start to smell a little bit fresher.
Simple things you can do to improve your indoor air quality include: Reduce dust by vacuuming regularly and using a microfiber or damp cloth for dusting. Reduce humidity to avoid mold and mildew buildup and change appliance filters regularly. And make sure to test your home for dangerous gases like radon.
Just Add Water
A pressure cooker has many uses, one of which is purifying the air. Try this Lifehacker formula: Fill your crock pot or Instant Pot half-full with water and add 2 to 3 tablespoons of baking soda. Turn the heat on low, and keep the lid off.
This is the BEST thing you can do to make your house smell good all day! Vacuum and mop regularly, use air fresheners, and clean up any spills immediately. And of course, do your laundry as often as possible! If you need some inspiration for getting on a doable cleaning schedule, check out my spring cleaning checklist!
Add Citrus or Citrus Essential Oils
Try adding these to your cleaner to cover up the scent of the vinegar. Lemons, limes, and oranges work great as standalone cleaners. Add some lemon juice to your white vinegar cleaning spray to help neutralize some of the tangy, pungent aroma.
Distilled white vinegar can be used as often as you'd like to help remove odors. It is less expensive than commercial products, environmentally friendly, safe for use around pets, and contains no harsh chemicals.
Better Ways to Freshen the Air
Vinegar – White vinegar is an effective natural deodorizer and mild disinfectant. Combine a teaspoon of vinegar with 2 cups of water in a spray bottle then lightly mist the air (you can also stir in a few drops of essential oils).
More Tips to Get Rid of Old House Smell
Bring in some fresh plants. Plants help purify the air and make any space feel more lively. Fill bowls with white vinegar and place them around the house. The vinegar will absorb odors and leave your home smelling clean and fresh.
Activated charcoal and carbon filters pull odor-causing chemicals from the air and trap them. The Azuna Anti-Microbial Odor Eliminator uses carbon filters to remove mold, mildew, fungus, and bacteria at a microscopic level. You can also hang air-purifying bags around the house.
The most obvious culprits, says scent designer and olfactive expert Dawn Goldworm, are the objects that we buy specifically because of their smells, such as air fresheners and candles. Laundry detergent, soaps and cleaning products also contribute to the overall aroma. So does the food we cook and bring into the home.
It's all thanks to a clever gizmo known as an HVAC scent diffuser. These are ultra-quiet attachments to heating/air conditioning systems that use high amounts of air pressure to deliver nanoparticles of scented oils uniformly around a room, area, or building.
Why does my house smell? A weird smell in a house can come from numerous sources, including appliances, furniture, carpets, fabrics or issues like mold or mildew. Occasionally, odors may be caused by sewer gas, natural gas leaks or animals that have died between walls, in attics or under decks.
1 cup Baking Soda
Add in 1 cup of baking soda into whatever you're mixing or storing you air freshener in. Baking soda is great at absorbing odors, it is what will suck all of the bad smells out of the air leaving your room smelling fresh and clean.
For the best results, spread baking soda in a thin layer, explains Reed, which is why it does such a good job at combating odors when sprinkled across the bottom of a trash can or the surface of a litter box.
A baking soda soak can work wonders on many sweaty smells. Mix 1/2 cup of baking soda into a sink or bucket full of water. Allow the sweaty items to soak for several hours or overnight. Stir periodically.