Get Rid of Household Odors Without Chemicals: 7 Easy Tips

Eliminating pesky household odors is probably not very high on your list of fun things to do, but it’s a necessary part of home ownership. Still, it can sometimes be difficult to work up the initiative to get started – especially if you’re not in the mood to inhale a bunch of harsh cleaning chemicals. 

Well, we’ve got some good news for you – natural products can actually clean things just as well as harsh chemicals in many cases. It’s just a matter of choosing the right product and using the right cleaning method. In this guide, we’ll explain exactly what you need to do to remove some of the most common types of household odors.

How to Prevent Odors Before They Start

The easiest way to eliminate persistent household odors is by preventing them before they have a chance to build up. We could fill an entire article with tips for preventing bad smells around the house, but here are a few of the most important ones.

• Don’t smoke in your home. Cigarette smoke is one of the most unpleasant and persistent of all household odors. If you’re a smoker, it’s time to visit a vape shop and make the switch. 
• Take out the garbage promptly; don’t allow it to linger in your trash can because bad smells will build up very quickly when old food begins to decay.
• Vacuum your floors regularly. Dust is made largely of organic materials. It harbors microbes and will start to produce a musty smell if it isn’t removed on a regular basis.
• Speaking of dust, you should take the time to remove clutter from the shelves and other surfaces in your home because clutter makes those areas difficult to clean properly, which will encourage dust to collect.
• Don’t leave old food in your refrigerator. Because air circulates throughout the refrigerator and freezer, foul smells will be extremely difficult to remove once they’ve had a chance to build up.
• Don’t leave dishes in your sink with food caked on. If you don’t have time to wash your dishes immediately after using them, you should at least send any bits of food down the garbage disposal.
• If you have a cat or dog that uses the bathroom indoors, clean the pad or litter box regularly.

How to Eliminate Odors in Your Refrigerator and Freezer

Removing bad smells from your refrigerator and freezer begins with a good cleaning. Here’s how to do it. 

• Remove all of the items from the refrigerator and freezer. Store them in a cooler temporarily to keep them from losing their chill. Throw any old food away.
• Clean the refrigerator and freezer thoroughly with warm water and mild detergent. Take all of the drawers out of the refrigerator and wash them as well.
• Dry the refrigerator and freezer completely to prevent ice crystals from forming due to excess condensation.
• Put everything back into the refrigerator and freezer. Keep an open box of baking soda in both compartments to absorb any lingering odors.

How to Eliminate Odors in Your Garbage Disposal

Bad smells can build up in a garbage disposal because food gets stuck under the blades and rubber flaps. These smells can be very stubborn, but it’s actually not that hard to get rid of them. Here’s how to do it.

• Throw a handful of ice cubes into the garbage disposal along with some lemon wedges. Juice the lemon first and make yourself some lemonade; you’ve earned it.
• Run the garbage disposal for several seconds. The ice cubes will knock food particles out from under the blades, and the oil in the lemon peels will help to deodorize the garbage disposal.
• Follow by pouring very hot water and dish soap down the garbage disposal while it’s still running. The bubbles will clean under the flaps. Also, the soap and hot water will help to clear out any bits of food that might be stuck further down the drain.

How to Eliminate Odors in Your Washing Machine

The easiest way to remove odors from a washing machine is by running a load with nothing but hot water, strong detergent and plenty of bleach. If the washing machine still smells like bleach after the cycle is finished, do another cycle with plain water. 

Recommending bleach is a bit of an exception to the no-chemicals theme of this article, but it really is the best cleaning product for this job. If you’d rather not use bleach, though, you can use strong laundry-grade peroxide instead. This is sometimes sold under names like “bleach alternative” or “color-safe bleach.” Peroxide doesn’t kill microbes quite as effectively as bleach, but it also doesn’t produce unpleasant fumes.

How to Eliminate Odors in Your Dishwasher

To remove an unpleasant smell from your dishwasher, try running one load with white vinegar and another load with baking soda. White vinegar does an excellent job of neutralizing odor-causing molecules, and it can also help to remove scale from the dishwasher’s metal components. Baking soda’s absorptive properties can help to remove any lingering smells. Don’t put both in the same load, though, because you could end up having a mess on your hands.

How to Eliminate Odors in Your Microwave

If you need to remove a tough odor from your microwave, you can exploit the cleaning power of white vinegar once again by filling a glass with half water and half vinegar and microwaving it until it begins to boil. When the vapor begins to fill the microwave, shut it off and wait a while for the steam to penetrate. Once the inside of the microwave is fully cool, dry it with a paper towel and leave the door open overnight to allow any remaining moisture to evaporate.

How to Eliminate Odors Under Sinks

The cabinets under sinks can be persistent sources of unwanted odors, and the best way to remove those odors is by identifying and fixing any sources of lingering moisture. Here’s how to do it.

• Remove all of the items from the cabinet that you want to clean. Examine the cabinet thoroughly with a flashlight to look for any damp spots. If you find one, you’ll need to identify and fix the source. Replace worn-out faucet cartridges and rusty hoses. Fix damaged caulk.
• Once you’ve found the source of the lingering moisture and fixed it, you can put your things back under the cabinet. Place a bag or two of activated charcoal in the cabinet to help remove any remaining moisture and musty odor. Activated charcoal is absorbent and has a very high surface area, which allows it to trap and contain unwanted odors in small spaces. You might also want to put a desiccant product such as DampRid in the cabinet to further help with moisture control.