Housekeeping Tips: How to Have a Pleasant Smelling Home

Have you ever walked into a house and been greeted by a rather noxious aroma? I don't mean the kind of temporary smell associated with a pungent meal. I mean the kind of unwelcoming stench that lingers long after windows have been opened and air freshener has been sprayed. It's that memorable odor that causes one to politely decline invitations to a good friend's home. It's the household reek that will end the resident's romantic escapades before they begin.

Worried the stinky house I've just described might be yours? If so here are a few tips to make sure your home is a clean-smelling, welcoming retreat you can proudly entertain your guests in.

Tip one: Don't smoke

Sorry. I know it might not be that simple for you, but for the sake of this article please acknowledge that smoke doesn't just get into your lungs. It gets into your carpet, your drapes, your upholstery, your walls-everything! Houses and cars that have been owned by smokers have a lower resale value than their smoke-free equivalents for this very reason. And removing that ashtray aroma is no easy task. The only way I personally know how to do it is floor to ceiling redecoration (a fairly expensive proposition). So let's add good hosting etiquette to your list of reasons to quit-right along with lung cancer and emphysema.

Tip two: Clean up after your pets

Pets of all shapes and sizes may make delightful companions, but they are also huge contributors to indoor funk. Cleaning up after your pet doesn't just mean tending to the big accidents left under the dining room table. Regular attention must be paid to where he sleeps, where he east, and for goodness sake where he eliminate! Kitty litter and critter cages should be emptied daily. And keep in mind that little pets can make big impressions. Even one lonely goldfish can overwhelm the olfactory senses if his hygiene is neglected.

Tip three: Take out the trash

Even the most fervent reducer, re-user and recycler is going to generate a measure of waste. That waste can be the source of some particularly nasty household emissions. At the end of the each day make sure to deposit your trash in the appropriate outdoor receptacle. While the trash cans (or recycling bins) are empty, make sure disinfectant them to eliminate any odor causing germs that have been left behind.

Tip four: Vacuum

Carpeting is soft, warm and pretty, but it is also harder to keep clean than hard surfaces such as wood or vinyl. The more often you vacuum the less filth is going to have time to build up and get ground down into the carpet fibers. While daily vacuuming is ideal, a weekly once-over in every room of the house should be considered bare minimum.

Tip five: Do the dishes

Few things in the kitchen are less appetizing than a sink full of stinky, filthy dishes. Worse yet, rotting food scraps attract pests like houseflies and mice. Banish the odors, insects, and rodents by rinsing your dishes and loading them into the dishwasher as soon as you are done using them. And while you're standing there at the sink clean out the drain by running a lemon peel though the garbage disposal.

Tip six: Ventilate

A stuffy house is a stinky house. Weather permitting open as many windows and doors as you can to let the cross currents of fresh air create a soothing, outdoorsy atmosphere within your home. However, if the climate is prohibitive you can achieve air circulation by using ceiling, exhaust, and/or portable fans.

Tip seven: Use deodorizers liberally

There are oodles of products on the market designed to trap and eliminate odors with limited hassle. The least expensive option is that age-old standby, baking soda. Baking soda can be sprinkled on carpet prior to vacuuming, added to the laundry or stuck in the fridge to absorb unwanted odors. Other deodorizing products include Febreze spray-which can be spritzed on bed sheets, upholstery, and carpets-and Fresh Wave deodorizing beads-which can be conveniently hidden under kitchen sinks, behind toilets and in garages or basements.

Tip eight: Fragrance

Once you have eliminated the bad odors you'll want to replace them with a more pleasant scent. Aerosol air fresheners can be overwhelming and leave behind chemically aftertaste. Fresh flowers, quality potpourri, or essential oils are all be used to fragrance your home. Scented candles are another good option to gently saturate a room with a gentle perfume.

As you might have noticed, the key to having a clean-smelling home is to in fact have a clean home. Air fresheners and deodorizers can only do so much to cover up foul odors caused by bacteria, mold, mildew and other filthy microbes. Step one in banishing stink is to banish the source of the stink. Once that has been done you can concentrate on adding a light perfume to the atmosphere in your home.