6 Tips for a Fresh-Smelling Home

2 minute read

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How to Make Your Home Smell Nice After Trying Everything
How to make your Home smell nice, after trying everything Image: Vacuumcat

Get rid of the musty smell in your house

Even with thorough cleaning, a musty smell returns the day after cleaning my home. Despite living in a mold and damp-free flat and using air filters, humidifiers, candles, charcoal, oils, lemons, good ventilation, and various cleaning products, the stale, musty scent persists. Clothes also never smell super fresh despite using drawer liners, Febreze, and homemade solutions. Sometimes, a more expensive candle can temporarily improve the smell.

I’d like to share tips to combat this issue since it’s become frustrating and feels like I’ve wasted a lot of money without any permanent solution.

Tips for making your home smell nice

  1. Stop Indoor Smoking: The consensus is that indoor smoking, even a few times a week, significantly contributes to the lingering smell, as smoke sticks to everything.

  2. Natural Cleaning Solutions: Clean walls with vinegar, using a dehumidifier, limiting candles, and mopping floors with vinegar and peppermint drops. Also, ensure drains and washing machines are clean with white vinegar and baking soda.

  3. Renovation Tips: Painting walls, asking smokers to smoke outside, and shampooing carpets can help eliminate odors trapped in materials.

  • Seal the odor source: A fresh coat of paint can act as a barrier, trapping some odor molecules within the wall itself. This can be helpful for mild odors or lingering odors from past sources that have been cleaned.
  • Improve air quality: By sealing the walls, painting can prevent dust and allergens from harboring within the paint, potentially reducing some musty smells associated with poor air quality.

  1. Check for Hidden Issues: Look for hidden leaks in the roof, attic, or foundation that might cause mold.

  2. Cleaning Products and Techniques: Avoid scent-heavy products like candles and plug-ins, as they can leave residues. Use TSP (tri-sodium phosphate) for walls and bleach-based products for cleaning. Also, cleaning your home thoroughly, including air ducts, and changing HVAC filters regularly is advised.

  3. Home Remedies: Use a “bad air sponge” for absorbing smells to ensure upholstery and textiles are clean and consider the air quality check to detect mold spores.

  • A Bad Air Sponge is a brand name for a product designed to absorb and neutralize odors in a variety of environments. It’s not actually a sponge in the traditional sense, but rather a container filled with a proprietary formula that supposedly traps odor molecules.

Use these suggestions to help eliminate the persistent musty smell in your home.