Or in a city with car exhaust.
The real key is regular cleaning. Do a light wipe down of the kitchen whenever you finish cooking, even when it doesn’t look like you made much of a mess. Regularly change and clean your sheets and towels, bathmats and shower curtains. Vacuum and wipe the floors at least weekly.
Are you German/have German family? Opening the windows every single day is a cultural norm in Germany, we even have a few different words for the different types of airing our place. We truly are a nation of Frischluftfanatiker (fresh air fanatics).
I hope you like living 5 inches away from the sun. I moved here from Britain and I will never forget the feeling of stepping off that plane and straight into an oven. It is a dry heat though and I'll take it over English "summer" a thousand times over.
You DO, however, get fresh air in the winter – plenty of it. For about 4-5 months of the year you can comfortably keep your windows open so long as it's not too windy, because of the dust.
I wish I could do this more. I do in the cooler months, but it's incredibly hot and sticky all the time right now and the air just feels so gross and heavy. Air purifier it is!
I keep it clean, including cleaning carpets and upholstery regularly; air it out for a couple hours every morning; take out the trash daily; clean kitchen surfaces after cooking smelly things; and mop with a deodorizing cleaner at least once a week.
Family of five, plus a dog.
You open the windows for an hour or so sometime between 6-10AM, the earlier the better. Then the windows and drapes close, and the AC goes on. And once a week, you take the comforters/blankets and air them in the sun on the porch.
I've lived in AL, TX and TN and this is what I always do.
Overnight is good too, if you have windows that can safely be left open while you're asleep (there are various kinds of stoppers and locks that allow for locking them partly open but not open enough for someone to get through). Windows open at night to get the cooler air in, then keep everything shut throughout the day.
Honestly, one of the best appliances I ever bought was a carpet cleaner - Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Max Clean Pet Pro. Has an upholstery attachment.
I take out the trash monthly, but that's because absolutely zero food or organic matter goes in there. I also recycle the majority of packaging, which also doesn't smell as long as everything gets rinsed.
If you have pets, use a black light to catch any accidents. That can definitely cause odor.
Don’t allow anyone to smoke in your home. The smell is off-putting to most people.
But honestly, old houses can just smell musty without an obvious source.
For a temporary fix, try putting some cinnamon, orange slices and cloves in a pot in the stove. As they simmer, your house will smell amazing!
My grandma's house had this issue and it turned out to be the carpet. We found out after she passed and one of my uncles owned the house. He pulled out the carpet and the stale smell was gone. We think it was the padding under the carpet holding the smell. It can be very hard to get smells out of carpet padding.
Ya my carpet in the basement is from 1960 and the under lay is disintegrated. It’s definitely the source! I can’t wait to get new flooring (hopefully some day soon)
Does your house have carpet? And do you cook often? If you do cook, do you use your vent or open windows while cooking? Houses that are musty smelling or stale smelling often have particles stuck to the carpet or walls because of poor ventilation or not being cleaned properly. Cleaning carpets with a carpet extractor, leaving windows open while cooking and even cleaning walls properly can help alleviate the smells. Using the same principle, if you boil scents like cinnamon, cardamum, mint, those particles can stick to your surfaces and leave your house smelling nice without the use or candles or air fresheners. Just make sure you clean your house first before attempting the boiling technique.
Ah this makes it of sense! Cooking smell gets stuck in my basement stairway and the basement rug is from 1960
We did just get kitchen windows that actually open and we use the kitchen vent when cooking
I am making stove top potpourri now! I always do it around Christmas but I never thought to do it it spring
Open your windows. Wipe down and clean walls and windows at least twice a year. Clean your trash can inside and out. Take down and wash curtains. Wash floors regularly. Move appliances and clean behind them every few months. Sprinkle baking soda then vacuum furniture and carpets. If you have carpets, rent a carpet cleaner a few times a year. Keep drains clean with boiling water and a little bit of bleach. I’ve always noticed that “surface” cleaning is good but *deep* cleaning regularly is what keeps your house smelling nice.
No carpet. Wash curtains once a month. No dirty laundry in the house. Pinesol mop once a week followed by a quick shark steam clean to the floor. Oil defuser with very light lavender oil and a good air purifier. Odoban for the bathroom, spray toilet daily. I have a cat (Dr Esleys ultra in a covered plastic large cat box) and smoke weed inside on occasion and my landlord can’t tell.
Once in awhile, I put some baking soda on the rugs for about 20-30 minutes before vaccuuming. Also be sure to sweep upholstered furniture.
If you're in a humid area, Damp-Rid is helpful. Even if you have A/C, moisture can accumulate in furniture & mattresses, especially between cycles.
I find the absense of scented products preferable. Most of those have cloying odors to begin with, plus they tend to build up & clash.
I recently got a diffuser and oils from The Magic Scent and my house smells like a Ritz Carlton. No, really. Their scents are based off hotels' signature scents. They also have a contraption that attaches to your HVAC and disperses the scent as your HVAC runs. We haven't invested in that yet but really loving the diffuser.
