Natural Ways to Air Out Your Home

Your home should be a peaceful refuge, a place where you come to unwind and relax. But if you have unpleasant smells in your home, it can be the last place you want to spend time. Whether you have odors in your kitchen from burned or rotting food, old musty smells or the aromas that seem to surround pets and active kids, there are natural ways you can air out your home and get rid of odors that linger there. Air fresheners not only give off an artificial smell, they only mask the problem. Instead, it's important to treat the problem at the source. Below are some tips on how to get rid of smells in your house without using harsh chemicals or other foreign substances so you have a home you can be proud of.

Windows
One of the best ways to air out your house is by simply opening up the windows. Letting air circulate for even ten or fifteen minutes a day helps to improve the air quality and neutralize odors. And when you open up windows on opposite sides of a room, it creates a small wind tunnel, circulating the air naturally. Even in very hot or cold months, crack some windows for a few minutes during the mildest part of the day to let some fresh air in.

Fans
Fans boost air flow by forcing it in a certain direction and by keeping it moving. For strong odors such as burnt food or cigarette smoke, window fans which blow the air outside help by sucking up the odors and sending them out of the house. Even a regular house fan pointed out the window will help. Attic fans can also be helpful at circulating the air in the home and providing additional ventilation. And ceiling fans will help keep the air moving, especially when it's too hot or cold to have the windows open. This prevents odors from lingering and instead helps the air circulate, keeping it fresher.

White Vinegar
White vinegar is an excellent natural cleaner, as it neutralizes odors without the use of harsh chemicals. If you have pet odors such as urine, cleaning them with white vinegar will get rid of the germs and the smell. If we forget to take the kitchen trash out before going away for a few days, white vinegar helps to get rid of the rotten garbage that inevitably permeates the kitchen. Simply scrub the inside with vinegar, rinse with water and dry. And if you burn food in the microwave (my son once tried to make popcorn with the plastic wrapper still on the bag), simply boil a bowl of white vinegar in the microwave and then let it sit inside for an hour or two with the door shut. The vinegar steam will cling to the inside of the oven as well as the insides of the vents and get rid of the burnt food smell, leaving you with a clean, fresh microwave. Even throwing some white vinegar in with your laundry detergent will take care of strong odors that cling to sports uniforms and old socks.

Baking Soda
Baking soda is another way to get rid of odors in your home. It's always a great idea to keep an open box in both the fridge and freezer to tone down any strong food smells, but other areas benefit as well. Keep open boxes under your sinks to take care of any musty, damp smells that may linger there. And for strong pet smells that get into your carpets and upholstery, simply sprinkle baking soda on these areas, let sit for a few minutes and then vacuum it away. And for stubborn smells on surfaces, make a paste with baking soda and either vinegar or water, scrub on the spot, let sit and rinse. This will clean, brighten and remove unpleasant smells.

House Plants
House plants improve the air quality of your home by producing extra oxygen and taking out the carbon dioxide. They are nature's way of circulating air, so they can help keep any old or musty smells out of the air in your home. Since plants are always "breathing," they can help inside air from becoming too stagnant.

Herbs
Many herbs have a lovely smell that is quite strong when freshly picked and more subtle when dried. Either way, they act as a natural air freshener for your home, imparting a pleasant aroma, which can counteract smells in your house. Try freshly snipped basil, dill, mint or rosemary in a vase of water, alone or mixed with flowers. Or dry bouquets of lavender to infuse your house with a subtle scent. Once the lavender is dry, wrap the blossoms in cheesecloth to make sachets and place them in your drawers. Lavender naturally repels moths, so not only will it keep your laundry smelling fresh, it will protect it from pests as well. You can even grow fresh herbs on a sunny windowsill indoors to get the full benefits they have to offer.

Even though your home may have odors, that doesn't mean you have to live with them. By using the above tips, you can have a pleasant-smelling home, full of fresh air, without using chemicals or anything artificial. So not only will your house smell clean, it will be safe for everyone to live in, which is the most important thing of all.