How To Remove Household Odors
Even if you keep a clean house where you do the dishes after dinner, vacuum regularly, and always take out the trash, you might still have some odors in your household. Instead of just trying to cover the odors with plug-in air fresheners and candles, try to go to the source of the odors and remove them. Here are some common areas of the home where odors come from, along with some tips for removing them.
Keep Your Drains Clean
Odors in the kitchen and bathroom are often the result of the drains between dirty, especially in the kitchen. When you are washing dishes, you run the garbage disposal, but this only grinds up food and allows it to go down the drain. This doesn't actually wash the drain of any remaining debris. On a routine basis, you should clean out the drains by first running some hot water, then sprinkling some baking soda in the drains. Follow that by a little vinegar and let it sit for a few minutes. You can then run the water again to clear out the drains. Grinding up some lemon in the garbage disposal is also great for removing odors.
Wash Your Trash Cans
Your trash cans are also a big source of household odors, but not just because of the trash inside. Even if you are vigilant about taking out the trash as soon as it is full and using scented trash bags, you might still have some odors left behind. This is from the actual trash can. When you are cleaning your kitchen, try to remember to take the trash cans outside to wash them inside and out. All you really need is water and some mild soap to get them clean.
Shampoo the Carpets
Your carpets and rugs may also need a good deep cleaning every once in a while. Vacuuming is great for removing the dirt and debris on the surface, but stains and odors from tracking in dirt, as well as pet odors, can all build up over time. You can either shampoo the carpets yourself, or hire a carpet cleaning company to handle it for you.
Clean Large Kitchen Appliances
Some of the bigger appliances in your home probably don't get cleaned very often, and may be leading to extra kitchen odors. For example, when was the last time you emptied your fridge and cleaned it really well inside? You should keep the fridge clean, along with your dishwasher, stove, and oven.
For more information, talk to a professional cleaning service.