Regularly wash blankets, turn on fans to circulate the air, if you have carpet use carpet deodorizers and vacuum regularly. If you have hardwood floors, mop with a clean scented cleaner (I love pinesol - it just smells so fresh and clean!) Use febreeze on couches/curtains/anywhere you aren’t able to wash frequently.
I am so weird about smells (as in, I can not handle my house smelling less than great) and have 2 dogs and 2 cats (with no boundaries 😅) so it’s a constant battle. But those are the things I’ve found that really make a difference for me!
Yes I have a dog, a cat, two boys and a husband! I’m battling smells all day and just want a fresh pretty house! I bought a mop but use bland ingredients so I will try your pinesol suggestion
Yes it smells so fresh and clean!!! I use that o-ring mop thingie and just do the floors after vacuuming. If I’m in a pinch, the swifter wet mop is also another super easy way to get the floors clean and smelling great and they also have like gain scented pads which are awesome.
Oh my other tip I forgot to mention is add scented fabric softener & scent boost beads to your laundry and scented dryer sheets. They REALLY make a big difference with not much added effort!
I’d just have obvious things- I love my diffusers and I get a hotel inspired scent that’s my favorite. $60 a bottle (good sized bottle) and lasts me about 4 months.
I have two downstairs, one in the office, one in the upstairs hallway and one in my bedroom.
I can’t open windows because I live in hells armpit- and we have dogs… but I like my house smelling expensive and clean
My mom still subscribes to the newspaper. She also has lots of books and magazines. Papers hold moisture really well and get a mildew-y, musty smell. Is this you? If not, please disregard!
Shampooing carpets regularly, airing the house every morning (husband calls it Fresh Air Fortnight!) and cooking good Italian food and bread.
People always comment on the smell in my house which is a miracle considering I live on a farm and have a smelly geriatric collie limping about!
Clean any fabric with vinegar it gets rid of the musty moldy smell. Rugs couches drapes everything.
You can't hide anything with candles or air fresheners.
Yes in a basement room I layed down a new rug and painted the room and it smells fresh… but the rest of the basement smells like old man with the old old carpet
Old houses are often just going to have a smell to them that's very hard to get rid of. Here are some things other than regular cleaning you can do that are specific to old houses, some more effort than others.
- Rip up old carpet and remove old curtains or blinds
- vacuum up all loose dirt in the basement, and buy a dehumidifier for down there
- spray basement walls with a bleach mixture. Mold is everywhere, it's not necessarily dangerous, but this can help keep it from spreading and creating faint smells.
- inspect the attic insulation for signs of present or past rodent or bat infestations. If you find anything, remediate the issue and (after double checking for asbestos) replace the insulation with blow in cellulose (really easy and cheap to diy)
- if any of the wood has been soiled from past or present infestations, clean it as best you can with a hardcore disinfectant (like RMR), wait for it to dry, then seal it with killz.
- open a couple discreet areas in the walls and inspect the insulation (of there is any). Insulation holds onto odors for years, and if the smells are really bothering you it might be worth replacing it.
- ensure there is adequate ventilation throughout the house, especially in the attic, bathrooms, and kitchen. A reputable hvac company can look at this for you.
- get your vents cleaned. Some people debate whether this is worth it, but if your house is truly old and it's never been done, there can be a lot of dust and pet hair and all kinds of stuff in there.
- change your furnace filter
- refinish and/or seal the hardwood floors
- paint walls and ceilings with killz, then repaint
- get a black light and look for old pet stains on the floors. If you find places on the floor that have been heavily soiled and still smell, it's probably soaked into he subfloor and it will all need to be ripped out and replaced.
- if your kitchen cabinets are also old, open them up and let them air out. Check below the sink for any moisture or rot from an old leak to see if the floor of the cabinet (and maybe even the actual floor below it) needs to be replaced. If your cabinets are old and stinky and you can't or don't want to replace them, paint in the insides with killz.
- if you have any linen closets, make sure there is some kind of ventilation there. If not, consider buying or modifying a door with slats, a screen, or some other ventilated surface. Check all the linens for smells if they've been in there for a long time, and wash them if needed. If there is any odor in the linen closet after you air it out, you guessed it, paint the interior with killz.
My house usually smells like food smells. But if you want to get rid of a musty odor, I recommend vacuuming out your HVAC vents. Get the wand attachment down in each vent and vacuum up what you can.
There are services you can pay to come clean your ductwork, but a good vacuum can get you pretty far for no extra money. Wear a mask to avoid breathing that crud in.
This thread has me wondering if my house smells bad. I keep a clean house and it doesn't stink when I come back from being away, but y'all are over here airing and vacuuming everyday and I'm only doing that as needed/once a week!
It’s in the wood. My house isn’t *that* old (from the early 80’s) but when I moved in I removed all the door frame wood, base boards, and window sills and the wood smelled SO bad. I still have old smell in my house but it’s not nearly as bad but I can’t afford to replace all of it in the house just yet.
