You go in your kitchen and smell some foul odor. You walk around smelling everywhere but still cannot find the origin of the smell. Has this happened to you? I know it has happened to me and it drives me crazy! We could just go buy a room spray and cover the smell and oh yeah poison the air at the same time. Or you can take the time to clean a few spots and eliminate the odor.
Clean out your refrigerator
Toss all food that has gone bad into your compost. Wash the drawer they were in with your favorite green cleaner or even better with your homemade cleaner. Wash the shelf that you usually put your milk on. No matter how hard you try not to have milk drippings, somehow they always drip. uuggg. Put a new container of baking soda. I use a canning jar with fabric held on with a rubber band so I just replace mine with new baking soda. Baking soda absorbs any odors and will need to replaced every 6 months. Use old baking soda for cleaning around the house or unclogging your drains.
Empty your garbage
Again now matter how much you try to avoid it, it some how always gets dirty. Sprinkle some baking soda (maybe from your fridge?) in the bottom of your garbage pail then put your bag back inside. I do not use trash bags (dont freak out!) because I rarely even have any trash. Yep, I recycle that much! So weekly I wash my trash can out. I can go 2 weeks sometimes without taking my trash out. I save about $5 a month just by not buying plastic trash bags. Yipee!
Burned your dinner?
If you just burned food (or recently did) turn on your hood fan. If its a nice day out, just open your windows. If you have lots of smoke grab a vinegar/water soaked towel and wave it back and forth. The smoke will catch in the towel and the vinegar will help neutralize the smell. Make sure to keep your burners free from food particles too. I would try to clean the burner's once a week.
Damp
Mold and mildew can grow easily in a kitchen that is damp. This mildew and mold smells really bad and is not healthy. If you are getting mold under your sink, fix the leak and open the cabinet until its completely dry. To wash your cabinets use vinegar and borax because it kills the mold and mildew.
Garlic and onion smells
Did you know that hot water sets the smells off? Use cold water to remove these odors. Just wash your dishes and hands in cold water and soap and it should take away any smells.
Want to freshen up your home naturally?
-Warm up a little vinegar on the stove top while you are cooking anything strong smelling. It should neutralize the odors.
-Burn an unscented candle to help dispel odors. Keep all candles out of reach of children and pets.
-Pour equal amounts of water and vinegar into a spray bottle. Simply spray this into the air in any room that needs freshening up. Vinegar smell will go away quickly along with any odors.
-Pour a little vanilla extract on a cotton ball in a saucer and set it out somewhere on your counter. This is nice for those who cannot stand strong smelling cleaners or fragrances.
-Heat cinnamon sticks, cloves, orange peels, or lemon peels in a sauce pan full of water. Do not allow to boil, just heat it.
-Grow your own clean air! Green plants are the only true air fresheners. They produce oxygen and also remove toxins and particulate matter from the air. House plants with scented leaves can make indoor air smell nice. Simply stroke your hand through the plant when you need a little refreshing. By doing this you release their fragrance into the room. I recently bought several ferns for my home just for cleaning the air in our home. Ferns need little sunlight and can be put in just about any room. They love high humidity which is perfect for the bathroom.
To learn more about how to green up your home, pick up a copy of "Green Housekeeping" by Ellen Sandbeck. Support your local bookstore or get it online at Amazon.
"The new bible on detoxing your home, from the kitchen to the septic tank."-House & garden
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