How to quickly get rid of an unpleasant smell in the apartment: soda and essential oils

DIY room spray

We all experience unpleasant household odors from time to time, but fortunately, there are simple and easy ways to get rid of them. There are quite a few ingredients that help with this, and you probably already have them in your pantry.

So, instead of buying an air freshener, create your own room spray using essential oils. You will need 2-3 drops of cinnamon and mint essentials, 1 tablespoon of baking soda, and a glass of water. Mix essential oils, water and baking soda. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle, shake well to create the perfect room refreshing mist, and spray throughout the rooms.

Carpet freshener

If the carpets in your apartment smell stale, you don’t have to take them to the dry cleaners. Just get the baking soda out of your pantry. This is an excellent non-toxic cleaner. Here’s a simple and cheap carpet freshener recipe: 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, 1 cup baking soda, and 1 shaker container. Mix all the ingredients in a shaker, then spread the mixture evenly over the surface of the carpet and leave for about an hour. Vacuum it afterwards. There will be no trace of smells!

pet odor remedy

If a pet leaves unpleasant odors in your apartment or private home, then here is a “fresh pet recipe”: 3 tablespoons of rubbing alcohol, 12 drops of lavender or peppermint essential oil, 2 cups of water and 1 spray bottle. Mix these ingredients together and spray generously on areas of your home or apartment that need freshening up. Lavender or peppermint essential oils are safe for pets. Also, if your pet’s bedding needs cleaning, sprinkle it with baking soda. Leave for a while and then vacuum thoroughly.

Eliminate odor in the refrigerator

If you smell a strange smell when you open the refrigerator, this natural remedy can help: 1 cup of baking soda, 12 drops of any essential oils, one spoonful of lemon juice and one liter jar. Place a glass of baking soda in a jar, mix 12 drops of essential oil with lemon juice and pour into baking soda. Place an open can of baking soda on the shelf of your refrigerator, and this composition will quickly absorb unpleasant odors. But don’t add too much essential oil or it will affect the taste of fresh food.

Microwave deodorant

The stale smell of soup, burnt meat and other fatty foods is not ideal for a microwave oven. However, you can deodorize the microwave as quickly as reheating dinner.

You will need 2 tablespoons of baking soda, 1 cup of water, and one deep bowl. All you have to do is fill a plate with baking soda and mix it with a glass of water. Place the bowl in the microwave and heat for three minutes. The hot steam from the baking soda will loosen dirt stuck to the walls or ceiling of the microwave.

Then carefully remove the hot bowl and wipe the inside with a rag and then with a paper towel. To leave a fresh scent, spray your microwave with lemon-scented essential oils.

autumn air freshener

As the cold weather approaches, try a slow-heated air freshener – it will also make the house warmer. For a unique flavor, take 2 cinnamon sticks, 4 whole cloves, 1 sliced ​​lemon, and 1 bay leaf. Add all these ingredients to a one-liter saucepan and fill it about halfway with water. Turn the heat down to the lowest setting and simmer the mixture slowly throughout the day, periodically checking the water level and adding water as needed. The persistent aroma will instantly create a cozy and warm atmosphere in the house, at the same time getting rid of any unpleasant odors for a long time.

Keeping cabinets clean

Closets are often the culprit for stale smells, as they are often stuffed with piles of clothes, linens, and shoes. If you need a fresh smell in a small space, use this simple scented sachet hack. The recipe for a fragrant sachet is as follows: any dried herbs or flowers of your choice, but lavender and rose petals are better, small cloth bags, ribbons and essential oils.

To make your own sachets, first gather dried herbs or flowers, fill cloth bags with them, and tie them with ribbons. Add a few drops of essential oils of your choice to the pouches to intensify the scent. And just put these bags on the drawers of chests of drawers or shelves of wardrobes. After 24 hours, unpleasant odors will decrease, and after a week they will not be at all.

Another simple tip is to put plenty of tea bags in your closet. They absorb bad odors.