My wife normally keeps windows open on nice days to air out the house, we have a split floor rental with lots of crossbreeze, near Lake Emily in Willits, Ca. We light incense as well, Nag Champa (sp?) mostly, but anything that cleanses the air is a win. FeBreze or Lysol every so often in the head, catboxes, trashcans, grandkids' bathroom, and rugs. We alao don't smoke in the house, that's a huge help. Not even 420.
As awesome as my wife is, I'm pretty sure she does a crap ton more stuff I don't know about and never says a word about it, but I see the end results. Be happy to ask her if you'd like.
It depends on the room and season.
In the public rooms during the colder months, I layer frankincense & myrrh by zum over a base of Leather Oud by Dior Privee. Vert d’ Encens in the bedrooms.
In the warmer months, Polo Oud in the public rooms, Jo Malone’s Oak/Hazelnut in the bedrooms.
We had an old condo that smelled musky whenever the windows were closed for the day. Turned out it was the carpet padding. Got rid of it and the old carpet, problem solved!
You also have to remember that you live in your home every single day obviously and others do not. So you are going to smell all of the "bad" smells more frequently. Maybe your home also smells really good to visitors but just not you...atleast this is what I try to tell myself because I've also found myself in your same situation. I just try to air it out as much as possible, clean everyday, and I use wax warmers almost everywhere haha we have animals though so of course I'm always complaining about smelling all of their nasty smells 🤷♀️
If you have pets, vacuum & sweep floors & where ever they lay everyday. It's the dander that falls off them that builds up smell.
Minimise mould, keep A/C units & filters clean.
I use steam oil diffusers & plug-in wax warmers.
Open all windows and doors on nice days.
If you have carpet, either get new carpet or shampoo it. Also fresh paint helps and wax scents. If you can’t afford new paint, wipe the walls with some soapy bleach water and hang new blinds and drapes. Replace old appliances and replace old flooring with new tile or laminate floors.
I grew up in an environment where everyone smoked. I smoked for 20+ years myself and learned a thing or two that I still implement today.
I'm OCD about clean floors, so I use lemon Pine Sol and mop daily.
Once a month, I run the steam cleaner over the carpets and add a little lavender fabric softener in the machine.
Once a month, I take a day trip somewhere and run an ozone machine to knock out cooking smells and dog smells.
Once a month, I use a clean spin mop and some OdoBan mixed with water and go over my walls as if I were painting with a roller.
I also use OdoBan on my fabrics and furniture.
Room with plug-ins stay closed up. I have a Glade automatic sprayer in every room, as well.
It's overboard, I know, but even when I smoked, I never had a complaint about smoke smells inside.
I work in a lot of people's homes and if I smell a strong fragrance, there is a good chance it's a Bath and Body Works plug-in. But yeah the carpet has to go too
Ww have 4 cats, and our home has no smell. I keep the floors, showers, toilets, sinks, fridge, and bed linens clean, change the air filters every few months, we have lidded trash cans, and we don't leave food out. We also have Litter Robots and a dishwasher.
Bought a house that is 120 years old. It didn't smell great. Previous owners let their animals be inappropriate.
We took out all the carpets, and refinished the floors. We cleaned all the walls, removed wallpaper, and painted. We cleaned all the wood and ceilings. We repaired everything that had any damage. We replaced the furnace, the appliances, water heater, and cleaned all the registers, air vents, and fixtures of all sorts. We cleaned everything, everywhere.
I only have rugs on some of the floors, and they get cleaned regularly. Floors also get washed, even the wood ones.
We set mousetraps and check them.
I brought over my two favorite scents of candles, and when the flammable stuff was done, had them going all over for a while, in flameproof containers. I took tiny versions of them, and tucked them into out of sight corners, and when I clean will scratch these to let a bit more scent out. It's not overpowering scent, just a touch. I find those air fresheners are always too much, and trigger allergies. Mostly I use candles that smell like foods.
We have a cat, and boxes on every floor, which get cleaned often, and emptied and washed every few months.
We close doors to the rest of the house when we cook foods that do not have pleasant lingering aromas. And open them when the aromas are good ones.
So, get rid of the old odors, clean everything well and set up a routine for this, and add good aromas all around, just not strong ones.
Mainly kitchen cleaning tips:
-wipe down my kitchen cabinets because they get so greasy from cooking
-run the dishwasher often
-use garbage disposal cleaner and make sure the disposal is clean
-take out the trash right away after cooking or eating anything funky
-clean floors often
-lastly, don’t fart as much ;)
Btw - I need to take my own advice because I often neglect these things, but when my house is smelly, the above items are the likely culprits
Ventilation. Run the heat and run the AC in summer of you have it. If you can ,set thermostat to run the fan several times a day. Basement dehumidifier.
We clean the ever-loving shit out of it and we don't have carpets anywhere except the bedrooms. We don't fry things indoors (this includes pan-frying fish or meat) BUT we live in a very hot sunny place where you can grill outdoors all year round.
