Every house has a smell. “It’s a combination of the people who live there, their perfume, aftershave, the food they cook, and other things. Most of the time it’s a good smell, but sometimes, it’s really not,” says cleaning expert and best-selling author Linda Cobb, aka The Queen of Clean. What to do when your house smells bad? Read on for Cobb’s best tips:
1. General funkyness
Linda’s Air Freshener Recipe
Mix:
- 3-parts water
- 1-part cheap vodka
- 10-20 drops of essential oil such as eucalyptus, citrus, or lavender for the bedroom. (You can find essential oils at theVitamin Shoppe and your local health food store.)
2. Cigarette/cigar smoke
3. Pets
As for a smelly dog, Linda says, “Believe it or not, I’ve found the thing that works best is to take a Massengill Douche (any kind except the vinegar type or medicated), put vaseline over the eye of the bottle so it won’t spray too quickly, wet down your dog, then spray the douche on him.”
Why it works? Douches deal with protein-based smells, and your dog’s fur is made up of protein. Works like a charm.
4. Bathroom
Linda’s Air Freshener Recipe
Mix:
- 3-parts water
- 1-part cheap vodka
- 10-20 drops of essential oil such as eucalyptus, citrus, or lavender. (You can find essential oils at the Vitamin Shoppe and your local health food store.
Or try this other recipe she swears by:
- Combine 2 cups of water
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- 10 drops of essential oil
Mix and put into a spray bottle to leave in the bathroom.
5. Disposal
As for keeping your disposal smell-free, Cobb suggests putting some ice in the disposal and grinding it, then sprinkling Borax down the disposal, running water, and grinding it. The other thing you can do, says Cobb, “Put the stopper in the sink and add three inches of warm water. Then mix in a handful of baking soda.Turn on the disposal and pull out the stopper right away (so you don’t harm the disposal). This creates suction, and pulls the baking soda mixture down the disposal and cleans it.”
6. Garbage Can
7. Sweat
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