With the festivities of the holiday period well and truly over, everything should be getting back into a routine again. Isn’t it funny how we crave for the holidays, then wish we could just get everything back on track in our usual schedules? What isn’t so funny is when your house still smells of brussels sprouts this far after the holidays! If you are wondering why parts of your house just don’t smell the way they used to, check out what you can do about it here:
Pets – All pets have a natural aroma that doesn’t sit well with us. It’s possible we don’t smell that great to them either, but it’s our house and we make up the rules! Little furries in cages that have lots of hay or paper bedding are the worst culprits of odors that won’t quit. Clean them out and use antibacterial wipes on every part of their cage as often as you can. Keep their rooms ventilated. Be careful a powerfully scented room spray doesn’t upset their little noses. Best to keep them fresh and use an open window to clear out the odor.
Dogs and cats have accidents on occasion. If it’s in the carpet it may stink forever. Products like RugDoctor have been well reviewed. Little boxes and doggy beds harbor bacteria that will continue to brew nasty odors so keep cleaning them as often as possible. Your baby feline may have brought you home a present that escaped in the house and later curled up its toes in the corner. A decomposing mouse stinks! Find it, remove it and thoroughly antibac the area it was in.
Leaky pipes – If your house smells like sewer, it’s possible that is exactly what you are smelling. Pipes decompose or crack over time. If you’re lucky just the odor will escape through the tiniest of holes. If you’re not you may be needing to move out while you get the professionals in to clean up, replace floorings and plaster, then redecorate. If this happens it is serious and a biohazard. After every winter, double check your drains and downpipes.
Downpipe pic courtesy of Flickr.com
Children – Bless ‘em, but boy do they stink sometimes! Children’s bodies go through multiple changes. Some of them may be hormone induced. Your kids can get whiffy through no fault of their own, but politely asking them to change their socks or take a shower requires a lot of sensitivity. Sweaty bedding and damp towels left on the bedroom floor add to the stink factor emanating from the rooms. Watch out for old food that is starting to grow furry friends. Some smaller kids will also collect playmates from the garden who eventually should be buried rather than left in a drawer.
Cooking – If cooking smells are determined to hang around, if may be time to change your carpets for wood flooring and your fabric curtains for blinds. Choose leather instead of fabric seating too. Fabric rarely lets go of odors willingly, although there are sprays that claim they can freshen it. Always use your extractor and an open window when cooking. Shut the door to kitchen if you can to keep the odors from drifting around the house.
