Everyone has odors and strange smells floating around their homes from time to time. Everything from diaper pails, to smelly shoes, and bathroom odors to pet odors, they all cause smells that aren’t so pleasant. With all the air fresheners, scented candles, sprays and other products available, a person could go broke trying to reduce or eliminate odors throughout the home.
However there are some ways you can use everyday household items and other inexpensive products to reduce or eliminate those odors. It does not have to break the bank.
Baking Soda
This is the number one product for odor elimination. Baking soda reduces and eliminates all sorts of smells anywhere in your home, and it is a very inexpensive product to purchase. In fact, we always have it on hand. Pour some in a bowl, cup or other container and place it near where the odors linger. Such as closets, refrigerators, bathrooms, etc. You can also sprinkle it in the bottom of litter boxes, in diaper pails, inside smelly shoes, and other locations where the odor is contained to a small area. The powder absorbs the odor and you can dump the powder and do it again. For more great uses for Baking Soda, check out More Amazing Uses for Baking Soda or Still More Amazing Uses For Baking Soda.
Fabric Softener Sheets
These can be purchased very inexpensively at a discount chain, or even at the dollar store. You do not have to have a name brand to have nice smelling fabric softener sheets. You can purchase the generic ones, and use them just as well. Place fabric softener sheets around just as you would with the baking soda. In shoes, drawers, closets, bathrooms, backpacks, suitcases, or anywhere else that you need a fresh scent. Looking for more great uses for fabric softener sheets? Check out Five Uses For Dryer Sheets, plus one.
Spice Sachet
One of my favorite ideas, because you can create your own scent, is to use household spices to create a sachet. Take a pair of nylon such as an old pair of panty hose and cut off the feet (or you can use a coffee filter which is my preferred method and tie a string around it). Using the feet of the nylon hose, fill with cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, ginger and other spices that you find pleasant. You can also take a piece of bread, cut it into small squares (you can get about nine squares from one piece of bread). Allow the bread squares to dry completely. After they have dried (a day or two sitting out) – add some drops of almond extract, vanilla extract, peppermint extract or whatever delicious scent you love and have on hand and place the bread into a nylon stocking. Tie the top and place in a drawer, hang from a hanger in the closet, or even place non conspicuously on your kitchen table in a centerpiece. The smell will last for about a week, depending on the temperature. You can either add more drops at the end of the time, or you can start all over again. You can also do this the same way you would if you were making your own pot-pourri.
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