We frequently rely our judgments on the quality of the air based on the way it smells. However, that could not be a valid indicator of quality. We see advertising for scented candles, air fresheners, and other things that will make your house smell wonderful wherever we go. Most air freshener commercials show how stinking a house can become while promising that their product will get rid of odors. While products like air fresheners might help eliminate unpleasant odors temporarily, some of them might include volatile organic substances. Chemicals called volatile organic compounds (VOCs), can travel through the air and pose many health hazards.
While eliminating unpleasant odors from your bedroom is important, you should start by knowing why the house smells the way it does rather than masking the odor with potentially harmful chemicals. Once you’ve identified the source, you can take steps to completely get rid of it.
Cause of Bad Smell in Your Room
Even if there is an odor in your room, its cause might not be obvious. Microbial volatile organic molecules may be to blame for the musty odor in your space (mVOCs). This can be the cause of the ‘moldy odor’ or musty smell typically linked with mold growth since they frequently have strong or offensive scents. An investigation should be conducted if the area has a moldy odor.
Mold can be discovered almost anywhere in your bedroom, including the corners of the bathroom next to it, on the windowsills, under the carpet, and even on the walls. Even if some mold is only a cosmetic nuisance, there may be a health danger if you can see or smell it.
Mold isn’t the only thing that could be making your room smell bad, even though it is a prevalent source of foul odors. Additional potential causes of unpleasant smell in your bedroom include:
Pet Accidents
Even well-trained pets occasionally have accidents. The scent might remain for several weeks or possibly months after an accident, whether it was hidden or cleaned up right away. Pet pee that isn’t cleaned up right away might permeate into your carpet padding and create mold or mildew.
Left Over Food
Containers for old food or beverages may begin to smell. Even if there isn’t any evident food or drink left in your room, spills or old stains may still leave a smell.
Dirty Laundry
Another place where bacteria might grow is in your laundry basket. For example, one research reveals that underarm sweat is odorless unless it comes into touch with germs on the skin. The report went on to explain six different types of volatile organic chemicals discovered on unclean clothing, including several Staphylococcus species. Your dirty clothes can be to blame if you’re smelling odd.
Stagnant Air
Airborne contaminants including dust, mold, mildew, and perhaps cigarette smoke from your clothing are trapped by stagnant air. This is particularly accurate on hot, muggy days. If your room doesn’t have enough ventilation, the air in it retains these pollutants.
Dust
Dead skin, allergens, animal hair and dander, bugs, insect feces, and soil are some of the unpleasant components of dust. And that’s only the beginning. Dust not only contaminates the air in your space and gives it a musty smell, but it also makes it seem and feel dirty.
Different Ways to Make Your Room Smell Fresh and Clean
It’s time to go to work making your room smell as fresh as a spring day now that you understand where a bad smell can be coming from and that the quality of indoor air may be poor whether or not you can smell it. Try these several tips to give your room a bright, pleasant vibe and enhance the air quality in it.
Identify the Odor
You might be tempted to use an air freshener or candle to cover up an unpleasant stench in your room. That, however, is only a temporary fix, and it won’t last for very long. Your health can be impacted as well. In fact, using commercial air fresheners could cause your bedroom’s air to become contaminated with dangerous VOCs.
An unpleasant odor will ultimately overcome all efforts to mask it. Finding and eliminating the smell’s cause is the first step in freshening the air in your space. Spend some time checking your room carefully for any signs of mold and water leaks, dampness, or moisture. Since mold and mildew grow in dark, moist environments, you should take extra care to search for them there.
Here are some significant areas to start looking for mold or mildew in your bedroom:
- Air conditioning and heating vents
- Laundry hamper
- Any upholstered items such as furniture and curtains
- Potted indoor plants
- Windowsills
- Carpeting
- Behind and under any furniture that isn’t moved often, like dressers or your bed
You should inspect the nearby bathroom for any signs of mold or mildew buildup if you have one.
