Have you ever forgotten to take the trash out before vacation? You come back to your home in Denver or your apartment in Dallas, just to find your home is ridden with a very unappealing smell. Even when you get rid of the garbage, the room smell can linger for days.
While it’s tempting to spray down the home with commercial air fresheners, these contain chemicals that are harmful to human health. Over 20 percent of the general U.S. population have reported having adverse health effects from air fresheners.
To help you get rid of common household smells in a safe way, we’ve created a guide on how to deodorize a room with natural air filters. It includes a natural DIY room deodorizer recipe and eight hacks for getting rid of specific home odors, replacing the room smell with clean air. Read through to find what household items and cleaning supplies you can use to rid these unpleasant smells.
Identify the source of the odor
First things first – before tackling the wrong area in hopes to eliminate odors, identify the source of the smell in order to keep it from persisting. While the source can be as simple as a kitchen trash bin or rotting produce in a refrigerator, Candi Hanchey with Rock Creek Power-Vac in Twin Falls shares that, “unpleasant odors can be coming from dirty air ducts.” She adds that, “debris and dust accumulate inside the ductwork and your HVAC system continues to circulate these contaminants throughout the home.”
How to make a basic DIY room deodorizer with a spray bottle
To create a natural air freshener that isn’t harmful to your health, you only need four items. Make this spray and use it as an air filter when bad smells come into your apartment.
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ tablespoons baking soda
- 3 cups water
- 30-40 drops of essential oil
- Misting spray bottle
Instructions
Step 1: Add 30-40 drops of your preferred essential oil with the baking soda. Stir until it’s completely mixed together.
Step 2: Pour this baking soda and essential oil combination into a spray bottle.
Step 3: Add the three cups of water to the bottle. Shake to mix.
Step 4: Spray the area in the light misting setting.
You can personalize this natural DIY home deodorizer with any scent. Each essential oil has its own unique properties, so be sure to pick one that fits the space you’re using the cleaner in. For example, an orange essential oil works better in the kitchen than lavender, which is a scent that promotes slumber, making it better suited for the bedroom.
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Why does baking soda work to deodorize a room?
Many room deodorizing recipes, including the one above, call for baking soda. Baking soda or sodium bicarbonate has a low pH level. Most bad odors have a high pH level, meaning they’re acidic. By adding baking soda to the environment, you’re neutralizing the area, causing the lingering odors to fade, improving the air quality and leaving your house smelling fresh.
Turn essential oils into air fresheners for each room or use handcrafted, non-toxic candles
When making this DIY room deodorizer, you can choose your preferred natural scent to use to eliminate odors while making the room smell good without the chemical smell that a commercial air freshener spray, plug-in air fresheners or scented candles may have. If you aren’t sure what will smell best, here are some essential oil suggestions for each room.
However, not all candles or fresheners are harsh and toxic. Jennifer Kniland with The California Candle recommends trying a “high-quality coconut or beeswax candle, which gives you a cleaner burner compared to paraffin candles while naturally purifying your space.” Jennifer adds, “What’s amazing about beeswax is that it actually releases negative ions that help neutralize pollutants, while coconut wax gives you this beautiful, strong scent with a long-lasting bur.”
Living room
The living room is an area you’ll be hosting people, as well as relaxing. Depending on the tone you’re trying to set for the entire room, a few drops of vanilla or cinnamon essential oil could be a good fit for deodorizing a room.
Vanilla is known to improve relaxation and create a tranquil environment. If you want to relax after a long day in your sparkling-clean living room, vanilla is the right choice for you. For those who are having friends over for a book club or social event, cinnamon might be a better fit. The scent of cinnamon sticks boosts memory and increases alertness.
Kitchen
Make the kitchen a productive place by using citrus or peppermint essential oil when scenting your DIY deodorizer. If you have a long afternoon of meal prepping ahead, citrus is known to boost energy and improve your mood.
For the non-chefs who can get frustrated in the kitchen, a peppermint scent will alleviate stress and reduce irritability while removing unpleasant odors. It also helps remove the foul smells of leftover food.
Bedroom
A restful space, the bedroom can benefit from lavender or chamomile essential oils. These calming scents both reduce anxiety. Lavender also promotes relaxation, which can help you fall asleep. Chamomile can improve your mood, great for those who wake up on the wrong side of the bed.
Other rooms
If you have a laundry room, playroom or any other room to deodorize, you might consider tea tree or eucalyptus oils. These natural smells each have their own unique properties. Tea tree oil has antifungal benefits and is an immune booster. Eucalyptus essential oil is cleansing and known to lift moods. Both serve as an effective air freshener to remove lingering smells and improve indoor air quality.
8 common household smells and how to rid them
Whether your home is new to you or you’ve lived in it for multiple years, you’ve probably come across one of these common household smells. We explain why they happen and how to rid them from your home. In addition, we suggest an essential oil that you can use to alleviate stagnant air and remove any funky smells.
1. Stale air
Stale air is a smell that’s hard to describe, but easy to identify. It’s usually caused when the indoor air begins to feel stuffy or humid due to a lack of fresh air. If the weather is nice, Cari Hahn with Clutch and Kindle, Indianapolis-based fragrance company shares, “Start by opening the windows to let in fresh air.” In doing so, you can start to remove these musty smells and follow-up with using “non-toxic, phthalate-free home fragrance oils to neutralize unwanted odors.” However, if it’s too hot or too cold out, letting in outdoor air isn’t an option.
