Cigarette smoke, pet odor, lingering smell of food you cooked, bathroom stink, and mildew are just some of the most typical smells that can be challenging to get rid around the house. Sure you can clean and scrub surfaces but some foul scents often linger even after thorough cleaning. In cases like this, people often grab a can of air freshener in attempt to not just eliminate the smell but to also make the house smell good. However, frequent use and exposure to this could actually be harmful to your health.
Using air fresheners doesn’t eliminate the foul odor, what it does is overpower that smell. So the bad smell is still there but it’s simply being masked by the air freshener. The problem is that the scent that air freshener produces, though pleasant, can be dangerous to your health because they’re made up of chemical compounds. Most air freshener contain Volatile Organic Compound (VOC), benzene, formaldehyde, aerosol propellants, and allergens which can not only cause headaches and nausea but is also bad for those suffering from asthma. Moreover, another hazardous chemical that’s been found in most air freshener is phthalates which is not good for pregnant women or those trying to conceive because this chemical have been linked to birth defects, hormonal changes, and even poor semen quality.
So are we just gonna live with unpleasant smell because air fresheners are bad? Of course not! We’ve found other ways to deal with that without compromising your health! Dig in and learn other ways to tackle household odors!
Place Used Fabric Softener Sheets In Storage Areas
Cabinets, cupboards, linen closet and even car interiors often have that ‘stored’ smell that isn’t necessarily bad but not good either. If you’re one of the people who is bothered by that, you can put used fabric softener sheets in those places. This way you’d be welcomed by a scented aroma whenever you open the doors to these areas.
Baking Soda Or Coffee Beans For Pet Odors
On the other hand, if you’re not interested in air fresheners and you simply wanna get rid of the awful pet smell, you can use coffee beans or baking soda. They may not make the area smell flowery or fruity or those kind of smell that store bought air freshener produces, but they absorb bad scent. You just have to place coffee beans in a mesh covered jar or a can half filled with baking soda in pet areas and that will do the trick.
A Better Toilet Helps With The Lingering Smell When Someone Went Number 2
If there’s anything worse than pee smell, that’s poo smell. It stinks which is why it’s so important to flush really well to make sure everything’s been washed out. The thing is, sometimes regular toilets with flush don’t do that well. For that, it’s probably a good idea to consider opting for TOTO Tornado Flush toilet that allows you to flush both the rim and bowl in an innovative way where it project three powerful jets of water from inside the bowl so you won’t have to flush twice and clean manually. If you’re still worried about the smell especially when you have visitors coming over or you really just wanna be thorough, burning one or two match sticks eliminates the smell, trust me.
Vinegar And Baking Powder
These two ingredients are popular as all-purpose household cleaning agent. Not only because they’re combination can be tough on stains and grime, but also because they help deodorize the area that you clean using them. Just mix 1/3 cup of baking soda with 1/3 cup of vinegar. You’ll see that it will fizz as soon as you mix them together, so pour the mixture down the sink or any other area that needs some deep cleaning to not lose the fizzing action. This is because the fizzing is the one that breaks down the build up dirt and gunk. Leave that for an hour or overnight if you have time and flush with hot water.
Charcoal Air Purifier
There’s a reason why people put charcoal in their refrigerators or anywhere in the house that smells bad. Because charcoal absorbs odor! So instead of risking your health using typical air freshener, why not opt for charcoal air purifier? This works well because, this purifying bag contains activated charcoal that absorbs excess moisture to avoid the mold and bacteria which creates that mildew smell that we all hate.
New Tiles
Did you know that there are certain tiles that help maintain cleanliness, sanitation and even eliminate smell in the bathroom? Fullsun’s Hydrotect Tiles are self-cleaning because hydrotect is hydrophilic which means it forms a film of water on the tiles itself that helps easily remove dirt and grime once the water from the shower hits the tiles. Aside from that it also has anti-bacterial feature that kills bacteria when they come in contact with the tiles. But more importantly, Hydrotect Tiles helps you get rid of foul smell because when exposed to sunlight, the material reacts in a way that activated oxygen forms on the surface. As a result, pollutant that comes in contact with the active oxygen formed on the surface of the tiles turns into harmless materials which purifies the air. So, after using the bathroom, you may want to open the windows to let sunlight in.