- On, below, and all around the toilet and sink
- In the bathtub and shower
- On the shower curtain and lining
- On the floor and the walls
You should immediately clean up all areas where mold or mildew is obviously present. Additionally, it’s necessary to pay attention to any water leaks and to any places in your bedroom where dampness or moisture is accumulating so that you can fix them. Even if there isn’t any mold or mildew presently, moist places are the ideal habitat for it.
Always Dust From Top to Bottom
Dusting is the next stage in reviving the odor of your space. Dust is made up of both outdoor and indoor debris, including everything from pet dander and pollen to bug feces and dead skin. It might enter your house naturally or be carried in from outdoors. Although dust itself might not look like a big concern, its many elements might trigger allergy symptoms.
Dusting ought to be dealt with immediately, even if you are not allergic. Maintaining a dust-free environment will not only make it simpler for you to breathe, but it will help prevent the particles in dust from giving off a musty odor.
Don’t forget to dust the curtains or blinds, electric fans, and light fixtures, as well as the sides of doors and windows, upholstery, gadgets, baseboards, and carpeting. You probably already know to dust the obvious spots like tables and shelves. As you dust the room (or any other area of your house), keep the following in mind:
- Always dust from top to bottom. If you clean starting from the bottom, dust will reappear on previously cleaned surfaces.
- Dusting hard surfaces with a moist cloth will assist to keep the dust from just being blown into the air.
- Put on a face mask so it can provide some protection from the airborne dust that will eventually result from not using a damp towel.
Clean Your Floors Regularly
You should start cleaning the floors after you’ve completed dusting. All of the activity in your room ends up on the floor. They gather debris such as dust, messes, crumbs, and pet accidents if you have any.
Hardwood Floors – Cleaning up should be simple if your bedroom has hardwood floors. For this, a moist mop works best. It is challenging to accomplish a good cleaning when utilizing a dry mop or sweeping as these methods only throw particles and dust back into the air.
Carpet Flooring – Even though you might have a little more work to perform if your room has carpeting, it will surely smell better once you’re done. To give your carpeted flooring a thorough cleaning:
- Find any spots that have a particularly terrible smell. Perhaps your pet urinated on the carpet, or a liquid spill left the carpet moist and gave rise to mildew.
- Spread baking soda over the carpet’s troublesome area. Allow it to sit for at least two days or, best yet, overnight. Baking soda will then be able to absorb the smell.
- Baking soda should be vacuumed up from the carpet. Any light odors should disappear as a result. If that doesn’t work, try treating the area with a solution of water and white vinegar; the acid in the vinegar should destroy any bacteria that may be hiding in the carpet.
- Vacuum the carpet completely. As an additional precaution, you can apply baking soda over the entire carpet before vacuuming.
No matter what kind of floors you have in the bedroom, remember to clean the hard-to-reach places, including underneath big furnishings or in the rear of your cabinet.
Open the Windows for Proper Ventilation
Numerous contaminants are concentrated in a very small space within your home. Contrary to popular belief, even when outside pollutants such as pollen and pollution are taken into account, the air outside can often be far healthier than the air within your home.
You may get rid of bad smells in your bedroom by opening the windows and letting fresh air in. Before opening your windows to allow the breeze in, you should check the day’s air quality report if you have a pollen allergy or live in a region with a lot of pollution.
Bathe Your Fur Pals
If you live with furry friends, you are familiar with the problems caused by pet hair all over the place. Bathe your pets frequently to prevent them from adding to the odor in your bedroom. Make sure to clean their paws after they play outdoors. Wash their toys and beddings often as well.
Replace the Sheets and Blanket Weekly
Your bedsheets receive a lot of use, therefore it is a wise idea to wash them at least once every week. Make sure you frequently empty your clothes hamper while you’re at it. Your garments produce foul scents as a result of the breakdown of sweat and oil by the gases generated by bacteria. Never place highly sweaty garments in your washing basket to prevent this issue. Instead, immediately wash them.
