A person's noseblindness to their home is real! And just that we cannot smell the odors in our house, doesn't mean that others can't! Everyone- including us, would feel lovely to step into a fresh home: a home wherein the air feels light and there's the scent of water or green or... something beautiful...without sharp odors or clinging perfumes.
I am a core cleanliness person and don't just need guests or family to achieve a beautiful ambiance at home. I always prefer a clean house which smells good, and it makes me feel uncluttered, clear, fresh and motivated, and hence, I try to keep my home as clean and tidy as possible!
But....!
A sheer clean house and beautiful smelling environment is an ideal notion which can only be achieved in fairy tales, and we humans can only strive for it, well :)
My home is a shelter to not only me, a sweet mom and a loving dad, but my notorious younger brother, Persian cats, a huge fish tank, my neighborhood kids, my frequently visiting family members and well, the less frequent guests.
On usual days, the cats- Silver & Oreo are pestering. It is me, who obviously takes care of them and train them to do the poo in the washroom and initially, they did gave me hard time, when I was constantly behind them, noticing their moves and understanding their signals, so I could assist them in learning the better ways of living with humans. But with time, they have learnt the ways perfectly, and hence, my work has reduced since! And days when I have to clean the fish tank, well, the house becomes a haven of unpleasantness.
The fridge is one of the most important kitchen appliances that is used on a daily basis. Right from keeping foods fresh to storing vegetables and other perishables safe from spoilage, the fridge is often a store house of all kinds of food. But it is when the odors of these foods start to permeate the air within the fridge, does it give off a foul odor. This odor is not only offensive but it also indicates that organisms capable of causing spoilage are present in the fridge. The kitchen sink can also exude foul smell, with time, if small particles of food or perishables get stuck within it.
During monsoon, the stinking in the house increases as compared to that in summers and winters. Common sights like the moistness of washed clothes when put up for drying, molds, the smell of rainwater soaked socks and office bags of my brother and dad, the unwanted odors on furniture fabric, are badly annoying.
On being confronted and infuriated with these regular odors which emanates within the house, every day, due to different reasons, I wanted to find a concluding solution and make my home, close to the ideal sparkling clean house which radiates an inviting fragrance.
I had tried using incense sticks, perfumes, scented diffusers and camphor balls for eliminating the different smells in the house, but to no avail, and in fact, I felt that their fragrance mixed with the already present odors in the house and gave out a nasty smell which made me stop using them forever.
And so, after endless research and experiments, I finally found natural ways to achieve the ideal situation-
Keeping the home clean: The most important step to eliminate odors in the home is regular cleaning by taking the trash and compost out regularly, and cleaning the pet's litter box daily and not letting spoiled food sit in the fridge.
Opening the windows regularly and allowing regular air circulation in the home. Stale air can really add to the problem. If we get the air moving, we can notice a lot less odor problems!
Using baking soda in the deodorizing routine. Sprinkling some on the carpets, couches, and pet beds before vacuuming and sprinkling it into stinky shoes or work boots, nasty office bags, helps to reduce the odor.
Soaking problem items in vinegar. For items that will tolerate being soaked in a solution of vinegar and water and letting them sit for a few hours prior to washing. And sometimes, when I choose to soak them in the washing machine, I make sure to drain the water before adding the detergent, or the vinegar may cancel out its cleansing effects.
Rubbing lemon on problematic surfaces. I slice a lemon and rub it on stinky cutting boards or counter-tops, or pans that are holding a stank. I then let it sit for a bit, then wash it off, and its done! Raw lemons work as a natural deodorant!
I've considered adding some indoor plants to the household. Plants keep the air fresh in the home.
To get rid of pestering odors on furniture fabric (like cigarette smoke), I place half an apple underneath the stinker. Apples contain antioxidants that will absorb offensive odors. But, the apple must be fresh, otherwise, it may attract pests.
I have tried using these above methods to get rid of unappealing array of scents in my house and to a large extent, I have won the war! My house has now turned from #SmellytoSmiley! :)
I am blogging for #SmellyToSmiley activity at BlogAdda.com in association with Ambi Pur
