Pets (wet dog smell!), funky leftovers, dirty drains… there are so many things that can make our homes stink. Here are 10 ways to keep every area of your home smelling fresh and clean.
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Freshen up with a dryer sheet
You can make any room smell fresh with just a dryer sheet. Remove the air conditioning grate and tape a new dryer sheet over the slats.
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Fresh air
Now, every time your AC or heater kicks on, your room will smell awesome. This is a particularly good trick for bathrooms.
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Nix odors from vacuums
If your vacuum emits a less than pleasant smell, dryer sheets can fix that, too. Just pop a dryer sheet into the canister. For more things you can do with dryer sheets, here are 20 unexpected ways to use them.
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Fix putrid drains
If your kitchen or bathroom drain is smelling peculiar, pour one cup of white vinegar down the drain and let it sit for 30 minutes. Then flush the drain with hot water.
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Slow-cooked scent
Your slow cooker is a better deodorizer than anything you can buy at the store. Fill your slow cooker halfway with water, add three sticks of cinnamon, a quarter of a cup of cloves and two tablespoons of nutmeg, and mix. Then turn your slow cooker to the lowest temperature setting and leave the lid off. Just add a cup or two of warm water every now and then to keep it from drying out.
Here are some more unusual things you can do with your slow cooker.
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Additional slow-cooker scents
You don’t have to follow that recipe, though. Throw dried herbs, citrus peels or coffee beans in the water to create your own scent sensations. Here are some ideas.
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Brighten your office
The air in your home office can get a boost by placing a scented sachet by the computer vents. The air will warm and intensify the scents coming from the pouch and spread it throughout the room. Just make sure you don’t block the vents or your computer could overheat.
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Make baking soda spray
A spray made from baking soda is highly effective for solving a multitude of smell issues. To make it, mix half a cup of baking soda with four cups of warm water. Pour it into a spray bottle and you’re ready to fight odors.
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Banish pet smells
The best thing I’ve ever found to get rid of pet urine smells is baking soda spray. Clean the area and then spritz it with the spray. Let the area dry. The smell will be completely gone in a couple days.
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Cure a smelly fridge
The plastic in your fridge absorbs the odors of the foods you put into it, making for a stinky soup of smells. You can make your fridge smell normal again by spraying the inside down with baking soda spray. Let the spray sit for a few minutes, then wipe the surfaces down with a clean sponge or rag.
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Mold, rotten veggies and more
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Keep it fresh
Once your fridge is smelling normal, keep it that way. Put everything into sealable containers or jars to lock in the smell. Even herbs! The only exception is produce you put in the crisper drawer since most fresh fruits and vegetables don’t emit strong odors.
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Don’t forget your containers
Those stinky foods can make your plastic containers less than fresh, too. To get rid of smells, fill the container with warm water and two tablespoons of baking soda. Let it soak overnight, then wash it like normal.
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