Clean Your Washing Machine With Baking Soda and Vinegar
Have you ever opened up the drawer in your washing machine and been greeted with a gruesome stench? Although it's easy to assume that your washing machine will always be clean, the reality is that it can get extremely damp and unclean. This can result in nasty smells that seem to linger for weeks. So, you need to neutralize the smell and restore it to its former glory. You can do this with baking soda and vinegar.
By pouring a mixture of baking soda and vinegar into the drum and running an empty cycle, you can allow the natural cleaners to work their magic. The smell should go instantly, and your washing machine will be as clean as a whistle.
Freshen up Your Garbage Disposal With Lemon Slices
There's a high chance that your garbage disposal goes through a lot. If you use it every day, it's having to constantly contend with chunks of old food - many of which will smell and linger in the pipes for a few days. When this happens, it's highly likely that the odors will then make their way out of the pipes and into your kitchen and the rest of your house.
To freshen up your garbage disposal naturally, pop a few slices of lemons down there every week or so. Not only will this sanitize the pipe, but it will also make the whole thing smell fresh and fragrant.
Neutralize Cooking Smells With Baking Soda
Let's be honest; we'd all love our houses to smell like freshly baked cookies all the time. And while there are so many other amazing smells that come from your cooking exploits, it's fair to say that other foods - such as fish, burnt bacon, and leftover oil - can make your whole house smell rancid. The odors can linger for days, and it can often seem as though they just won't go away.
However, you can neutralize these cooking smells as they occur by placing a bowl of baking soda near the stove or oven. As you can, the odors will be absorbed by the powder - and then you can just throw it (and the smells) away.
Add Half a Lemon to Freshen up Your Fridge
If you've ever opened up the door of your fridge and been greeted with a waft of smells, you'll know that they're normally pretty nauseating. Often, the combined smells of these different smells will merge into one and put you off your dinner - and it can often seem impossible to get rid of them. And while you could use chemical cleaners to deep-clean your fridge, sometimes all you need is half a lemon.
Placing half a lemon on one of the shelves in your refrigerator will neutralize the other scents in your fridge and overpower them with a fresh lemon scent. You just need to replace it every few days.
Avoid Musty Clothes With the Help of Essential Oils
If you mostly keep your clothes folded up in a drawer, you might know that sometimes even freshly cleaned clothes can start to smell musty. This is typically due to a lack of airflow in the drawer or the presence of moisture. So, what can you do? Well, you don't have to start cleaning your clothes in a concoction of chemicals. Instead, all you need to do is grab some baking soda and essential oils.
By filling a little bag with baking soda and popping it in the drawer, you can let the powder absorb any moisture in the drawer. Then, you can add some essential oils to a clean cloth and keep it in the drawer, too.
Clean Your Toilet Brush Holder With Lemon and White Vinegar
Toilet brushes are an essential addition to any bathroom, but they do get pretty messy and gross as the months go by. As if that wasn't enough, most people tend to forget about them - making the holders a breeding ground for germs and bacteria. You can tackle this without the need for chemical cleaners, though. To clean a toilet brush holder, simply pour in a mixture of white vinegar and lemon juice.
The white vinegar will kill any germs present, and the lemon juice will sanitize the holder (and the brush) while also offering a fresh, clean scent that will make your whole bathroom seem cleaner.
Use Baking Soda and Vinegar to Freshen up the Kitchen Sink
You probably don't need us to tell you that kitchen sink drains often smell. And when you're constantly pouring dirty water and other food particles down there, it's really not surprising. But the more you do this, the more it'll smell and the higher the chances of it clogging. You don't need to use chemical drain unblockers to fix this problem, though. All you need instead is some baking soda, white vinegar, and boiling water.
By pouring all of these down the drain, you should be able to dislodge any blockages while neutralizing any nasty odors at the same time. Then, finish by running some cold water to flush everything through.
Make Your Own Toilet Spray With Essential Oils
When you head to the grocery store or pharmacy, you won't have to look too hard to find so-called toilet sprays. The idea is that you spray the toilet both before and after you take a number two in an effort to reduce the smell and keep your bathroom smelling clean. But why would you spend your hard-earned money on ready-made sprays when you can make your own at home?
If you have a small spray bottle and fill it with a mixture of water and your favorite essential oils, you can create a spray that does the exact same thing as store-bought options.
Deodorize Your Dishwasher With White Vinegar
Many people forget to actually clean the things that clean for them, as they assume that they're always clean. But the reality is that dishwashers can get extremely dirty and smelly as the weeks go by, which is why it's so important to clean them regularly. And while there are many chemical products on the market that claim to do this for you, you can do this yourself with a few bowls of white vinegar.
If you run the dishwasher with these bowls of vinegar, you'll find that it not only cleans and sanitizes your dishwasher but also deodorizes the whole thing so it no longer smells.
