caring for your home before the cleaners come

Identifying And Removing The Odors In Your Home

After cleaning your home thoroughly, you might notice that you still have a strong smell that you are having a difficult time eliminating. While you could try to cover up the unpleasant smell with sprays or candles, you would be best off finding out what the root cause of the smell is so you can eliminate it. With the help of your nose, you may be able to diagnose the problem.

Take Smelly Items Outside

Any items that are smelly should be thrown away. If the item is too expensive to dispose of, consider taking it outside to put it in the sun. If you aren't sure if the item is causing the smell, take it outside and leave it out overnight. Then, in the morning, smell it. If the item continues to stink, deal with it in the correct manner.

Common sources of odors include pets, food in the refrigerator and the garbage. Take out the garbage, wash your dog, look for any dog droppings you might have missed and take out the trash.

Stop Smoking Inside

If there is anyone who smokes in your home, ask if they can instead smoke outside. Unfortunately, the smoke can usually still enter the home through air vents, so the best way to eliminate these odors is to stop smoking in the first place.

Remove Mold from the Laundry Machine

If it is a mold smell, it may be coming from your laundry room and be the result of the washers. Laundry machines are closed machines that allow for mold and mildew to grow inside more easily. Run a cycle using two cups of bleach combined with warm water.

Check the Air Vents

Air vents are a great place to look for terrible odors because if something is rotting in your air vent, such as a dead mouse, it will cause foul odors to circulate throughout your entire home. You could remove a portion of your wall so that you can remove the decomposing mouse. But you should also find the hole where the animal entered the vent so it can be sealed.

After you believe you have removed the offending material, open your windows and use fans to circulate air and remove the smell. This way, you can determine if there is not something else causing the smell. While bad odors may be annoying, they can also be a sign that there is something seriously wrong with your house. If you can't get to the bottom of it, you should consider hiring a cleaning service like Homestead Maid Services.