How To Get Rid Of Household And Pet Odors

I have a busy household. Three kids, a husband, and two cats. Our house is a small three bedroom home with wall to wall carpets. I enjoy cooking and sometimes our trash can becomes so overloaded that I have to empty it daily. I know a thing or two about getting rid of household odors. It's lterally on my daily " to do list".

When I first got married, I didn't understand how small odors could sneak into fabrics and carpet. Something as minor as a banana peel could stink up the entire house. Even worst, those dreaded gnats will start to show up and will have the hardest time getting rid of them. Odors are vicious if not treated right away.

Some common places that household odors can be found are in kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms and basements. It can come from garbage, pets, dirty laundry and spills.

The most common offenders in kitchens are sinks and trash cans. This can be taken care of easily by keeping the sink free of dishes and investing in a trash can with a tight lid. Taking out the trash daily will help too. Here are a list of ways to keep your kitchen odor free.

• Run hot water down the drain after washing dishes. Follow up with bleach for really strong odors.
• Cover the bottom of trash cans with baking soda to eliminate odors.
• Mop floors often to clean up spills that may leave behind odors.

If you have little boys, then you know how easy it is to have a smelly bathroom. Odors from urine and toilets can be very strong. It's improtant to have a daily plan in the bathroom to prevent smelly odors.

Another common odor found in bathrooms, come from dirty clothes. Especially, if this is where you store your dirty laundry basket. Below are a few ways that you can prevent bathroom odors from getting out of control without having to clean the entire bathroom daily.

• Use antibacterial wipes. Odors come from bacteria. Eliminating oder causing bateria will leave your bathroom odor free.
• Wash bathroom rugs weekly.
• Mop the floor weekly
• Place candles or potpourri to freshen up this small space.
• Never leave wet clothes, rags, or towels out. They will mildew and cause a nasty stench. 

I have two cats, and people are always shocked to see that I have pets. There's no other way to describe the odors that these cute fur balls leave behind.

Finding the right kitty litter and having a great carpet freshener will leave your house smelling clean at all times. Here are a few steps to keep pet odors from stinking up your house.

• Find a kitty litter that clumps and leaves behind a fresh scent, like Fresh Step.
• Empty waste into a outside trash can daily.
• Use a carpet freshener like arm-n-hammer. They have one just for pets too!

After you've cleaned and eliminated odors, freshen up your house with a lovely scented candle, or potpourri. There is something so amazing about how much the scent of a home can put you at ease.

Every holiday season, my home smells like cinnamon sticks, and apple pie. I run out to my local arts and craft store and stock up on holiday cinnamon sticks and apple pie scented candles. These aromas make the house cozy during holiday season.

In warmer weather, my home always smells like clean laudry. I'm quite partal to fresh linen candles and the fresh scent of Gain in my house. I wash one load of laundry ( I love doing laundry ) a day and I love lighting candles just as much.

If you have some tips on how to get rid of household odors please leave them below in a comment!