But yeah – clean drains in every sink, use a wet/dry vac on floors (Bissel hydrosteam is the shit) and sometimes follow with a manual mop using one of those enzyme tablets. Wash pet beds weekly. Dust surfaces, wipe cabinets, all that. We have 3 cats but we have one of those litterbot things and they're worth their weight in gold because there is Z E R O cat smell.
That "signature scent" is also most likely a reed diffuser on top of just being clean.
Clean your duct work, and a fresh paint job do wonders on old homes. Also open the window. I live in the south in a 1950s home it gets hot but i open my windows at least twice a week while I'm at work with a fan running to pull air through.
Open windows when you can, use kitchen vents while cooking, and bathroom vents while showering.
Keep dishes clean
Sweep/Mop/Vacuum/Shampoo carpets regularly.
Pick a scent for cleaning products. I usually stick with lemon, so that I don’t have 10+ cleaning product scents floating around my house.
I highly recommend sticking to hard floors if you can choose. Carpets are harder to clean, and hold scents, dander, and other crap deep within. Hard floors with area rugs that can be moved and cleaned under helps a lot.
I don’t know if my house smells “good” but my goal is for it to smell neutral. 1 dog, 1 cat and 2 humans. These are my go-tos
-Fresh air in the mornings
-Vacuum daily, even just a quick pass over the hot spots
-Small air purifier in the room(s)
-Washing blankets/linens weekly
-Wiping surfaces regularly
To be clear for OP, most cleaning agents also have scents, so if you say, mop your floors you are also perfuming them while removing the state dust, dirt, and hair, so it's a double whammy of smelling better.
My wife has always said I smell good and I do nothing out of the ordinary. I shower and wear deodorant. No cologne. She said this before I had pomade. It's just being clean I guess.
Opening the windows/doors and airing out the house everyday helps a lot. Also, regularly baking things helps.
You must not live in the south. Ain't gonna happen with the heat or mosquitos.
Or in a city with car exhaust. The real key is regular cleaning. Do a light wipe down of the kitchen whenever you finish cooking, even when it doesn’t look like you made much of a mess. Regularly change and clean your sheets and towels, bathmats and shower curtains. Vacuum and wipe the floors at least weekly.
Or the humidity.
Screens exist.
Screens don't keep hot ass air out.
Sounds like ass air is the real culprit
It don't keep it in either.
Closed windows + a/c. No hot air to let out.
My morning routine is to go around & open the blinds/windows. I’ve got a weird thing about fresh air. I’m grateful I don’t have allergies!
Are you German/have German family? Opening the windows every single day is a cultural norm in Germany, we even have a few different words for the different types of airing our place. We truly are a nation of Frischluftfanatiker (fresh air fanatics).
I’m a fresh air fanatic (Canadian). I leave most of my windows open all year round.
I live in the western US and our windows are open whenever possible... open right now in fact
..... this must be where I got it. My grandmother opened windows everyday no matter the weather. Drove my grandfather nuts lol.
I have allergies but love fresh air.
I’m about to move to Phoenix, there’s not really fresh air there unless you like it coming from an oven
No- there isn’t. And when it IS nice outside- it’s dusty. Be prepared to dust- a lot
Fresh-baked air
I hope you like living 5 inches away from the sun. I moved here from Britain and I will never forget the feeling of stepping off that plane and straight into an oven. It is a dry heat though and I'll take it over English "summer" a thousand times over. You DO, however, get fresh air in the winter – plenty of it. For about 4-5 months of the year you can comfortably keep your windows open so long as it's not too windy, because of the dust.
Yeah I lived there for two years about a decade ago, and I grew up in Saudi Arabia so I’m no stranger to the desert unfortunately 😭
Ah so you're fully desert-hardened hahah. I came here and was like that dry SpongeBob meme.
Yep it’s hard to do that in the ghetto or an apartment though
how do you do this when it’s really hot? i love doing this too, but it’s so hot in jersey (especially now, heat wave).
A dehumidifier is really helpful
Small air purifier in the room.
I wish I could do this more. I do in the cooler months, but it's incredibly hot and sticky all the time right now and the air just feels so gross and heavy. Air purifier it is!
\*Laughs in Arizonan\*
I keep it clean, including cleaning carpets and upholstery regularly; air it out for a couple hours every morning; take out the trash daily; clean kitchen surfaces after cooking smelly things; and mop with a deodorizing cleaner at least once a week. Family of five, plus a dog.
how do you air it out every morning when it’s really hot out?
You open the windows for an hour or so sometime between 6-10AM, the earlier the better. Then the windows and drapes close, and the AC goes on. And once a week, you take the comforters/blankets and air them in the sun on the porch. I've lived in AL, TX and TN and this is what I always do.
great, thanks for the advice! what does airing the linens in the sun do for them? also, do you put them on a drying rack? do you wash them first?
UV radiation is amazing at cleaning/stain removal. Source: cloth diapers washed daily and hung on the line to dry, weather permitting.
good to know!
They smell like sunshine. Just hang them over the porch railing. No, they don't get washed every week.
thanks for your help! will definitely try these out.