Wash Your Towels in Vinegar to Keep Them Fresh and Soft
Is there anything worse than stiff, crusty towels? No, we didn't think so. Nobody wants to dry themselves in sandpaper-like towels, but it can often seem impossible to keep towels soft and fluffy - unless you choose to replace them sooner rather than later. And while this is certainly an option if you have the money to replace your towels frequently, another option is adding some vinegar to your washer.
Yes, washing your towels in vinegar can not only keep them soft and fluffy, but it can also reverse the crustiness of your old towels. Just pop a spoonful into your washer when you're ready.
Freshen up a Bathroom With Essential Oils and Toilet Paper Rolls
You probably don't need us to tell you that bathrooms can get pretty smelly. From people using the toilet to damp, musty towels, the whole room can start to smell pretty nasty as the day goes on. Because of this, many people opt for chemical sprays that all claim to eliminate odors and freshen up the space - but you don't need to spend your hard-earned money on these products.
If you have some essential oils at your disposal, you can drop this oil into the tube of your toilet paper and allow it to emanate across the whole bathroom. Plus, you can tailor it to your own scent preferences.
Neutralize Pet Messes With Baking Soda
Whether you haven't quite toilet-trained your puppy or you're struggling with the scent of your cat's litter box, you'll know that the smell of your pet's messes can overpower your home. And once you've smelled it, you can't un-smell it. But instead of using potentially harmful chemicals to clean these messes and restore your home to its former glory, you can use some baking soda instead. And it's pretty easy to do.
All you have to do is sprinkle baking soda either on their messes or into their litter tray and leave it for a few hours. You can then clean it up, and the smell should be gone.
Use Baking Soda to Deodorize Your Gym Bag
If you're someone who loves to spend time at the gym, there's a high chance that your gym bag is full of all kinds of smells - from the lingering sweat from your gym towel to the cheesiness of your old socks. And while you could try and clean your gym bag in the washing machine, it's highly unlikely that it'll be able to clean every nook and cranny and remove all of the odors.
Instead, you should clean it regularly by sprinkling some baking soda into the bag. The powder should be able to make its way into every corner and will help to deodorize the whole thing.
Add Baking Soda to Your Trash Can to Get Rid of Smells
You probably don't need us to tell you that trash cans can stink. After all, their job is to literally hold as much trash as possible - so it's no wonder that they smell. That doesn't mean that you have to live with these smells, though. If you want to freshen up your trash can without using any harsh chemicals, you can reach for your box of baking soda instead.
The next time you empty your trash can take a few moments to sprinkle some baking soda into the bottom. You can then leave it there to soak up any odors or liquids that may appear.
Clean and Freshen up Your Mattress With Baking Soda
Although good-quality mattresses can last around a decade, you still need to take good care of them. This means rotating it every so often and cleaning it regularly - especially as mattresses are often covered in sweat stains and dead skin cells. To do this, you should start by sprinkling baking soda onto the mattress and leaving it for an hour or so. This will soak up any odors or lingering moisture.
You can then grab your vacuum cleaner and suck the baking soda up. While it does this, it will also remove any lingering skin cells, dust, or debris that may be sitting on top of your mattress.
Clean Your Kitchen Cabinets With Fresh Lemon Juice
If you regularly buy lemons, you'll already know that this citrus fruit can make a welcome addition to fresh bakes and drinks. But it turns out that lemons can also act as natural cleaners for your home. This is especially true if you want to clean the inside and outside of your kitchen cabinets and don't want to use nasty chemicals for the job. After all, lemons can clean and deodorize at the same time.
To do this, simply wipe down your kitchen cabinets with fresh lemon juice and let the acid in the fruit do its job. You'll no doubt spot the difference immediately.
Use Baking Soda and Lemon to Eliminate Smoke Odors
Smoke is one of the worst things you can have in your home. The smoke particles get everywhere, and they can linger for years, making your whole house smell. But if you've had enough of this smell and want a fresh and clean home, you'll be happy to know that you don't need to buy chemicals to eliminate smoke odors. All you need is a bowl of baking sofa and half a lemon.
Then, place the lemon in the bowl and leave it in the most-affected room in the house. Give it a few hours, and before too long you'll realize that the smoke odor has been replaced by a fresh scent.
Use Lemon Juice and Vinegar to Clean a Dirty Oven
When you're using your oven on a regular basis, it's no wonder that it gets dirty. And while you can head to the grocery store and buy a whole host of chemical oven cleaners, what many people fail to realize is that you can clean an oven naturally. To do this, all you need is some lemon juice and vinegar. By scrubbing this mixture onto the oven, you should be able to get rid of dried-on stains and leave it smelling fresh.
If you'd rather not use vinegar, you could also sprinkle baking soda onto half a lemon and then use the lemon as the cleaning brush. Before too long, the whole thing should be sparkling.
Freshen up Your Air Conditioner With Some Essential Oils
Your air conditioner constantly works overtime to provide you with clean air, but it does that by trapping dirt, debris, and bad odors in its filters. As a result, your air conditioner can start to smell over time. The easiest way to solve this without chemicals is to rinse the filters every so often, but that's not the only thing you can do. If you have essential oils to hand, you can also use them.
