To keep unpleasant odors from smelling up your house, take a few precautions.
- Mount a reverse osmosis system under your kitchen sink to remove up to 98 percent of the metals, pathogens, chlorine and dirt that can add foul smells and tastes to the water you drink and cook with.
- Empty the drip pan under your refrigerator every few months if you can easily remove it without taking the appliance apart. Soak it in warm, sudsy water in the sink to remove food, mold and odors.
- Keep a big jug of white vinegar on hand. Mixed with water, white vinegar works as well as chemical cleaners on windows, floors, and kitchen and bathroom surfaces. And it does a great job of removing set-in odors.
- Install exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathrooms, or start using the ones you already have. Especially if you live in a “tight” home that the builder designed to be energy-efficient, exhaust fans are needed to push dirty air outside and draw fresh air in. When you turn the fans on, they will rid your indoor air of humidity, odors and smoke. A tip: Run your exhaust fans only during your shower and while you’re cooking. If you run them all the time, they will suck your expensive air conditioned air out of the house, and that’s a waste of energy.
- For a home gym, or a “man cave” where guests might smoke cigars, or a hobby room where you will use glue or paint, choose a space that is well-ventilated or that at least has a window to open. Odors from sweat, smoke and adhesives can linger.
- Treat your septic tank with a product like RID-X Septic System Treatment, which contains active bacteria and enzymes that break down household waste. Pour it down only one drain or toilet in the house.
- Pull the rubber splash guard out of the kitchen sink drain and run it through the dishwasher. Bits of food from the garbage disposal can splash up and stick to the guard’s underside and make your sink smell like trash.
- Switch to chemical-free cleaners and air fresheners. A clean smell created by artificially scented cleaners and room deodorizers usually isn’t healthy. It might cover pet, smoke and cooking odors, but it doesn’t get rid of them for good.
- Teach all family members what to do if they smell gas: Leave the house and call 911. And everyone should know where the main shut-off valve is and how to turn the gas off during an emergency.
- Beware of what you can’t smell: carbon monoxide. If you heat your home with a gas furnace or use other gas appliances at home, install carbon monoxide detectors to alert you to the presence of gas
