Stinky smells may arise from a variety of sources: pets, mildew, smoke, trash... The worst part is, even though you clean every day and your home can be spotless, a random smell could make buyers and guests think your home is unclean or exhausted.
When staging a home, I make an effort to think with most 5 senses, and smell tends to be the easiest for homeowners to miss. After a while, our noses become immune to specific smells, and the stink can take over. Having a clean smelling house goes a long way in 1st impressions with buyers.
However, the previous adage of baking cookies or using potpourri is lacking. What about the unplanned visit? You don't always have period to throw twelve cookies in the oven. Or how about the purchasers who are sensitive to smells? Potpourri can make the experience of being in your house a nightmare.
Rather than covering up smells, I usually recommend cleaning them or neutralizing them. In the event that you just hide a smell, it'll come back. If you clean it, you have a better potential for removing it, or at least lessening it so that you can cover it up.
As the first in the three part series on eliminating smells out of your home, we will discuss flooring areas because it is the first spot to attack when trying to remove smells. Daily traffic brings in mud, pets use floors as bathrooms, and common cleaning isn't plenty of to get all of the smell leading to grime out.
We have used all of the products below and find them to be extremely effective. I attempted to add both inexpensive solutions and brand name items. Although the brands tend to work a little better as they have more substances, the cheaper solutions are remarkably effective and ideal for those on a spending budget. As a disclaimer: Make sure you always execute a test region before using any item on any surface.
Cleaning Hard Floors
Property owners often overlook hard flooring as resources of smells because they assume hard areas cannot absorb odor. However, all flooring areas are porous, and the ones microscopic holes will soak in whatever lands on them, just like carpeting. The three simple cleaning techniques for hard floors are:
1. Sweep with Baking Soda: Sweep all floors. Spread baking soda all over the floor. Let it sit overnight and sweep each morning again.
2. Mop with Vinegar and Water (Okay for hardwoods, tile, linoleum, etc): Make a remedy of 1/4 glass white vinegar and 30 ounces of hot water. Devote a recycled spray bottle, and spray on a cotton rag or towel until lightly damp. After that mop your flooring, scrubbing away any grime.
3. Mop with Bleach and Drinking water (Tile and linoleum ONLY): A highly effective sanitizer is definitely a poor bleach/water solution. Put on some gloves to protect your hands-you don't wish any bleach to are exposed to your body. Work in a well-ventilated area because the fumes shouldn't be http://query.nytimes.com/search/sitesearch/?action=click&contentCollection®ion=TopBar&WT.nav=searchWidget&module=SearchSubmit&pgtype=Homepage#/New Jersey inhaled. Mix: ¼ teaspoon bleach with 4 cups cold water.
Best Hard Floor Smell Absorbers
-Baking Soda
-Arm and Hammer Family pet Fresh Carpet Deodorizer ($5): Works great in hard floors, also!
-Nature's Miracle Stain & Smell Remover, 1 Gal ($25): You can mop with this while a final clean to neutralize any remaining family pet odors.
Vacuuming Carpets
Vacuuming is a chore nobody likes to do, and consequently we often hurry through it. When looking to get odors out, it is necessary to follow these steps:
THE FIRST STEP: Vacuum slowly and deliberately. Imagine you are traveling a Zamboni at a hockey rink, taking deliberately slow measures. Pay particular attention to corners and where in fact the wall meets the floor and doorways. You want to get as much hair, dirt, dander, and allergens up as possible. Do not forget to vacuum under your furniture.
SECOND STEP: Spread an odor absorbing powder on the carpet and allow it sit overnight.
Step Three: In the vacuum slowly, deliberately again and morning hours. The powder will absorb any scents the vacuum skipped.
Best Vacuuming Odor Absorbers
-Baking Soda
-Arm and Hammer Family pet Fresh Carpet Deodorizer ($5)
Steam Cleaning Carpets
Before steam cleaning, usually vacuum first. I like to take deep cleaning a step at a time, going from the most basic to the most included because property owners are busy enough as it is definitely. Although steam cleaners can price between $20 and $50 to lease, it could be a worthy expense to eliminate difficult odors, especially if stains are present. The directions vary, but typically you should expect it to work just like a vacuum with three techniques:
Step One: Use the steam cleaner to apply the perfect solution is to the carpet, making it wet however, not soaking.