In that case, you can create your own stale air deodorizer by cutting lemons in half and placing them throughout the home as natural air fresheners. Another quick solution is to rub a little vanilla essential oil on the outside of your light bulbs. Be sure to do this when the light is off. Once you turn the light on, it will heat up and start smelling sweet.
2. Carpet smells
Whether you’re moving into a new apartment with carpet, you spilled something on your rug or your pet left behind pet urine, this absorbent flooring is prone to smell.
To get rid of carpet smells, such as cigarette smoke, baking soda is your friend. Sprinkle baking soda on the entire carpet and let it sit for a few hours. Then, vacuum it up. The baking soda should absorb odors, leaving the carpet free of bad smells.
It’s best to do this when you’re out of the house for a period of time. While baking soda doesn’t have any chemicals to neutralize odors, it can leave a mess if people in your house walk through it.
If you have area rugs, you can treat them with baking soda and then hang them up outside. The fresh air will do wonders for removing odors. While the rugs are outside, mop down your hardwood floors to ensure there are no lingering odors.
3. Fridge odors
Does your fridge smell even after you clean out your leftovers? This is because the plastic in the refrigerator absorbs odors. Even if you’ve scrubbed out every crumb, spill and mildew growth using hot water, the plastic might still stink.
To prevent or mute this foul odor, try putting a box of baking soda in the fridge. Baking soda will absorb these smells and leave your fridge smelling clean after just a couple of days.
Another alternative to this is leaving coffee grounds in a container in your fridge. Similar to baking soda, coffee grounds also act as odor absorbers, leaving your fridge smelling like a freshly brewed cup of joe.
4. Garbage disposal stink
If you go to wash dishes and notice there’s an odor coming from your drain, it could be your garbage disposal. It’s easy for food to get caught in hard-to-reach places, preventing it from being washed down the drain.
Some people put citrus peels down their garbage disposal to absorb odors, but this doesn’t clean the food that’s causing these bad smells. To clean, place a handful of ice in your sink drain. Then, pour a cup of salt on top. Run the water and turn on the garbage disposal. The ice and salt will slowly drain into the garbage disposal, cleaning it and sharpening the blades.
5. Mold or mildew
Mold and mildew can leave a musty smell in your home. If you have serious mold growth, it’s important to have a professional take care of it. Mold spores are known to cause many respiratory issues.
If the smell of mold persists, you can use an odor absorber to dull the scent. Baking soda, charcoal and kitty litter are all items that can soak up any moisture in the air and get rid of the foul odors. Place one of these in a bowl near the bad smells. to act as an air freshener Be sure it’s out of reach of small children or pets.
6. Washing machine smells
Your washing machine makes your sweaty clothes fresh and clean, but what do you do when it begins to have a mildewy or sour scent? Washers are prone to a build-up of soap, dirt or hair. Over time, this can turn into a breeding ground for an unnatural moldy stink.
To clean, begin by getting rid of any debris that’s caught in the gasket, or rubber liner, of your washing machine. Wipe this rim down with a mixture of vinegar and tea tree essential oil. This is an antifungal formula that will clean off any leftover dirt.
Using this same mixture, measure two cups of white vinegar and 20 drops of tea tree essential oil into the liquid tray. Run it on a hot cycle or cleaning cycle. When done, wipe the interior with a damp cloth; a microfiber cloth works best.
You can prevent some of this build-up by leaving the lid open after each wash cycle. This will allow your washer to dry out completely. It’s also helpful to use the correct amount of detergent for your dirty laundry. Creating too many suds can result in leftover residue that attracts dirt.
7. Pet smells
We love our pets, but their pet dander, pet hair, pet urine and other odors can add up to some really bad smells. To freshen up their spaces, and, in turn, your rooms, clean their beds and favorite cushions by throwing them in the wash each week. For stubborn smells, you can sprinkle baking soda to help absorb and remove odors.
Regardless of which litter you choose, litter boxes tend to smell sooner rather than later. Always make sure to change the litter as directed. You also can set a box of baking soda in the room where the litter box is to absorb odors. Just make sure it’s out of the reach of your cats.
8. Skunk stench
If your clothes or your pet has been skunked, the attacker will leave a pungent smell that can last for weeks. This stink can easily be transferred to the house.
For houses that smell like skunk inside (but not outside), open all the windows for proper ventilation and turn on the fan. Heat up a tray of white vinegar on the stove on low heat. This should overpower the skunk smell.
If the smell is on your pet, The Humane Society suggests mixing together a quart of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide, a quarter cup of baking soda and a teaspoon of dish soap. Use a pair of gloves and wash your pet with this mixture. Be sure to avoid their eyes and don’t store this mixture, it has the potential to explode in a bottle.
Make the most of fresh air
When the weather is nice, take advantage of it by opening your windows to let in fresh air. This will help remove unwanted odors and improve air quality inside the home.
Of course, if you have allergies, check the exterior air quality first to make sure the pollen and smog counts are low, no one is burning debris and there are no unwanted smells, such as animal odors or road construction smells.
Keep your apartment fresh
Regular cleaning will keep your home clean and free of these unwanted bad odors. This includes sweeping and mopping, washing dirty laundry, picking up after pets and washing dishes and throwing out leftovers. These chores will go a long way in keeping a room deodorized.
To make sure you overlook no space, create a daily schedule of spaces and items to clean that day. Doing a little bit each day will make the task of cleaning much more manageable so you don’t feel overwhelmed.
For more home hacks like these, check out our cleaning and maintenance advice page.