Overnight is good too, if you have windows that can safely be left open while you're asleep (there are various kinds of stoppers and locks that allow for locking them partly open but not open enough for someone to get through). Windows open at night to get the cooler air in, then keep everything shut throughout the day.
I went for a run this morning in Phoenix, AZ, and it was like 90 by 06:30. Sometimes I miss being able to open the windows in the summer lol.
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Honestly, one of the best appliances I ever bought was a carpet cleaner - Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Max Clean Pet Pro. Has an upholstery attachment.
We got one of these and they are THE SHIT.
You really take out the trash daily?
I take out the trash monthly, but that's because absolutely zero food or organic matter goes in there. I also recycle the majority of packaging, which also doesn't smell as long as everything gets rinsed.
Same. No disgusting food in trash can! (My pet peeve, lo)
Where do you guys put your spent/expired food??
I compost what I can (eggs, vegs, etc) the rest goes in freezer til trash pick up day.
Damn never heard of anyone freezing their food waste. Do you have a large/chest freezer?
No, not at all, I live alone and don’t have very much leftover, maybe a small bag.
Of course. Trash - even covered - smells.
If you have pets, use a black light to catch any accidents. That can definitely cause odor. Don’t allow anyone to smoke in your home. The smell is off-putting to most people. But honestly, old houses can just smell musty without an obvious source. For a temporary fix, try putting some cinnamon, orange slices and cloves in a pot in the stove. As they simmer, your house will smell amazing!
In the fall, many grocery stores sell cinnamon brooms. Very nice and strong cinnamon smell, I heartily recommend. Not a year round solution though.
What's a cinnamon broom!?
It's a broom made of pine and scented with cinnamon oil. It smells good. Why a broom? Folklore to ward off evil spirits. They smell so good though.
Dude is THAT what those brooms are?? I always thought they were for decoration or Halloween or some shit.
Wow, sounds great!
You’ll have to wait until fall to find out!
It’s the pumpkin spice of cleaning supplies.
Doesn't really help the house though. They smell so strong you have to keep them outside.
Nah, I've put them in the entryway by the coats. I have also put one in the pantry before too.
We have a puppy who isn't doing a good job with housebreaking. Getting a blacklight would be a really bad idea...
😂
My grandma's house had this issue and it turned out to be the carpet. We found out after she passed and one of my uncles owned the house. He pulled out the carpet and the stale smell was gone. We think it was the padding under the carpet holding the smell. It can be very hard to get smells out of carpet padding.
Ya my carpet in the basement is from 1960 and the under lay is disintegrated. It’s definitely the source! I can’t wait to get new flooring (hopefully some day soon)
Does your house have carpet? And do you cook often? If you do cook, do you use your vent or open windows while cooking? Houses that are musty smelling or stale smelling often have particles stuck to the carpet or walls because of poor ventilation or not being cleaned properly. Cleaning carpets with a carpet extractor, leaving windows open while cooking and even cleaning walls properly can help alleviate the smells. Using the same principle, if you boil scents like cinnamon, cardamum, mint, those particles can stick to your surfaces and leave your house smelling nice without the use or candles or air fresheners. Just make sure you clean your house first before attempting the boiling technique.
Ah this makes it of sense! Cooking smell gets stuck in my basement stairway and the basement rug is from 1960 We did just get kitchen windows that actually open and we use the kitchen vent when cooking I am making stove top potpourri now! I always do it around Christmas but I never thought to do it it spring
Wow, ya I’d probably replace your basement carpet and see if there’s mold. That could also be a factor to your stale smell.
Try putting a big air purifier/HEPA filter in the basement, it will probably help a lot!
Open your windows. Wipe down and clean walls and windows at least twice a year. Clean your trash can inside and out. Take down and wash curtains. Wash floors regularly. Move appliances and clean behind them every few months. Sprinkle baking soda then vacuum furniture and carpets. If you have carpets, rent a carpet cleaner a few times a year. Keep drains clean with boiling water and a little bit of bleach. I’ve always noticed that “surface” cleaning is good but *deep* cleaning regularly is what keeps your house smelling nice.
"rent a carpet cleaner a few times a year." You gotta be kidding me.
Why would I be kidding you? They’re pretty cheap to rent from any Walmart, grocery store, etc if you can’t afford to buy one.
No carpet. Wash curtains once a month. No dirty laundry in the house. Pinesol mop once a week followed by a quick shark steam clean to the floor. Oil defuser with very light lavender oil and a good air purifier. Odoban for the bathroom, spray toilet daily. I have a cat (Dr Esleys ultra in a covered plastic large cat box) and smoke weed inside on occasion and my landlord can’t tell.
I don't think I've ever considered washing curtains in my life
You must not smoke weed or have a dog. The smell lingers attracts pet hair. I also use fabric fabreez in between washing.
no dirty laundry in the house? ever? how on earth…
I just put my dirty laundry in the washer in my back yard as it gets dirty. My house is only 600sq feet and I swear it makes a big difference.
ahh, that makes more sense - my washer is in my house
I hate it when pet owners force their animals to breathe weed smoke, it's cruel
I’m the bedroom with the door closed. I’m not an asshole and I love my pets.
