Keeping your home smelling fresh
Baking soda, vinegar, and lemon juice will help rid your home of most unpleasant odors. The best way to keep a house smelling fresh, however, is to keep it clean. Air rooms, closets, and drawers regularly. Use disinfectants such as chlorine bleach to prevent mildew and garbage smell.
In the kitchen, open a window after cooking; wipe up spills promptly. To get rid of strong cooking odors, place a pan of white vinegar on the stove and let it simmer. Remove fish, garlic, and onion odors by washing utensils, pans, cutting boards, and even your hands in lemon juice. Use a solution of baking soda and water to freshen a thermos and to deodorize inside the refrigerator and the garbage compactor. Grind lemon or orange peel in the garbage disposal to clear it of odors.
Bathroom odors
To rid a bathroom of odors, light a match, candle, or bit of string and let it burn for a few seconds. Then put it out and leave it in a dish in the bathroom for 5 minutes or so.
Superdeodorizers
If strong odors persist, use a concentrated deodorizer that destroys smells instead of covering them up. These deodorizers- available in hardware stores, pet stores, and many variety stores-come in tiny bottles and are used a drop at a time. Use them sparingly; if you can smell the deodorant, you have used too much.
Caution: Do not use superdeodorants on pets. Keep them away from your eyes and mouth and out of children’s reach. Follow manufacturer’s directions carefully.