Win the battle against household odor

Home is where the heart is, but, unfortunately, it’s also where odors linger. And where odors linger, guests often don’t.

In fact, nearly seven out of 10 people would avoid visiting the homes of friends or relatives due to household odors, according to recent survey by Arm & Hammer.

Before your next get-together, consider the following tips to make your home more appealing to guests – and win the battle against odor once and for all.

Know the enemy
From scented candles to reed diffusers, there are a multitude of products that can make a room smell more inviting – but do nothing to actually eliminate odors. Identifying the odor and eliminating it at the source is the first step toward an odor-free home, and will also draw your attention to certain habits or behaviors causing odors in the first place. For example, if smelly gym sneakers are the culprit, store them in a gym bag or leave them on the doorstep, instead of in your closet or living room.

Choose your weapon
Now that you’ve pinpointed the source of the odor, consider which cleaning products or tools are best suited to eliminate it. For example, odors caused by pets, tobacco or pungent foods cling to carpeting long after the source has been eliminated. One of the best tools for removing these odors is your vacuum cleaner. For an extra boost, try odor-eliminating vacuum accessories, such as vacuum bags and filters, which use the odor-fighting power of baking soda to quickly and naturally remove most household smells.

“Vacuuming is an easy way to eliminate odor without any extra steps or products,” says Leiah Nhem, product manager for Arm & Hammer vacuum accessories. “Just be sure to replace bags every two months and filters every three months – making it an even more effective weapon against odor.”

For garbage odors try cleaning out or replacing the can and upgrading to heavier-duty, odor-neutralizing garbage bags.

Call for backup
Many people often have a difficult time recognizing odors in their own homes. Don’t be shy about asking a friend or neighbor to give you an honest assessment of how your home smells. It may even help identify odors that you’ve become accustomed to, such as pet odor, which is notoriously difficult to identify because it isn’t relegated to just one area of the house. In these cases, asking a friend may be the only way to know for sure that you’ve remedied the problem.

“When it comes to household odor, ignorance isn’t bliss,” Nhem says. “Recognizing and eliminating odors ahead of time will help put your mind – and guests – at ease.”

For more tips on staying on top of household odors, visit www.armhammervac.com.

Photo courtesy of ARA Content