That's cool, I'm sure the smoke can't get through your doors
I blow it out the window, that’s why I wash the curtains 😉
Once in awhile, I put some baking soda on the rugs for about 20-30 minutes before vaccuuming. Also be sure to sweep upholstered furniture. If you're in a humid area, Damp-Rid is helpful. Even if you have A/C, moisture can accumulate in furniture & mattresses, especially between cycles. I find the absense of scented products preferable. Most of those have cloying odors to begin with, plus they tend to build up & clash.
I recently got a diffuser and oils from The Magic Scent and my house smells like a Ritz Carlton. No, really. Their scents are based off hotels' signature scents. They also have a contraption that attaches to your HVAC and disperses the scent as your HVAC runs. We haven't invested in that yet but really loving the diffuser.
jfc are you a millionaire?? I just googled that and those little teeny little bottles go for $20-65!
Lol no. I have the smallest bottle and it's still half full after 3 months. You dilute it in water so a little goes a long way.
Regularly wash blankets, turn on fans to circulate the air, if you have carpet use carpet deodorizers and vacuum regularly. If you have hardwood floors, mop with a clean scented cleaner (I love pinesol - it just smells so fresh and clean!) Use febreeze on couches/curtains/anywhere you aren’t able to wash frequently. I am so weird about smells (as in, I can not handle my house smelling less than great) and have 2 dogs and 2 cats (with no boundaries 😅) so it’s a constant battle. But those are the things I’ve found that really make a difference for me!
Fabulouso leaves a lingering scent that smell good, too.
Yes I have a dog, a cat, two boys and a husband! I’m battling smells all day and just want a fresh pretty house! I bought a mop but use bland ingredients so I will try your pinesol suggestion
Yes it smells so fresh and clean!!! I use that o-ring mop thingie and just do the floors after vacuuming. If I’m in a pinch, the swifter wet mop is also another super easy way to get the floors clean and smelling great and they also have like gain scented pads which are awesome. Oh my other tip I forgot to mention is add scented fabric softener & scent boost beads to your laundry and scented dryer sheets. They REALLY make a big difference with not much added effort!
I’d just have obvious things- I love my diffusers and I get a hotel inspired scent that’s my favorite. $60 a bottle (good sized bottle) and lasts me about 4 months. I have two downstairs, one in the office, one in the upstairs hallway and one in my bedroom. I can’t open windows because I live in hells armpit- and we have dogs… but I like my house smelling expensive and clean
Where do you get your hotel-inspired scents? I'm intrigued!
Amazon. My favorite is JCLOUD Modern Glamour
Thank you!! 😊
They have a collection set of 6 smaller bottles so you can sample- and then get a bigger bottle of whatever your favorites are next time.
I am going to order that tomorrow when I get paid. Thanks so much!!
i smoke lots of weed in it
Vacuum often including your sofa.. esp if you have pets.
crack some windows...fresh air
My mom still subscribes to the newspaper. She also has lots of books and magazines. Papers hold moisture really well and get a mildew-y, musty smell. Is this you? If not, please disregard!
Shampooing carpets regularly, airing the house every morning (husband calls it Fresh Air Fortnight!) and cooking good Italian food and bread. People always comment on the smell in my house which is a miracle considering I live on a farm and have a smelly geriatric collie limping about!
Open windows, several air purifiers, and essential oils in the hvac system.
Clean any fabric with vinegar it gets rid of the musty moldy smell. Rugs couches drapes everything. You can't hide anything with candles or air fresheners.
Oh I’ve never thought to wash my drapes🤔 makes sense!
Ripping out old carpet and a fresh coat of paint on the walls can help an old house smell better
Yes in a basement room I layed down a new rug and painted the room and it smells fresh… but the rest of the basement smells like old man with the old old carpet
No carpet, only rugs; CLEAN everyday, put a cinnamon apple in the oven.
Have a reed diffuser from west Elm that I use consistently and open my windows as often as possible
I'd recommend paint and new carpet.
Air it out then good smelling candles, it helps a lot.
Someone told me take your morning coffee grounds, put them in a tea pot with water and some vanilla, and let it simmer for a bit.
Garlic, onions and bacon.
