Causes of home odours and how to remove them
Lingering smells are a common issue faced by many homes, and there are various reasons why your home may be experiencing these yucky odours.
The truth is that there are very few easy fixes to these issues. In most cases, spraying air freshener all over your house is going to solve the problem only in the short run. Once the air freshening particles fizzle out, it’s likely that bad odours would also return. For a more permanent fix, you first need to find out the source of the smell, which would indicate which appropriate measures need to be taken.
Mould
One common culprit of household stench is mould, which produces smelly gases that can cause health problems in humans. These invasive mushrooms love moist spaces, and are commonly found on your home’s walls and ceilings, as well as in cupboards and other furniture. Over time, the fungi colony can also grow into your walls and furniture’s interiors, making the problem even harder to solve. If mould is only found on your home’s surface, you should be able to remove it with a bleach and water solution. However, if the mould has already penetrated a surface that it is sitting on, specialist help would be needed.
To prevent such problems from occurring, ensure good ventilation in your home, especially in your bathroom. This way, you can be ensured that your home’s freshness and cleanliness would not be ruined by these invasive fungi.
Sewer
Can you smell rotten eggs in your home? If that’s not due to the actual presence of rotten eggs, consider checking out your sewer. The smell may come from dry or leaking drain traps in your home. In this case, the sound of water leaking could give you a clue on what is wrong with your home. And if you are convinced that there is a problem with your sewer, consider calling a plumber.
Gas Leakage
A more unfortunate source of the rotten egg smell is gas leakage. If you suspect that this is what you home is experiencing, avoid using your home’s electricity or igniting flammable products. Leave your home immediately. Then call your energy company to get them to deal with the issue.
Pets
Dirty animals can also be a cause of undesirable odour in your home, even if you love them to bits!
Check how your pet smells, and you might find the source of your house’s problem. Therefore, always remember to bathe them occasionally to keep your beloved animals and your home in hygienic conditions.
Otherwise, the smell may also be due to your pet’s urine. While urine on wooden floor is easy to clean, when the crime scene of your pet’s accident happens to be your carpets or sofas, things can be tougher to resolve.
If you witness the event taking place, make sure you try to quickly remove as much of the urine as possible with a dry cloth. Do not rub the towel, as this may spread the urine further. Then wash the sofa or carpet’s fabric with a mixture of 50% water and 50% vinegar. Then sprinkle baking soda on the area.
If animal urine smell has been lingering in your house for a while, you should consider getting your furniture professionally steam-cleaned, as the furniture is likely to have absorbed much of the urine by then.
Other Animals
Besides your pets, animal corpses can also be the source of smells in your home. These can be hard to find, especially if they are stuck in your walls, in your chimney, or under your flooring. If you can’t find, remove and disinfect them yourself, call an exterminator to do the job for you.
Your Dishwasher or Washing Machine
Dishwashers and washing machines are some household areas which many people would never think of cleaning. Yet, these are great places for mould to grow in. To remove smells coming from these places, run an empty cycle in each machine with a cup of vinegar.
Food
Why does our kitchen smell so good at dinner time and yet so horrible the next morning? To clean your house of any post-meal odour, make sure to clean up all of last night’s dishes. Ventilate your home as much as you can by opening your windows and using an air filter. Lastly, pour some coffee ground or baking soda onto a bowl and leave it in your kitchen over night. These two ingredients are great at masking strong smells, which helps to maintain a decent smell in your home until your place has been properly ventilated.