Step Two: Vacuum up the wet alternative with the steam cleaner.
Step Three: Let it dry over night, making sure not to allow anyone or anything to walk on the carpet.
Best Steam Cleaning Solutions
-Vinegar ONLY CHOICE: The vinegar only smells even though wet, and as an extra bonus, it generally does not leave behind a residue. Use in a 1 part vinegar to 10 parts water ratio.
-OxiClean ($6) + Vinegar Option: Use 1 scoop of OxiClean Stain Remover ($6), one cup of Febreze Extra Strength ($5) OR one cup of vinegar, and the recommended warm water. The outcome isn't just clean, but it also kills all odors.
-Bissell 2X Family pet Stain and Smell Advanced Formula ($15): Functions great for all stains, not only pets. If you do have family pet stains, it helps take away the producing scent and discourages domestic pets from resoling the region.
In the second of the three part series on eliminating odors from homes, we will focus on soft surfaces, walls, kitchens and bathrooms - the trickiest elements of a home to clean. We've all been there: something smells irritably awful in our home. We walk around, using our nose like a junk removal NJ bloodhound, trying to hunt down the source of the offending smell only to think it is hiding in something we're just not sure how exactly to clean. Carpets and rugs and flooring are easy - but things such as sofas, curtains, and wall space can be daunting.
Upholstery Cleaning Solutions
Mist upholstery with any of the following products to make upholstery smell fresher. You can even use the products on draperies. Products are listed from least expensive to most expensive.
-Vinegar: The vinegar only smells even though wet, and while an added bonus, it doesn't leave at the rear of a residue. Use in a 1 vinegar to 10 water ratio.
-Febreze Linen and Sky ($6 each): I know their marketing comes on a little strong, but Febreze does indeed work! PLEASE be careful which Febreze scent you chose. I always recommend scents with "natural cotton" or "linen" in the name, as those are the lightest and least offensive to picky noses.
-Febreze Extra Strength ($5): Although it goes against my scent selection guideline, I find this helps permanently remove tricky odors better than regular Febreze. The downside: the scent isn't everyone's cup of tea, so it is best to use it when you have a couple of days to allow smell fade.
-Nature's Miracle ($11): One of my all period favorites for removing tough pet odors. You can utilize it just like Febreze, but it is specially formulated to focus on pet odors. It even has a fresh, clean scent!
Wash Drapes, Drapes, and Bed Linens
Curtains, drapes, and bed sheets like bedspreads are products homeowners rarely clean. They have a tendency to hang out in the background, and we forget how many odors they are capable of absorbing. I love to clean my materials once yearly to eliminate all the dirt and grime, but if you're noticing a persistent smell and you are not sure where it really is coming from, drapes, drapes, and bed sheets are often at fault. Sometimes you have to dry clean them, but often you can place them in the laundry together with your regular detergent, following a care instructions on the tags.
Wash the Walls
Cleaning walls not only works, but it's a lot cheaper than repainting! If you don't have time to wash all of your walls, you can use this technique to spot clean particularly dirty area. Remember: Only wash walls that are wall-papered or painted in satin, semi-gloss or cup finishes (NEVER flat color, and only occasionally eggshell). For washing textured walls, use nylon socks instead of a sponge or fabric to avoid leaving materials chunks behind. And because walls are more sensitive to liquid, ALWAYS check a small area first.
THE FIRST STEP: Move all furniture, photos, etc... from the walls.
Step Two: Find a starting corner, and work the right path around the area, top to bottom using a mop or damp cloth.
THIRD STEP: Wipe with clean water.
Step Four: Dry cleaned wall space with a towel.
Wall Cleaning Formulas
-Ammonia Formula: Use clear ammonia, which is normally sold in janitorial source stores. Due to its strong odor, just utilize it in well-ventilated areas. Mix 1 to 2 2 cups of ammonia per gallon of water. Using cool water is best as it creates fewer fumes.