Refreshing the bathroom

A small bowl of baking soda placed on the top shelf in the bathroom is great at absorbing odors without releasing any chemicals into the air. You can also apply a few drops of any essential oil to cotton pads and place inside a toilet paper roll and it will release fragrance with every twist. Fresh eucalyptus leaves are also very effective at deodorizing the bathroom – place them in a vase for extra aromatherapy.

Removing the smell of cigarette smoke

Removing the smell of cigarettes from an apartment can cause a big headache – it seems to cling to any surface it comes into contact with, such as carpet, curtains or a sofa. Instead of masking this smell with artificial air fresheners, simply sprinkle baking soda on surfaces that smell of cigarette smoke, and after an hour, gently sweep the fashion with a broom into a dustpan.

You can also fill several small bowls with baking soda and place around the house – it will quickly absorb smoke particles. If you have activated charcoal, it also absorbs this lingering odor very effectively.

To neutralize the smell from cigarettes, white vinegar is also suitable – this is the most non-toxic product in the household that neutralizes odors. To quickly fix the situation, boil a pot of vinegar on the stove – the steam will spread through the air throughout the house and eliminate the stink.

The use of store fresheners

Common household products such as air fresheners can remove odors but contribute significantly to indoor air pollution, as well as stain furniture, walls, carpets and other surfaces by soaking into them. And the most annoying thing is that some time after you have used the air freshener, the smells tend to return and begin to get on your nerves “in the same place at the same hour.”

While air fresheners can smell pretty good, eliminating chemicals from your home care process will not only make your home more enjoyable for friends and family, but also healthier.

However, the use of these funds can be useful in emergency cases, when something very smelly has been spilled in the room or a fetid slurry has leaked from the neighbors through the ceiling.

How to prevent unpleasant odors in the apartment

While there are many natural remedies you can use to clean your home of bad odors, there are also a few precautions you can take to avoid these odors in the first place.

Wash clothes often

Piles of dirty clothes left in laundry baskets can quickly cause bad odors. Do not leave laundry for a long time – this can cause stink and mold. Wash it as often as possible and preferably with conditioner!

Check the fridge and kitchen

Throw away all expired foods. Old products, especially meat and dairy products, can emit very unpleasant odors that spread unnoticed throughout the apartment. Go through the kitchen as well and throw away any expired items to make sure nothing stinks when you open the doors.

Clean blankets and bedspreads

It’s no secret that bedspreads and blankets collect fungi, bacteria and dead human skin cells. To avoid this, vacuum, launder, or dry-clean the covers on sofas and armchairs at least once every two weeks. Microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi tend to thrive in humid environments, including the bedspreads we sit on after a hard day’s work. You can rid them of unpleasant odors by adding a cup of white vinegar to the machine when washing.

Keep your sink clean

Always wash your dishes. Keeping your kitchen clean right after you cook and eat will help keep odors out of the sink and chute.

Clean the vents

Clean air vents and replace air filters if any. If you’ve done this and the smell still lingers, try rinsing thoroughly and then wiping down the vents. This will help to quickly ventilate your apartment and filter out unpleasant odors.

open windows

There is nothing more natural than just opening windows for ventilation in fine weather. If you let in fresh air at least once a day and refresh the room for 15-20 minutes, no smells will linger in the apartment for a long time.

Opinion – Victoria Antropova, a resident of Ivanteevka:

– I have been using only two ways to eliminate odors in the apartment for a long time, and both always work great. Pour baking soda into bowls and place them around the house. Baking soda can deodorize your home due to its ability to absorb odors.

Few people know that any cat litter can be a great way to eliminate odors. Just buy a large bag of filler, weighing about 15 kilograms, pour into large bowls and place them around the house. Of course, if you have pets, it is better to put the bowls in inaccessible places so that they are not used for their intended purpose, that is, as a toilet.

Charcoal briquettes are another great way to remove odors. Spread them around the house on trays, on shelves or under tables. If you do this about twice a month, you won’t smell anything unpleasant, you can trust me.

Read the material “How to get rid of acne on the face at home: the best remedies”