Clean the Upholstery Properly
Any type of upholstery is a hotspot for dirt, dust mites, and numerous pollutants in the air, much like your dirty sheets and clothing. You should clean your upholstery based on the material used. Not knowing the proper way to clean the fabric you have may cause permanent damage to it. Always check the manufacturer’s guide to know what’s best and what’s not good for your upholstery before cleaning it.
Use a Dehumidifier
Moisture can pose a major issue when attempting to make the room smell nice, as we discussed before. Mold and mildew love moist environments, such as moist air and wet surfaces. Your home could be difficult to keep from being overly humid depending on the temperature in your area. Consider purchasing a dehumidifier since humid air helps trap contaminants and unpleasant scents.
By removing moisture from the air in your bedroom, you can reduce the risk of mold and mildew growing there. Additionally, you’ll see a decrease in stuffiness in your space, which is crucial for creating a pleasant aroma.
Invest in an Indoor Air Purifier
Pollutants in your house are captured and destroyed by indoor air filters. You may take away some of the causes of bad odors by getting rid of indoor air pollution. It is wise to select an indoor air purifier that eliminates pollutants and allergens including mold spores and other airborne pollutants while shopping for one. If you merely trap them, you can immediately let them back out into your room’s air.
Utilize an Odor Absorber
To eliminate any remaining smells in your space, utilize a natural odor absorber such as baking soda. You will be required to replace odor absorbers frequently because they are collecting up the airborne particles that produce unpleasant odors. Your odor absorber can only be another source of foul smell if not replaced regularly. To eliminate any remaining smells in your space, utilize a natural odor absorber such as baking soda. You will be required to replace odor absorbers frequently because they are collecting up the airborne particles that produce unpleasant odors. Your odor absorber can only be another source of foul smell if not replaced regularly.
Add Some Natural Air Fresheners
Fill Your Space with Plants
Research suggests that plants could potentially filter out hazardous elements emitted by manmade materials in addition to bringing life to your decor. However, bear in mind that certain plants might cause allergies in those who are prone to them, so choose indoor plants with caution. Make sure the plant you choose is not harmful if eaten if you own pets.
Make sure the plants you select are suitable for the environment in your space. While some plants prefer shadier areas, others require a lot of direct sunlight. When purchasing a plant, check the care tag for the recommended temperature and humidity ranges.
Use Vanilla Extract / Essential Oil
A few drops of vanilla extract should be applied to a cold lightbulb. A nice smell will be released when you turn on the light because of the warmth from the bulb. You can also use any essential oil you prefer if you do not like the scent of vanilla.
Make Your Own Natural Air Freshener
Create a homemade natural room spray. A simple mixture of essential oils of your choice and water is a wonderful alternative to commercial air fresheners, which can include a variety of dangerous chemicals. Simply add 10-15 drops of your preferred essential oil with 1/4 cup of filtered water in an empty spray container.
Citrus aromas like lemon, orange, and grapefruit may be quite invigorating, while lavender is well renowned for its relaxing effects. Adding a teaspoon of baking soda to the mixture is an alternative. This works well as a furniture deodorizing spray. These sprays are suitable to be used on curtains, rugs, and bed linens.
Use Scented Candles
Candles enhance the ambiance and release a comforting fragrance into the room. Many of them contain paraffin, which when burned emits cancer-causing compounds. Additionally, the wick material frequently contains lead, and synthetic fragrances may be toxic. Having said that, you should choose your candles carefully. Go for soy candles that have been scented using essential oils or beeswax candles that have a light honey scent.
Have a Potpourri Dish
A collection of fragrant ingredients called potpourri, such as dried petals, herbs, and spices, gives your area a very nice perfume smell. Potpourri can be purchased online, at home furnishing retailers, or in pharmacies. As an alternative, it’s simple to make your own. Simply combine cloves, cinnamon sticks, and star anise in a small jar or dish, then place the container in your room.
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