How to rid your home of offensive smells
Sometimes, no matter how clean your home, smelly odours pop up. We take a look at various natural alternatives to rid a home of smelly odours. Some of these natural air fresheners you may already know, but there will be a few that will surprise you!
Sneaky smells
If sneakers and takkies are smelling up your closet , sprinkle the insides with a dash of baking soda when they are not being used. The baking soda will absorb any smells and leave your closets and cupboards much fresher and you simply shake out the powder.
Pet pongs
If you have pets, you can also use baking soda to freshen up carpet odours in a jiffy. And don't overlook the cat tray. Even though cat litter absorbs any messes, the odour remains. Sprinkle dried lavender onto the cat litter and it will instantly refresh and overpower smells.
Dreadful drains
Banish smell drain smells by mixing a paste with white spirit vinegar and baking soda. This will not only clean out your drains, it will also send smells back down the drain where they belong.
Rotten rubbish
Keep your kitchen trash bins smelling fresh by placing a layer of newspaper on the bottom and sprinkle on baking soda before inserting the bag.
Alternatively, use a grater on the skin of a lemon and add this to the bottom of the bin.
Fresh laundry
My top tip for fresh-smelling laundry without using fabric softener is to do a final rinse with a heaped dessert spoon of baking soda and half-a-cup of concentrated lemon juice. You'll also find your whites come out whiter!
Smokers smell
For all you smokers out there, freshen up your home with a natural air freshener. Use a small spray bottle - or an old perfume bottle - and fill to half with concentrated lemon juice. Fill up with water and spray your rooms with natural freshness.
Fridge freshener
Ban smells in a fridge by placing half an onion in the crisper tray. Onions absorb smells quickly and will soon remove malodours and have your fridge sorted.
Another alternative is to pour a teaspoon of vanilla essence into a shot glass and leave this in the fridge.
Burnt offerings
If you managed to burn something on the hob and have guests coming round, and yes, I have done that, apart from opening up windows and doors, a quick and easy way is to make a pot of coffee. The aroma of freshly ground coffee beans will soon overpower the burnt offering and your guests won't know!
Another way to mask the burnt smell is to bake something in the oven. So, if you weren't planning on making a dessert - you are now!
Mouldy memories
If you have damp in a home you know that mould smells awful, and even after getting rid of mould the smell remains for quite a while. An electric fan on damp spots will help dry up any moisture. A spray bottle of tea tree oil, lightly sprayed over the problem area, not only helps to kill of any remaining mould spores but will also prevent musty odours.
Naturally fresh home
With just a few basic ingredients that you should have in your pantry, you can maintain a healthy, fresh home without the need for chemical products. Introduce plants that maintain air quality, open up windows and doors and allow a cross-breeze to ventilate your home, and take care of spills or smelly problems as soon as possible.
We rely too much on chemical products in our everyday lives, and looking at natural alternatives is just one of the ways to go green in a home.