How To Get Rid Of Bad Smell In House

No matter how many times you mop, scrub, and clean, the stenches of everyday life are inevitable. As long as you cook, play, and well, live, they'll be there. With the right products — both natural remedies and Good Housekeeping Institute favorites — you can banish questionable smells for good. Follow this guide by Carolyn Forte, director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab, to get rid of kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, and living room odors once and for all.

How to Get Rid of Kitchen Odors

Kitchen - How to Get Rid of Odor in House

Gridley + Graves Photographers

Trash

Sometimes it's not the actual trash that smells – it's the trash can itself. Clean it by sprinkling in baking soda or using a deodorizing pack or pod, like Fresh Wave, under the can's liner or adhered inside the lid. Then spray it with a disinfecting spray, like Lysol, to kill bacteria.

Refrigerator

Nothing beats the aroma of a freshly cooked dinner ... unless it's mixed with the one from the night before's. Absorb odors by storing an open box of baking soda in the fridge and freezer. Double-wrap pungent foods (think: stinky cheese!) and store leftovers in containers with secure lids.

Dishwasher

How often do you clean your dishwasher? Yeah, we thought so. One a month, use a dishwasher cleaning tablet, such as Good Housekeeping Seal Star Cascade. Unless you're one of those families that runs their dishwasher daily, always rinse dirty dishes before placing in the dishwasher to prevent food from sticking and smelling.

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Microwave

You cook basically everything in your microwave — soups, leftovers, you name it — which means there are a million smells circulating in a very confined space. Get rid of lingering smells by boiling one quart of water with lemon slices for several minutes. Be sure to wipe out any stuck-on bits of food and leave the door open so that your clean microwave can air out.

Cutting Boards

Obviously, sanitizing cutting boards is a no-brainer but even that doesn't always keep strong onion and garlic smells at bay. To freshen up, stick plastic cutting boards in the dishwasher. For wood cutting boards, scrub them with a lemon half dipped in salt.

How to Get Rid of Bathroom Odors

Bathroom - How to Get Rid of Odor in House

Alec Hemer

Toilet

Here's our rule of thumb for toilets: Clean them with toilet bowl cleaner before they start to look dirty. To combat smells and stains for up to one week, use Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Cleaning Gel. After cleaning, pour 1/2 cup bleach into the water. If smells are your main concern (hey, it happens!), spritz Good Housekeeping Seal Star Poo-Pourri before you go to the bathroom to mask odor.

How to Get Rid of Bedroom Odors

Kat Teutsch

Mattress

After a few years (albeit months), your mattress may start to smell musty. Give your bed a refresh by sprinkling baking soda on the mattress, letting it sit, and then vacuuming it up. For a quick fix, spray soft surfaces with Good Housekeeping Seal Star Febreze Fabric.

Closet

Whatever you do, don't close your closet door. Closing the door traps all the moisture — and smells — in the small space. Closet dehumidifiers, like airBoss or DampRid, absorb moisture from air and prevent clothes from feeling damp (and smelling bad).

How to Get Rid of Living Room Odors

Living Room - How to Get Rid of Odor in House

Mike Garten

Carpet

Unlike hardwood floors, plush carpets absorb smells like no other. Sprinkle baking soda all over the carpet to remove odors. Let sit (while you lounge on the couch and watch a movie) and then vacuum.

Pet Beds

The same goes for pets: Sprinkle pet bedding with baking soda, let sit, and vacuum. Or if that's not doing the trick, use Resolve Carpet Cleaner Moist Powder.

Stock Your Cleaning Closet With These Tried-and-Tested Odor Removers

Affresh Dishwasher Cleaner

amazon.com

Fresh Wave Odor Removing Packs

amazon.com

Resolve Pet Carpet Cleaner Powder

amazon.com

airBOSS Closet Dehumidifier

amazon.com

Scrubbing Bubbles Fresh Gel

target.com

Febreze Air Freshener

amazon.com

Affresh Disposal Cleaner

amazon.com

Poo-Pourri Before-You-Go Toilet Spray

amazon.com

Amanda Garrity Associate Lifestyle Editor As the Associate Lifestyle Editor for GoodHousekeeping.com, Amanda oversees gift guides and covers home, holidays, food, and other lifestyle news.

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