Over 15 Natural Remedies for Bad Odors in the Home
What’s that smell? There are many ways to mask bad odors in your home, but how do you truly eliminate them? Here’s how to get rid of bad household smells once and for all!
Why Can We Smell?
Neuroscientists say humans can distinguish 10,000 scents, though we don’t have names for many of them.
Our sense of smell—the olfactory sense—brings depth and emotional richness to daily life. Think about the feelings and memories that flow when you catch a whiff of fresh-cut grass or lilacs in bloom, bury your face in a sun-dried bed sheet just off the line, or enter the kitchen just as a cinnamon-rich apple pie emerges from the oven.
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Our olfactory system also alerts us to potential dangers: spoiled food, rot and decay, and harmful molds. Most American homes contain a variety of sprays, plug-ins, stick-ons, scented candles, and other products designed to mask or remove foul odors. However, many people suffer allergic reactions to the fragrances in some of these products, and some air fresheners even contain toxins.
Yet a few inexpensive household essentials you probably have on hand already—vinegar, salt, coffee, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide—will neutralize most noxious odors around your home and in your vehicles.
How to Get Rid of Bad Smells in the Home
Freshen Stale, Smelly Air:
- To perfume the air indoors naturally, cut a lemon in half and set the cut halves in an inconspicuous place.
- Rub a bit of vanilla on a light bulb, and the bulb’s warmth will scent the air.
- During periods of nice weather, just open the windows! Let fresh air blow through and push out bad smells.
Neutralize Odors in the Kitchen and Bathroom:
- Most folks know that keeping an open box of plain baking soda in the refrigerator will neutralize bad odors. Sprinkle some into the bottom of the trash can and into the trash bag itself for similar results.
- Half a cup of baking soda in two quarts of water and a soft cloth or brush also work well for cleaning the fridge, as well as scrubbing down and freshening the tub, tiles, sinks, drains, trash cans, and toilet bowls. For stronger disinfecting properties, scrub with a strong vinegar solution.
- Fresh or leftover coffee grounds will also absorb unpleasant odors in a fridge, microwave, or cupboard.
- Boil two parts water with one part vinegar in a microwave-safe container to remove bad smells from your microwave. The vinegar smell itself dissipates quickly.
- Add half a cup of vinegar to a quart of water and allow to simmer on the stove for a few minutes. This will remove the smell of burnt food and many other odors from your kitchen (and burned-on food from your stainless steel pots).
- Soak a piece of stale bread in vinegar and set it overnight in a lunchbox or wastebasket to remove built-up food odors.
- Grind leftover citrus rinds in your garbage disposal to sweeten it. Or dump half a cup of salt down the drain and turn on the disposal. This loosens caked-on food and helps neutralize odor.
Get Rid of Smells in Fabrics and Carpets:
- You can get most smells out of carpets, rugs, and upholstery (including vehicle interiors) by sprinkling liberally with baking soda. Leave the baking soda in place for several hours, then vacuum or shake it out.
- Urine or vomit on carpets and upholstery can be trickier to remove. If you can get at it immediately, blot first with a towel, then spray the area with a 3-part cold water/1-part vinegar solution and blot (but don’t rub). Repeat several times, if needed, until the smell disappears. The vinegar odor will dissipate in a few hours.
- Coffee grounds will sweeten the air inside your car or its trunk. For use in the car, place the grounds in a covered plastic container with holes punched in the lid.
- Old-timers swear by this method for removing set-in odors and stains from carpets and upholstery. It works especially well on pet urine and skunk smells. You might want to test for color-fastness by soaking a small, inconspicuous area with the solution and leaving it for 24 hours before you treat the area with the stain.
- Put on a pair of rubber or latex gloves.
- Gently mix a quart of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide, a quarter-cup of baking soda, and a teaspoon of liquid dish soap in a plastic container. Don’t mix far in advance or store in a closed container.
- Pour or spray the solution directly onto affected areas and allow to sit for 24 hours before blotting excess liquid. Allow to air dry.
How to Clean Up a Skunked Pet
- Veterinarians also recommend the above recipe for bathing a pet that’s been skunked. After making the solution, massage it into the animal’s fur, then let it sit for 5–10 minutes. Rinse with warm water.
- See more home remedies for pets!
Dealing With Mold and Mildew
- If you suspect a mold problem in your home, don’t rely on simply scrubbing down the area with bleach or masking the odor with air fresheners. may require professional removal services. Beyond their unpleasant odors, molds and mildews can present special indoor health hazards beyond the scope of this post to describe. Some people are sensitive to certain kinds of indoor molds.
Need more advice? Here’s how to get rid of body odor and home remedies for pets.
Did we miss any of your favorite tried-and-true solutions? Let us know in the comments!
Margaret Boyles
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My kitchen does not have an exhaust fan. In order to rid the smell of any cooking or baking odors, I keep a two-quart pan one-half full of water on a low flame, in which I add cloves or nutmeg or cinnamon. Keeps the entire kitchen, and part of the house, smelling just like Thanksgiving or Christmas. The spices will need replacing at times. I pour the used water down the kitchen sink drain and turn on the disposal - works great to give it a good smell, too.
Fragrance from flowers such as tuberose and snapdragons is a migraine trigger for me. Any thoughts about how to eliminate it after cutting the flowers and putting in a vase? Would closing them up in a room with something like baking soda do it?
Help. My husband left wet pressure treated wood in our mini van for several days. It is a month later and the smell has not dissipated. It smells toxic. Any advice? I feel like I cannot drive that vehicle any longer.
Unfortunately, the smelly particles are likely embedded in the fabric of the car’s interior. You may need to get the interior deep cleaned by a professional service to truly get rid of the smell. Alternatively, you could try using odor eaters to absorb the smell or, as a last resort, mask the smell with an air freshener that attaches to your A.C. vent. In any case, we wish you luck!
Freezer failed and all food spoiled. Ended up with liquid at least 4-6 inches deep and all food just a soggy mess. SOUR oder after I cleaned it all out. Washed it down with baking soda, and have since trice black pepper, baking soda, newspaper, and it still smells awful. Any suggestions?
tnx,ca
I have the same issue and would love to find a solution. At present, there is a open bag of charcoal sitting in the freezer.
This is a great tip! Thanks for sharing!
This is the worst. My husband went crabbing and cleaned the crabs and left the shells and insides in my trash can in the garage. Now I have put it outside but it is stinking the whole neighborhood and my trash pickup is not until 5 days away. HELP...….
I know it's been a year or so, but for what it's worth:
There's not really much you can do, (I know if I put one little lobster tail shell in the trash, you can smell it down the street!).... Double or triple bag the plastic bag of trash and just wait - if it's outside and smells, well, it IS out in the great outdoors where bad smells are all over, just live with it till trash day......Or if really desperate (and you didn't hear this from me) - sneak it into an apartment house dumpster, usually there's one for the residents to toss their bags trash..... If I have a small amount of something awful (garlic, onions, seafood shells, an old piece of chicken) I will store it in a bag in the refrigerator or freezer till trash pickup. (this requires pre-planning) . and if worst comes to worst, I will smuggle a bag (if not too big, I'm talking a grocery store size plastic bag) and stick it in the big trash cans you can find in some big box parking lots/front of a grocery store/gas station near the pumps. Yes, there are video cameras and signs and it's not legal and if you're caught, there is heck to pay, but I would think a little bag of something, if you are desperate, might be worth the risk. (Though I bought the stuff at the grocery store, I'm just returning some of my purchase, lol.)
