When you come home from a long day at work, or invite company over, the last thing you want is for your house to smell dirty. (Well, that may not be the last thing you want, but it’s definitely something you don’t want.) There are many stinky culprits a home can have. But the good news is that yours doesn’t have to fall victim to these; there’s things you can do.

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1.) Hang up wet towels/garments.

When it comes to towels, washcloths, bathing suits, or other wet garments, the worst thing you can do is bunch them up in a bag, or toss them on your carpet. Unless you are tossing them in your washer immediately, you should hang them up on a hook or hanger in a way they can air out and dry.

If you have a sopping wet washcloth, dish cloth, bathing suit, or other item, make sure you ring it out completely, and you can hang it over something (such as a sink, tub, or shower curtain rod) to dry. Just be careful that it’s not in a place where it will get wet again.

Stuff that stays wet stinks, and you don’t want that. And if the smell is bad enough, it may not come out the first time you wash it in your washing machine.

2.) Keep pets and their living areas clean.

Animals in the home can easily cause undesirable odors if you aren’t careful. Making sure litter boxes and cages are cleaned regularly and thoroughly will help.

Also, ensure that your pets themselves are groomed. Depending on the type of animals you have, you may need to give them baths regularly.

3.) Use garbage bags in trash cans.

You don’t want your garbage cans to stink after you’ve already taken out the garbage, or have to wash them out unnecessarily. It’s also important to choose durable garbage bags (like these) with no holes in them and not overload them with too much weight.

If you reuse grocery bags for smaller trash cans, it is wise to use 2 (as my mama taught me), in case there are holes, and also check for holes to begin with.

4.) Take out garbage regularly and/or when it starts to smell.

You don’t want to leave garbage sitting in your home for too long. Also, if you have trash bags in your home containing dirty diapers, used cat litter, old food, etc., you’ll want to take these out right away.

5.) Clean out your fridge regularly.

Check your fridge once or twice a week (or more often) for items that are past the point of use, and anything that needs to be disposed of, do so immediately, before it gets moldy, stinky, and downright gross.

6.) Keep the dishes done and your kitchen sink clean.

It’s important to remove old food from the refrigerator, but you also want to make sure you wash out any dishes or containers that held the food, right away. Once things leave the fridge they will start to produce bacteria and odors a lot faster.

You also want to keep your dishes clean in general, even if you have to wash dishes by hand, because these can also contribute to bad smells if not taken care of for a time. And along with this, you should rinse out store-bought cans and containers once you remove food. Certain things, like tuna cans, that are left not rinsed can really do a number on the nose.

Clean out your sink when needed, and empty/rinse out any drain catchers that catch those icky bits of food debris from dishes. It’s kind of gross when this stuff sits and starts to smell. (Full disclosure: I hate hate hate HATE removing the bits food that my kitchen sink drain catches. I think I actually prefer cleaning the litter box over that, but I do it, because when it’s not done, it’s even worse.)

7.) Keep toilets flushed and cleaned.

If you or your family members don’t flush right away, this is not going to keep your bathroom smelling clean. Establish a habit of flushing immediately, and also make sure toilets are cleaned- inside, outside, and between the lids to prevent bad odors.

8.) Keep dirty clothes contained and wash clothes with strong odors asap.

Make sure everyone in your family has a habit of placing dirty clothes in the hamper immediately. (Just make sure they are dry before doing so, as we discussed with point #1.) This can help to contain any bad odors versus having dirty clothes strewn all over the place, which also makes your home look messier.

For especially soiled garments, or clothing with strong odors, it’s best to drop those bad boys directly in the washer as soon as you can.

9.) Open your windows.

Despite your best efforts, you may still have something (or someone) stink up your home from time to time. Opening a window gives you fresh air and ventilation.

Conclusion

So there you have it- 9 ways to make your home smell cleaner. Preventing bad odors in your home will go a long way.

P.S. Don’t forget to download your free Printable Daily Cleaning Checklists.

Thanks for reading, and have a great day!