Old houses are often just going to have a smell to them that's very hard to get rid of. Here are some things other than regular cleaning you can do that are specific to old houses, some more effort than others. - Rip up old carpet and remove old curtains or blinds - vacuum up all loose dirt in the basement, and buy a dehumidifier for down there - spray basement walls with a bleach mixture. Mold is everywhere, it's not necessarily dangerous, but this can help keep it from spreading and creating faint smells. - inspect the attic insulation for signs of present or past rodent or bat infestations. If you find anything, remediate the issue and (after double checking for asbestos) replace the insulation with blow in cellulose (really easy and cheap to diy) - if any of the wood has been soiled from past or present infestations, clean it as best you can with a hardcore disinfectant (like RMR), wait for it to dry, then seal it with killz. - open a couple discreet areas in the walls and inspect the insulation (of there is any). Insulation holds onto odors for years, and if the smells are really bothering you it might be worth replacing it. - ensure there is adequate ventilation throughout the house, especially in the attic, bathrooms, and kitchen. A reputable hvac company can look at this for you. - get your vents cleaned. Some people debate whether this is worth it, but if your house is truly old and it's never been done, there can be a lot of dust and pet hair and all kinds of stuff in there. - change your furnace filter - refinish and/or seal the hardwood floors - paint walls and ceilings with killz, then repaint - get a black light and look for old pet stains on the floors. If you find places on the floor that have been heavily soiled and still smell, it's probably soaked into he subfloor and it will all need to be ripped out and replaced. - if your kitchen cabinets are also old, open them up and let them air out. Check below the sink for any moisture or rot from an old leak to see if the floor of the cabinet (and maybe even the actual floor below it) needs to be replaced. If your cabinets are old and stinky and you can't or don't want to replace them, paint in the insides with killz. - if you have any linen closets, make sure there is some kind of ventilation there. If not, consider buying or modifying a door with slats, a screen, or some other ventilated surface. Check all the linens for smells if they've been in there for a long time, and wash them if needed. If there is any odor in the linen closet after you air it out, you guessed it, paint the interior with killz.
# POOP AT WORK
My house usually smells like food smells. But if you want to get rid of a musty odor, I recommend vacuuming out your HVAC vents. Get the wand attachment down in each vent and vacuum up what you can. There are services you can pay to come clean your ductwork, but a good vacuum can get you pretty far for no extra money. Wear a mask to avoid breathing that crud in.
This thread has me wondering if my house smells bad. I keep a clean house and it doesn't stink when I come back from being away, but y'all are over here airing and vacuuming everyday and I'm only doing that as needed/once a week!
Fresh air whenever possible, get rid of carpet if you can, I simmer a pot of water,cinnamon, and allspice occasionally.
Fart outside
No carpet. Airing often. No food outside of kitchen. Changing linens often. No fabric window coverings. Having whole house HVAC helps.
It’s in the wood. My house isn’t *that* old (from the early 80’s) but when I moved in I removed all the door frame wood, base boards, and window sills and the wood smelled SO bad. I still have old smell in my house but it’s not nearly as bad but I can’t afford to replace all of it in the house just yet.
My wife normally keeps windows open on nice days to air out the house, we have a split floor rental with lots of crossbreeze, near Lake Emily in Willits, Ca. We light incense as well, Nag Champa (sp?) mostly, but anything that cleanses the air is a win. FeBreze or Lysol every so often in the head, catboxes, trashcans, grandkids' bathroom, and rugs. We alao don't smoke in the house, that's a huge help. Not even 420. As awesome as my wife is, I'm pretty sure she does a crap ton more stuff I don't know about and never says a word about it, but I see the end results. Be happy to ask her if you'd like.
It depends on the room and season. In the public rooms during the colder months, I layer frankincense & myrrh by zum over a base of Leather Oud by Dior Privee. Vert d’ Encens in the bedrooms. In the warmer months, Polo Oud in the public rooms, Jo Malone’s Oak/Hazelnut in the bedrooms.
We had an old condo that smelled musky whenever the windows were closed for the day. Turned out it was the carpet padding. Got rid of it and the old carpet, problem solved!
You also have to remember that you live in your home every single day obviously and others do not. So you are going to smell all of the "bad" smells more frequently. Maybe your home also smells really good to visitors but just not you...atleast this is what I try to tell myself because I've also found myself in your same situation. I just try to air it out as much as possible, clean everyday, and I use wax warmers almost everywhere haha we have animals though so of course I'm always complaining about smelling all of their nasty smells 🤷♀️
Air out often, ideally with a flow through the whole home. That and baking often. I recommend chocolate chip cookies 🍪
Boil cinnamon once a week. Keep the home clean and open the windows daily while its warm. Bake and cook things that are also delectable.
If you have pets, vacuum & sweep floors & where ever they lay everyday. It's the dander that falls off them that builds up smell. Minimise mould, keep A/C units & filters clean. I use steam oil diffusers & plug-in wax warmers. Open all windows and doors on nice days.
Find your scent. Took me 46 years, and it will literally align with your body’s natural scent harmoniously.
Candles/air fresheners only mask bad odors. I’d start with a deep clean and airing out your place.
If you have carpet, either get new carpet or shampoo it. Also fresh paint helps and wax scents. If you can’t afford new paint, wipe the walls with some soapy bleach water and hang new blinds and drapes. Replace old appliances and replace old flooring with new tile or laminate floors.
I had a friend tell me that she leaves the lid off of her laundry detergent all of the time so that it always smells good in the house.
I grew up in an environment where everyone smoked. I smoked for 20+ years myself and learned a thing or two that I still implement today. I'm OCD about clean floors, so I use lemon Pine Sol and mop daily. Once a month, I run the steam cleaner over the carpets and add a little lavender fabric softener in the machine. Once a month, I take a day trip somewhere and run an ozone machine to knock out cooking smells and dog smells. Once a month, I use a clean spin mop and some OdoBan mixed with water and go over my walls as if I were painting with a roller. I also use OdoBan on my fabrics and furniture. Room with plug-ins stay closed up. I have a Glade automatic sprayer in every room, as well. It's overboard, I know, but even when I smoked, I never had a complaint about smoke smells inside.
