A home is supposed to be a sanctuary from the world and a place you can be proud to show off, but sometimes one weird smell can ruin it all. That smell is sometimes a stinky husband or child who just needs to shower, but most of the time that smell is something you can't just toss into the tub...thankfully, all of these funky smells can be removed with a few simple home remedies:
1. Sweaty clothes
The trick to keeping your sweaty gym clothes from stinking up the whole house is to wash them right away. Don't let them sit sealed up in a gym or plastic bag; that's a recipe for a stinky home. If you want to be sure the smell comes out the first time around, wash your gym clothes inside-out in a small load. Add a cup of baking soda to your regular detergent and breathe in the fresh air.
2. Wet dog
The first step to containing that wet dog smell is to give your dog's fur a proper blow drying. Once that step is done, add one part vinegar and two parts water to a spray bottle and get to spritzing. That should take care of the smelly furniture, but the carpet may still be holding in a lot of "wet dog". To get rid of the carpet smell, just vacuum, sprinkle baking soda all over the area and then vacuum again. Baking soda is a natural deodorizer, so after a couple of baking soda treatments your carpet should smell good as new.
3. The garbage can
The main stench emanating from the garbage can is most likely just old trash. You can either take the trash out more often or, if you want to maximize bag capacity, you can sprinkle coffee grounds on your trash to mask the smell. Or just throw a dryer sheet into the bag to keep the smell in check. If taking the trash out doesn't make the smell go away, then your problem is probably the actual trash can. Scrub it out with hot soapy water and vinegar. Once dry, add baking soda or kitty litter to the bottom of the can to soak up any other stinky odors.
4. Stinky shoes
The simplest solutions to deodorize stinky shoes is to put a dryer sheet or old newspaper in each shoe and leave them overnight. You can also grab some kitty litter, put it in an old sock, tie the sock off and leave that in your shoes for the night.
Possibly the most long-term solution for a stinky feet problem is to let your shoes dry completely in the sun for a day, then bag them up and put them in the freezer overnight. The next morning take them out of the freezer and leave them to dry out again in the sun. If you wait until they are completely dry to wear them again, the stench will be gone.
5. The garbage disposal
There are lots of ways to clean a garbage disposal and many of them are fairly simple. You can slice up lemons and put them down the disposal with the rest of your food to create a citrusy smell to replace the rancid odor. Or pour baking soda and vinegar down the drain. You can also try pouring bleach down the disposal to dislodge food and clean the drain. Even running a handful of ice cubes down your garbage disposal can combat the smell.
6. The dishwasher
The trick to getting rid of a musty dishwasher is to put a dishwasher-safe cup full of white vinegar on the top rack of the dishwasher and run the wash cycle with no other dishes in it. You can also just pour two cups of vinegar into the bottom of the dishwasher and run the cycle that way. The vinegar smell might linger, but shouldn't last longer than an hour or two.
7. The washing machine
The easiest way to prevent moldy buildup in your washing machine (and the smell that comes with it) is to leave the washer door open between cycles so it can air out. If you already have mold, run a wash cycle of two cups of bleach and warm water to help wash the smell away.
8. The fridge
It's an age-old trick, but it gets rid of that funky fridge smell. Open a box of baking soda on the top shelf and change it out periodically. However, the baking soda can make vegetables wilt more quickly, so be sure to keep it away from your produce.
All in all, you can pretty much combat any unwanted household odor with baking soda and vinegar, so don't let a rotten stench get you down. Just use these tricks to clean it up and get back to living a stink free and enjoyable life.
