5 Natural Odour Eliminators

by Janine, Mar 2021

With odours from cooking, pets, our bodies and simply the environment, our homes can sometimes become pretty smelly places! However, gone are the days when your only option was to spritz scented air fresheners around the place that simply mask the stink instead of eliminating it. 

We’ve collated our top 5 natural odour eliminators for you to try in your home. It’s important to remember that we all become accustomed to the smells in our home, simply because we live there! So, it’s worth asking a friend or family member to come over to ‘smell test’ your house – they’ll be able to easily detect an odours that you may perhaps no longer notice.

It goes without saying that regular cleaning with disinfecting cleaners is the first step in maintaining an odour-free home, and if you’d prefer to hand this task over to a professional, then get in touch to book a weekly clean with Well Polished!

Lemons

We are long standing fans of using lemons in cleaning here at Well Polished! If you read our articles regularly, or follow our social posts, you’ll know that we often preach about how many uses this brightly coloured fruit offers!

They can be used to perfume the air indoors naturally by cutting a lemon in half and setting the cut halves in an inconspicuous places. You could soak a sponge in lemon juice and place it inside the fridge to absorb food odours. Or even simmer lemon peel in a pot of water for a fresh whole-house scent!

Air Purifying Bags

Small spaces packed with lots of clothes, shoes, or linens can begin to smell stale. The same thing happens in a car where food, body, and environmental odours become trapped.

These small fabric bags contain around 200 grams of bamboo charcoal. You simply place the bag in the desired space and the charcoal will absorb the odours!

We’ve tried a few and we’d happily recommend these!

Baking Soda

You can get most smells out of carpets, rugs, and upholstery (including vehicle interiors) by sprinkling liberally with baking soda.

Just sprinkle some in the offending area (on the carpet, in your shoes etc) and let it sit… or put some on a plate and let it sit. It just sucks the odor right out of there.

Another place for baking soda is in your toilet! Pour a spoonful in a dirty or smelly toilet bowl and leave it sit for a couple of hours. The odour will go away, as will at least some of the stain (if not all of it).

Vodka

Yes, vodka… we’re not joking! And yes, we would encourage whipping up a quick vodka cocktail at the same time (why not eh!)

Vodka is actually an excellent, unscented air freshener. Simply pour un-flavoured vodka into a spray bottle and use as an air mister. It will help reduce stale and musty odors. If you would like to add a scent, try adding a small amount of a wildcrafted or organic essential oil processed without solvents.

We also maybe recommend using an inexpensive vodka for the air freshening, and keep the posh bottle for your cocktails!

White Vinegar

Non-toxic and inexpensive, simple white vinegar is a cleaning and deodorising hero!

You could add a cup vinegar to washing machine during wash cycle to freshen and soften clothes and remove odours. Or pour a cup of white vinegar in a small bowl and place in a safe spot somewhere in your home to freshen the air. And a mixture of 1 teaspoon of vinegar to a pint of water, kept in a hand sprayer, can neutralise odours such as cigarette smoke.

Top Tip

If hands or containers become scented by onion or garlic, wipe down with vinegar to safely remove odours!

Not only should these natural odour eliminators get your home smelling fresh and clean, but avoiding the use of basic air fresheners can actually improve your health!

Research has found that air fresheners are among the most toxic products found in our homes, and have been proven to exacerbate health conditions such as asthma.

If you’re struggling with ‘fridge specific’ odours, check out our other article on how to stop your fridge smelling.