Life
Face it: Unfortunately, there are smells that linger at home when you're living in it (from cooking and working out to dirty laundry and poor ventilation), but that doesn't mean you have to live without knowing how to eliminate odors at home. I took to the internet to find out what to do about bad smells, and I went to Reddit to dive deep for answers that worked for real people. After all, when you take the time to find the right odor eliminators for your space, it means that you're not just masking unpleasant scents — you're actually getting rid of them.
It's possible to keep disgusting smells from hanging around, and maybe all you need are a few weird but genius odor eliminators for your home that Reddit users swear by.
I actually just spent the weekend at my friend's apartment, and while his room smelled wonderful, the rest of his apartment smelled like the trash hadn't been taken out in the four months he's been living there (even though it had been). Lingering odors are a real issue, and now instead of testing out every product you can find, you can rely on the helpful insight of Reddit users to find odor eliminating products that actually work. Your kitchen, car, dorm room, bedroom, and general living space will start smelling fresh in no time.
1Charcoal Air Purifier Bags To Neutralize Odors
Bamboo Activated Charcoal Air Freshener and Purifier Bags (Five Pack), $25, Amazon
Reddit user Browtines says, "Charcoal naturally absorbs odors and other particles in the air... It's very, very porous, so it traps molecules and holds them (I think). But, I'm not a scientist!" Place these charcoal bags in your car, in your fridge, around your home (basically anywhere that smells), and you'll begin to notice odors disappear from the air. You can use these for up to two years, simply leave them outside in the sun once a month for an hour to "refresh" and you're good to go.
2Odor Neutralizing Gel Beads
Smells Begone Odor Neutralizing Gel Beads, $9, Amazon
These odor neutralizing beads are a great way to get rid of bad smells in a pretty way. You can place this out in the open and not worry about having something ugly cluttering your counter. The beads come in scents like 'Apple Cinnamon,' 'Calming Rain,' 'Fresh Cotton,' and 'Lavender Vanilla.' One reddit user says that it's the only air freshener that's ever actually eliminated the odors in their room.
3An Ozone Air Purifier To Get Rid Of Smells In Your Car
Ozone Power OP5000 Commercial Air Ozone Generator & Air Purifier, $90, Amazon
Did you just buy a used car? Or did someone borrow your car and smoke in it when you asked them not to? Or maybe you were eating on the go and dropped food, and now your car has a bad scent in it. Whatever it is, an Ozone machine will actually remove those odors from the air. Reddit user Lizardlike said, "Ozone itself attaches to most volatile compounds (organic stuff, most things that cause smells) and breaks them down by oxidation. It doesn't last more than a day on its own generally, so as long as you air it out, it's safe." So make sure you air out your car before driving for hours in it after using the Ozone purifier. (You can also use this in your home, too)!
4A Solid Baking Soda Based Air Freshener To Remove Odors And Leave Your Room Smelling Fresh
Citrus Magic Odor Absorbing Solid Air Freshener (Six Pack), $25, Amazon
If you have small areas that seem to trap odors like closets, bathrooms, refrigerators, basements, cars, and pet areas, you should find a solid air freshener. Adamcolter80 has had great results using a baking soda based, cake style air freshener to absorb odors. The air will be left smelling wonderfully, and odors will be gone.
5A Scented Air Filter
FragranceFilters Scented Air Filters, $33, Amazon
Reddit user Cantrecall says to use an air freshener on your air filter for a fresher smelling house. If your whole home is smelly, it will end up costing you a lot of money to put air fresheners or air purifiers in each room. Instead, you can use a scented air filter. This one smells like fresh lemon and distributes the scent evenly around your home. Plus, it collects pollen, mold spores, lint, pet dander, and dust mites, so it will actually improve your air quality, which means fresher air. You can find a filter that fits in your home, as they come in several sizes.
6Get Rid Of Bathroom Odors
One-Drop Deodorizer, $12, Amazon
If you get self-conscious about leaving the bathroom smelly at work or in a public place, you can eliminate bathroom odors quickly. All you need to do is place a drop or two of this solution into the toilet before or after use. Yayhotdogs says, "Use One Drop! It seems a little pricey, but once bottle lasts a long time and fits in your pocket or purse. That stuff is powerful!"
7An Odor-Eliminating Household Spray
Zero Odor Multi-Purpose Household Odor Eliminator Spray (Two Pack), $25, Amazon
Spray this around your garbage can, on your drapes, on your couch, on musty clothes, and more. The spray eliminates strong, pesky odors that wont seem to leave. The air will be left smelling fresh and clean. The formula actually seeks out odorous molecules when you spray it. Instead of masking them, it turns them into non-odor molecules. It doesn't mask smells — it gets rid of them. Shshshannon said they used this on a mattress that smelled like cigarettes, and it was successful.
8Use White Vinegar To Clean Stinky Furniture
Heinz Cleaning Vinegar, $9, Amazon
Is your furniture harboring some pretty rank odors? If it is, the best thing to do is to clean with vinegar. Happilyemployed swears by this home remedy, "baking soda sprinkled generously, vinegar in a spray bottle, and a bucket of hot water and a wash cloth. Sprinkle, spray, wipe, repeat." The vinegar and baking soda will work together to eliminate any bad smells that have been trapped in the fabric.
9Get Rid Of Pet Smells
Anti Icky Poo Odor Remover And P-Bath Pre-Treater Combo, $31, Amazon
Remove odors from dogs, cats, rodents, skunks, and humans. The spray actually uses a live bacteria to eliminate any organic bacteria. It eats away at the source of the odor and stops it from returning. Herdaz says that if you can isolate where the smell is coming from, you should spray an enzyme spray like Anti Icky Poo on it, "Working on the smell won't do anything if you don't take care of the source."
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