-Ammonia, Vinegar, and Baking Soda Formula: In case you are worried about house animals soiling the wall space (ammonia is the primary ingredient in urine), this formulation is most effective. Mix ½ cup ammonia, ¼ cup white vinegar, and ¼ glass baking soda to at least one 1 gallon hot water.
-Woolite for All Delicates ($6): This is the simplest to create and the gentlest cleaner. Make use of a capful of Woolite in a bucket of drinking water.
-Mr. Clean Extra Power Magic Eraser ($10 for 8): Make use of a Mr. Clean Magic Sponge on any tough spots or to place clean. This will keep your walls looking great, and remove painting as often.
Bathroom and Kitchen Cleaning
There are a million bathroom cleaning products available, but There is a few that work better than others at getting bathrooms and kitchens clean AND smelling great. Also be aware, the toilet and kitchen are the only room in the house where I would use citrus scented products for a freshly cleaned smell.
Lysol Basin, Tub, and Tile Cleaner with Citrus Scent ($5): I take advantage of this on all my areas as it is effective, gentle, and gets rid of germs.
-Formula 409 Natural Rock Cleaner ($5): When you have granite, marble, or travertine areas in your kitchen or bath, the product is both cost effective and cleaning effective.
-Scrubbing Bubbles Bathroom Cleaner, Lemon Scent ($8 every): I've a glass enclosed shower, and nothing at all removes the water spots and stains like Scrubbing Bubbles, a sponge, and a squeegee. It's the only matter that functions for me, and there is absolutely no elbow grease involved. The scent is normally always fresh and clean.
-Lysol Power TOILET PAN Cleaner ($3 each): Hold one under every bathroom sink in your house for quick access and cleaning! It removes all the stains, and if you ask me, it helps PREVENT odors from forming.
-Windex Glass Cleaner ($5): No bathroom is clean without a sparkling mirror, and Windex is an excellent old standby. Generics function just as well, but can keep more streaks if you aren't careful. You may use this on polished nickel surfaces, also.
In the final portion of our cleaning series, we will discuss how exactly to keep a freshly-cleaned scent now that you have fully cleaned your home. Long term smell control solutions cope with absorbing offending odors before they have an opportunity to penetrate the floors, walls, fabrics, and various other surfaces of your house. Surroundings freshening solutions are excellent for quick pick-me-ups. Used in conjunction, these solutions will help keep your house smelling as fresh as it was when you initially cleaned it.
Odor Controlling Solutions
-FRIDGE IT Carbon Smell Absorbers ($3.95 each): These don't possess a scent themselves, but they help to eliminate smell by absorbing it the same manner baking soda works in a refrigerator. You can hide them in decorative vases, baskets, or bowls in extra-stinky areas of your home like the kitchen, bathroom, mud area, pet area, or kids' playroom.
-Holmes® True HEPA Allergen Remover ($100): Most electronic home air cleaners don't work, plus some are even bad for you. The ionizers make ozone, which actually harms your lungs. The Holmes series with carbon Arm & Hammer®-enhanced filters work amazingly well. There are 4 speeds to permit for a quiet work, and they even control the smell from my cats' litter box!
Air Freshening Solutions
Try to keep the air in your house as fresh as possible. If you are using air fresheners, I recommend scents with "linen" or "cotton" in the title as they have a tendency to become lighter and much less offensive to people with sensitive noses.
-Fresh Air flow: Keep windows open whenever you can, letting in oxygen.
-Febreze NOTICEables Alternating Scent Oil Warmer, Clothesline Breeze & Meadow Tunes ($9 each): I prefer the Febreze NOTICEable series since the scents are light plus they last longer than most plug-in style fresheners.
-Febreze Air Effects ($9.99 for 3 pack): Ideal for quick touch-ups, however, not for consistent use.
-Glade Feeling and Spray Clean Linen Scent ($9.99 each): I love this product as it works like typical scent sprayers, but it's automatic and doesn't use a lot more than necessary. DO NOT put it where it'll spray on people, and constantly put it aside before a showing.