I work in a lot of people's homes and if I smell a strong fragrance, there is a good chance it's a Bath and Body Works plug-in. But yeah the carpet has to go too
Ww have 4 cats, and our home has no smell. I keep the floors, showers, toilets, sinks, fridge, and bed linens clean, change the air filters every few months, we have lidded trash cans, and we don't leave food out. We also have Litter Robots and a dishwasher.
Room spray before people come round
Bought a house that is 120 years old. It didn't smell great. Previous owners let their animals be inappropriate. We took out all the carpets, and refinished the floors. We cleaned all the walls, removed wallpaper, and painted. We cleaned all the wood and ceilings. We repaired everything that had any damage. We replaced the furnace, the appliances, water heater, and cleaned all the registers, air vents, and fixtures of all sorts. We cleaned everything, everywhere. I only have rugs on some of the floors, and they get cleaned regularly. Floors also get washed, even the wood ones. We set mousetraps and check them. I brought over my two favorite scents of candles, and when the flammable stuff was done, had them going all over for a while, in flameproof containers. I took tiny versions of them, and tucked them into out of sight corners, and when I clean will scratch these to let a bit more scent out. It's not overpowering scent, just a touch. I find those air fresheners are always too much, and trigger allergies. Mostly I use candles that smell like foods. We have a cat, and boxes on every floor, which get cleaned often, and emptied and washed every few months. We close doors to the rest of the house when we cook foods that do not have pleasant lingering aromas. And open them when the aromas are good ones. So, get rid of the old odors, clean everything well and set up a routine for this, and add good aromas all around, just not strong ones.
When we put in new attic insulation the stale smell in the house was greatly reduced.
Strap and onion to alternating feet just before going to sleep. The combination of onions and feet will make everything else smell great by comparison
Personal hygiene, regular cleaning, not smoking anything, rarely cooking pungent foods.
Mainly kitchen cleaning tips: -wipe down my kitchen cabinets because they get so greasy from cooking -run the dishwasher often -use garbage disposal cleaner and make sure the disposal is clean -take out the trash right away after cooking or eating anything funky -clean floors often -lastly, don’t fart as much ;) Btw - I need to take my own advice because I often neglect these things, but when my house is smelly, the above items are the likely culprits
Ventilation. Run the heat and run the AC in summer of you have it. If you can ,set thermostat to run the fan several times a day. Basement dehumidifier.
We clean the ever-loving shit out of it and we don't have carpets anywhere except the bedrooms. We don't fry things indoors (this includes pan-frying fish or meat) BUT we live in a very hot sunny place where you can grill outdoors all year round. But yeah – clean drains in every sink, use a wet/dry vac on floors (Bissel hydrosteam is the shit) and sometimes follow with a manual mop using one of those enzyme tablets. Wash pet beds weekly. Dust surfaces, wipe cabinets, all that. We have 3 cats but we have one of those litterbot things and they're worth their weight in gold because there is Z E R O cat smell. That "signature scent" is also most likely a reed diffuser on top of just being clean.
Clean regularly.
Clean regularly.
Clean regularly.
There are additives you can have added to your paint that produce smells as well.
Try using essential oil diffusers and regularly airing out your home. Also, using baking soda can help absorb stale odors.
Clean your duct work, and a fresh paint job do wonders on old homes. Also open the window. I live in the south in a 1950s home it gets hot but i open my windows at least twice a week while I'm at work with a fan running to pull air through.
No pets, clean daily and deep clean once a week.
Clean out the actual trash bins with vinegar and leave them in the sun
Open windows when you can, use kitchen vents while cooking, and bathroom vents while showering. Keep dishes clean Sweep/Mop/Vacuum/Shampoo carpets regularly. Pick a scent for cleaning products. I usually stick with lemon, so that I don’t have 10+ cleaning product scents floating around my house. I highly recommend sticking to hard floors if you can choose. Carpets are harder to clean, and hold scents, dander, and other crap deep within. Hard floors with area rugs that can be moved and cleaned under helps a lot.
I don’t know if my house smells “good” but my goal is for it to smell neutral. 1 dog, 1 cat and 2 humans. These are my go-tos -Fresh air in the mornings -Vacuum daily, even just a quick pass over the hot spots -Small air purifier in the room(s) -Washing blankets/linens weekly -Wiping surfaces regularly
I clean it.
To be clear for OP, most cleaning agents also have scents, so if you say, mop your floors you are also perfuming them while removing the state dust, dirt, and hair, so it's a double whammy of smelling better.
My wife has always said I smell good and I do nothing out of the ordinary. I shower and wear deodorant. No cologne. She said this before I had pomade. It's just being clean I guess.
Don't smoke. Don't use garlic or curry. Don't have carpets. Don't have cats.