Open the windows for fresh air just keep the air moving and circulating and it stays fresh.
Scented screens you can put on the heating air filter. By Febreeze
Potpourri sachets around the house and where ever there's air movement.
Mild candles - there are lots that are nice and burn a long time.
Sprinkle some baking soda in the bottom of your trash after you empty it, this will help eliminate odors that may build up from the trash. You can also sprinkle baking soda over your carpet, let rest for 10-15 minutes and then vacuum.
Clean regularly.
Vacuum, dust, sweep, Thoroughly clean you kitchen and Bathroom at LEAST once a week. Wash the walls, wipe the ceiling. Have your carpets, couch and drapery shampooed professionally.
The dishwasher.
Dishwashers can start to smell musty..and if you have a dishwasher with a white interior you may notice that after a while it starts to get brown stains inside. The trick to fix both the stains and the smell is to run your dishwasher while empty...and instead of using dishwasher detergent use orange drink powder. Pretty much any brand will do. Just make sure it's orange drink powder. No really, I promise it works. Stains eliminated. Musty smell gone.
The washing machine.
Front-load washing machines are especially notorious for smelling musty. Tip #1: make sure and leave the door open between washes. Tip #2: run an empty load using hot water and vinegar instead of detergent.
Wash bedding
once a week to keep bedrooms from getting too musty.
Essential Oils.
Fill a spray mist bottle with water. Distilled water is great if you have it, but if not, regular tap water will do. Add 8-10 drops of lemongrass essential oil to the water. Replace the cap back on the bottle and shake to mix the water and essential oil.
Take a cotton swab and dip each end in the essential oil. Fasten it inside your toilet paper roll or behind the toilet bowl for a fresh smelling bathroom.
Don't put packages that once contained raw meat in your garbage can, if you don't empty it right away, your kitchen will stink. Put those meat packages in your outdoor garbage can. If you can't do that right away, put it in a grocery bag, tie it up and stick outside until you can take it to the trash.
Musty odors: If musty odors are caused from an aging home consider painting walls, changing wallpaper, replacing carpet, and refinishing wood floors. If odor is from old furniture, read our Freshome post about removing musty odors from furniture. Musty odors are some of the hardest to get rid of due to age and the smell could be embedded into the home.
Use the range hood vent when cooking to remove cooking odors from the air.
Turn on garbage disposal immediately after placing food in – and put fresh lemons down drain to keep clean and odor free.
Lemon Fridge Refresher
- Take a large lemon and slice in half. Remove the insides, and fill with coarse salt. Put in the back of your refrigerator to absorb those funky smells.
Simple Shakable Baking Soda Air Fresheners
- This is a project that works well for every room in the house. First find a container with a lid - a glass jar, coffee can or small plastic food container will all work well for this project. Carefully poke some holes in the lid of the container. Depending on the container size fill about 1/2 way with baking soda, and add drops of essential oil until you get a nice smell. Place where you need a fresh smell, and shake up to revive the scent every once in awhile.
Simmer Pot Recipes
Be Prepared: Get into the habit of saving (rather than composting) your orange peels, lemon and lime peels, and apple and pear skins skins. Instructions: Fill a small saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add the ingredients from your favorite recipe, continue to boil for a few minutes, then turn the heat down to simmer. Add water as needed, usually every 30 minutes or so. Recipe 1 cup dried lavender 1 tsp anise 1 Tablespoon nutmeg 1 Tablespoon whole cloves 1 Cinnamon stick
Mattresses. Placing dryer sheets between your mattress and bedsheets goes a long way toward helping to eliminate unpleasant smells.
Scented incense is usually fairly inexpensive and can be purchased in many different scents. Make sure to use incense in a large room, or have a window open for ventilation if you use it. Some people prefer lighter scents in the spring and summer, and heaver ones in the fall and winter.
Don't throw away those orange, lemon or lime peels! Put them in the oven on 350 degrees for a few minutes, then open the oven door. They will make your kitchen smell wonderful.
A bowl of vinegar and water cooked in the microwave for a couple of minutes will get rid of that burned popcorn smell or anything else that may be hanging around.
If you notice bad smells coming out of your shower drain, it could be sludge caused by shampoo, soap and other things that we use every day. Try putting a cup of baking soda followed by a cup of vinegar down the drain. Let it sit for at least fifteen minutes, then follow it with at least a gallon of boiling hot water. If you have PVC piping instead of metal, however, just use the hottest tap water you can get.
Perfect tip if you are going to have company over or you just want your house smelling amazing. Simply place 2 teaspoons of vanilla into a coffee mug and place in a 300 degree oven for 1 hour.
Spritz garments with a small amount of vodka (spot-test first). Straight vodka kills bacteria, but it doesn't leave a scent. Hang clothes to dry in a well-ventilated area.
Deodorize Your Basement. Cut an onion in half, place it on a plate, and leave it in the basement overnight. Once the initial salad-bar aroma dissipates, you'll have fresh (non-oniony) air. Like magic!
Put out bowls with sponges that have vanilla extract or essential oils on them.
Fresh, pungent flowers Nothing is better than nature’s air fresheners: flowers! Some of our favorite, strongly pleasantly smelling flowers are gardenias, daphnes, peonies, and tuberoses.
Use fabric softener sheets to dust knick-knacks, TVs, computers (no static cling) and other surfaces in your house.
Use real lemon juice to wipe mirrors and windows.
Pour a couple of drops of your favorite body oil on light bulb to give warm light scent.
Coffee A small dish of coffee beans stashed in small closets or cupboards will help mask musty odors and who doesn't love the smell of coffee?
Scented Pine Cones - All it takes is a basketful of pine trees to make your house smell like the country. Instead of throwing out pine cones when you rake the yard, use them to bring the smell of a mountain cabin into your house.
Turn on the a/c. Air conditioners with a HEPA filter, which removes 99.97 percent of airborne particles, are fantastic air cleaners. “Run your air conditioner on low, and keep the filter cleaned and changed regularly“When you filter out the particulates, you get rid of some of the smell.” This is because odor molecules can attach to particles in the air; when you get rid of the particles, you get rid of many odor molecules too. Air conditioners without a HEPA filter will also work—just not as efficiently.
Use a dilute 10% bleach solution to launder those pet beds, collars, leashes, kitty litter boxes, and dog toys frequently. Do it on the first of the month, so you always remember when it’s time to clean.
Candle diffusers are usually made from clay or metal. You add your oils into a dish on top and a tea light below warms the oils and scents the air. They look lovely and make the whole room smell nice.
Kitty litter. Take a shallow Tupperware container and fill with litter. Store in an area that is prone to bad smells like the closet where you keep your stinky sneakers! The litter will help absorb the smells.
Run an air filter. You'll be surprised at how much clearer and clean-smelling your home will seem, without even doing any of the targeted deodorizing steps above. A good electric air filter really does remove pollens, dust and minute debris from the air, so if you have allergies or asthma, it'll help make you feel better, too.
Invest in houseplants. Have your favorite plants and herbs growing in your kitchen, living room and bathroom in small pots. The presence of green plants will help reduce indoor air pollution and keep clean air circulating in your space.
Light soy candles instead of regular candles. Soy candles are longer-lasting, better for the environment and have a more robust smell.
Coffee Grounds Get rid of the smell of spoiled food after a freezer failure. Fill a couple of bowls with used or fresh coffee grounds and place them in the freezer overnight. For a flavored-coffee scent, add a couple of drops of vanilla to the grounds
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