Cheap smell removers

mjoyeux

Can any one recommend something which is cheap and gets rid of smells/neutralises them?

My house seems very foisty right now...

Phirefly

I'm not a fan of air fresheners or odour neutralisers, as the underlying smell is always there. In my house, the only way is to send the dog to my Mum's for a couple of nights and have a deep clean, then I use real essential oils in an oil burner.

Where the source of the odour cannot be removed (my Mum's house is old and although its been damp proofed still sometimes has a damp smell) I still think essential oils are the best way to mask the smell, as its a clean, true fragrance. They're not cheap, but a small bottle lasts a long time as you only need a couple of drops.

I use a combination of lavender and geranium and EVERONE always comments on how nice it smells... my beautician uses basil in her salon and that's really nice too, doesn't smell of basil, just a really fresh scent.

basmic

Open every single window, as well as both the front and back doors. Sure, it'll be freezing for as long as you have them open, but I think that's the cheapest, most effective answer.

If the smell comes back within the hour, then it's time to start sniffing that smell out.

maman

Thanks, mjoyeux, this promises to be a really useful thread: Air fresheners (whatever you think of them) are getting really expensive. I have a friend who uses the 'open all doors and windows' method each weekend when she's doing her cleaning and it's very successful.

Anyone got ideas on neutralising smell of tobacco smoke. Please don't say give up or stand outside!! There must be some smokers out there (I mean in cyberspace not behind the bike sheds!)

andrew-b

We open windows for at least a few hours each day and the back door regularly lets fresh air in as the dog gets let in and out. We have an air freshner that regularly squirts air freshener into the room too though - but the replacement cartridges aren't particularly cheap.

If your out of the house for much of the day then maybe it would be worth looking into having air vents fitted to your windows that could be left open without compromising security.

Really there is not much that gets rid of smell of tobacco smoke - except giving up or going outside! It clings to everything and air fresheners do little more than mask the smell for a while. My OH who used to be a 20 or more a day smoker gave it up. It takes a lot of willpower but your house and clothes will smell alot nicer .. go on you'll save money too :money::D ...though i'm told your sense of smell and taste will improve too as well as feeling
fitter!

Andy

eilidh_s

I use a wee tip I got from Kim and Aggie. Put some essential oil on your bulbs and as they heat up in the evening the smell goes around the room. I don't think it will neautralise fag smoke though.

Phirefly

eilidh_s wrote: »

Put some essential oil on your bulbs

*Phirefly dashes off to do just that*

morwenna

Phirefly wrote: »

*Phirefly dashes off to do just that*

Use with caution! This is something I do myself, carefully. Only ever put essential oil onto a cold lightbulb (explosion potential otherwise.) I find sandlewood lovely in the bedroom, I tend to use oils according to time of year in the living rooms. Geranium is in the oil burners at the moment as it relaxes visitors, but come December, I will switch to a combination of cinnamon and mandarin. (On Dec 24 it's frankincence and myrhh for 12 days. )

Also a good idea to tuck cotton wool balls behind radiators with a few drops of oil on them. Pot pourri also works well, if a good one which is turned daily with your hands.

Using bicarb of soda (like shake'n'vac) on carpets an hour or so before vacuuming should help too

IHTH

Suzy_M

Odour absorbing cat litter - but put out of the way of any pets!

We have a couple of rooms that don't get much use and find this works very well. We also use smaller trays in the bottom of fitted cupboards to avoid the odd musty smell.

I've also swept it into carpets and left for twenty-four hours before vacuuming.

I don't get the eye and nose irritation usually associated with air fresheners.