What’s That Smell? How to Get Rid of Strong Home Odours

By arya

You notice that whenever a guest walks through the house, they wrinkle their nose. Maybe they’re polite enough not to mention it, but they’re definitely smelling something unpleasant. Having a fresh perspective around could let you know what your nose isn’t catching. Here are four common examples of foul home odours with instructions on how to get rid of them:

Rotten Sink Drain

Allowing food scraps to go down the drain with the dirty dishwater is a bad habit that can cause clogs, slow draining and pungent smells.

Your sink smells like a compost pin. Pouring perfumed soaps or lemon juice down the drain won’t do anything to fix the odour — this is where you learn the importance of drain cleaning and maintenance. To get rid of the stench, pour white vinegar down the drain to get rid of bacteria and then follow it with a kettle of boiled water.

To keep the odour from coming back, use a drain catcher to stop food scraps from going down with the dishwater. If not, you could have bigger problems like clogs that only a plumber can fix.

Rancid Refrigerator

When you open the door to find the ingredients for dinner, you’re greeted with an indescribable smell made from a medley of different dishes.

The only way to get rid of bad refrigerator smell is to put all of the contents into a cooler, pull the appliance’s plug and scrub the insides with white vinegar and warm water. Inspect every item before you put it back in the fridge. If it’s past its due date or smells off, toss it out.

Damp Dog

Your little pup likes to hop up on the couch to curl up with you while you watch TV or roll around the carpet to get a belly rub. Every time they touch the soft fabric, they leave behind the strong smell of damp hair.

The damp dog smell is caused by bacteria and Sebum mixing together in a moist environment, which lets off a strong odour. The situation is hard to avoid because many dog breeds naturally produce the oil Sebum to protect their skin.

If you want to get rid of the smell from now on, here’s what you should do:

  • After bathing your pooch, use a blow dryer
  • When using a hair dryer, brush the hair to reach the undercoat
  • Sprinkle baking soda on stinky fabrics to deodorize them and then vacuum up the powder

Stinky Shoes

The easiest way to get rid of shoe odour is to sprinkle the insides with store-bought deodorizing powder or a homemade mixture of baking soda, cornstarch and tea tree oil. You can also put them into a plastic bag and stuff them in the freezer to kill off the bacteria.

Spritzing the house with air freshener and lighting scented candles shouldn’t be your remedies for bad odours. Don’t just mask them with flowers, spices or scents of pine forests. Deal with the problems and get rid of those awful stinks for good.