We've all been there – you walk into your home and notice an unpleasant smell that just won't go away. Whether it's lingering cooking odors, musty basement smells, or mysterious scents you can't quite identify, household odors can make your home feel less welcoming and comfortable.
At ServiceMaster of Kalamazoo, we specialize in professional odor removal for serious smell problems, but we also believe in empowering homeowners with natural solutions for everyday odor issues. Before calling in the professionals with industrial-grade equipment, try these simple, natural methods using items you probably already have in your kitchen. These eco-friendly approaches can be surprisingly effective for common household odors and are safe for families and pets.
Here is how to get rid of the musty smell in your house naturally without resorting to chemical air fresheners. Make use of what you have on hand in the kitchen, such as fruits and white vinegar. Here are some tips to eliminate unpleasant odors in the kitchen naturally.
1. Use Citrus Fruits
Boil some lemon and orange peel in a little water. You might add a few stalks of lemongrass and some fresh ginger for an exotic natural aroma. And don't throw away your halved lemons and oranges after juicing. Put them down the garbage disposal for instant freshening.
2. Use Essential Oils
The essential oils of peppermint and eucalyptus can be used on cotton wool balls and tucked into the corners of the kitchen to freshen up the environment. You might also want to use a diffuser or just boil up some water on the stove with a few drops of each oil. Make sure you use an old pan for this which you reserve for this purpose only and not for cooking. Experiment with your favorite fragrances and you might come up with some great combinations. You can make a natural air freshener by adding five drops of essential oil to half a cup of water and placing it in a spray bottle.
3. Use White Vinegar Creatively
White vinegar has many uses.
Place a bowl of water with white vinegar on the kitchen counter to absorb odors after cooking fish. You might also try adding some vanilla flavoring to the bowl.
Make an effective odor-combating scrub in a small dish. Add 2 tablespoons of baking soda to 3 tablespoons white vinegar and (if you want) a few drops of lemon essential oil. Steam and grease will often be deposited on the walls and tiles of the kitchen so wash down the walls with this fragrant paste. (Make sure to test spot a wall to make sure no color changes happen)
Place small bowls of vinegar in spots around your house where persistent odors linger. For example, the shoe rack area smells, so try and hide a bowl of vinegar up high, but not enclosed–unless your smell is coming from a cupboard. However, if you can smell the vinegar bowls–the bowl either needs to be up higher, less vinegar, or more hidden. I recommend 1 cup of vinegar per bowl.
It seems everyone is coming up with natural methods of removing unwanted odors from your household. You can create fragrant natural odor removers for your home without resorting to artificial fragrances. A good smelling home comes with a little creativity and the use of fruits, essential oils, and other natural household items you might have on hand.
When Natural Methods Aren't Enough – Call the Odor Elimination Experts
While these natural solutions work great for everyday household odors, some smell problems require professional intervention. If you're dealing with persistent odors from smoke damage, water damage, mold, pet accidents, or other serious sources, ServiceMaster of Kalamazoo has the advanced equipment and technology to eliminate even the most stubborn smells. Our professional odor removal methods go beyond masking odors – we identify and eliminate the source using specialized techniques like thermal fogging, ozone treatment, and hydroxyl generators. Don't let persistent odors make your home uncomfortable or potentially affect your health. Contact ServiceMaster of Kalamazoo for professional odor removal services that will make your musty house odors disappear for good.