By creating a mixture of water and essential oils and then spritzing the air conditioner (and its filters) every week or so, you can ensure that these bad smells are overpowered by fresh ones.
Banish Smells in Your Entryway With Baking Soda and Homemade Fabric Spray
We're going to hazard a guess and say that the entryway to your home is probably a smelly mess. In fact, most people's entryways are. This is all thanks to the build-up of shoes, dirt, backpacks and more. And while keeping on top of clutter is one of the best ways to clean up this space, you can also use natural cleaning products to banish lingering smells that just won't go away.
Start off by sprinkling baking soda over all rugs, carpets, mats, and shoes in the space. Then, you can create your own room spray using water, vinegar, and essential oils to get rid of other lingering smells.
Eliminate Couch Odors With Baking Soda and a Vacuum
When you think about it, your couch has to go through a lot. As well as dealing with all of the sweat and skin particles that come off your body, it also has to deal with crumbs and debris from general wear and tear. As a result, it can start to smell. But you can combat this by sprinkling your whole couch with baking soda and letting it sit for an hour.
During this time, the baking soda will neutralize odors and absorb any moisture on the fabric. Then, you can vacuum it up to reveal a clean and fresh couch when you're finished.
Deodorize Bathtub Drains With Apple Cider Vinegar and Baking Soda
Your bathtub drain has to deal with a lot. As well as handling the large amount of water that goes down it whenever it's used, it also has to deal with the dirt, debris, and dead skin that comes with it. This can result in smelly drains and, in some cases, intense blockages. And while there are many chemicals on the market that all claim to help you, you don't need to use chemical cleaners.
You can make your own natural bathtub drain cleaner by pouring baking soda and apple cider vinegar down the drain. The mixture of acid and alkali will react to unblock the drain, deodorize smells, and sanitize the area.
Tackle a Moldy Attic by Spraying White Vinegar
Mold can be a very dangerous problem, which is why it's always best to tackle mold as soon as you spot it. This is especially true in an attic, where it can often go unnoticed for months or even years on end. Thankfully, you can tackle mold without the need for harsh chemicals, and to tackle a moldy attic you can simply use a mixture of white vinegar, water, and the essential oil of your choice.
Always make sure that you wear protective gloves and a mask before spraying the mold with the mixture, and allow it to sit for a while before cleaning it off.
Freshen up Your Fabrics With a DIY Fabric Refresher
Sometimes, you want to freshen up your bedsheets, your couch, or your towels in between washes. After all, you know that they're not dirty enough to need a wash, but they still don't smell as fresh as they could. But what do you do? Well, you'll be happy to know that it's very easy to make your own fabric refresher when you're stuck in this middle ground, and you can do so using vodka and essential oils.
By adding a mixture of this vodka, essential oils, and water in a spray bottle, you can then spritz the fabrics of your choice in between your washing sessions and it should do the trick.
Freshen up Furnace Vents With Essential Oils
Sometimes, the things that are causing your home are staring you right in the face - but you just don't realize it. And this is the case with many people who have furnace vents in their homes. Although most assume that these vents are clean and odor-free, the reality is that the filters of these vents can become overloaded with smelly debris and dust which then makes its way into your home.
There is a simple way to prevent this from happening, though. You can freshen up your furnace vents by adding a few drops of your favorite scented essential oil on the filters.
Deodorize Your Carpets by Sprinkling Baking Soda
Everyone vacuums their carpets, right? And while this is definitely something you should be doing on a regular basis, one thing you might not realize is that vacuuming alone won't get rid of any odors or smells that are trapped in the fibres. Because of this, you need to use another cleaning agent - and you'll be happy to know that you don't need to use potentially damaging chemicals for this task.
To deodorize your carpets, sprinkle baking soda on top of them and allow it to work its magic for around half an hour. Then, you can go back over with your vacuum cleaner and reveal fresh carpets underneath.
Deodorize a Dog Bed With Baking Soda
When your dog is sleeping on the same bed every night, it's fair to say that it's going to get dirty. From the muddy paws to the pollen that gets stuck in its fur, all of this muck can then find its way onto the bed and start to smell as a result. But if you don't have the time to be washing your dog bed in the washing machine every week, there is something you can do in the meantime.
By sprinkling the dog bed with baking soda and allowing it to sit for half an hour, you can let the baking soda neutralize any smells and absorb any excess moisture. Then, vacuum it up.
Eliminate Odors Under the Bed With Baking Soda
Due to a lack of air circulation and the fact that many people use the underside of their bed to store junk and their old socks, this area of the home can really start to smell. Before too long, this smell can make its way out from under the bed and into the rest of your home - and it can be overpowering. That's why it's so important to deodorize this space every so often, and you can do that with baking soda.
Simply place a plate of baking soda under the bed and allow the powder to absorb moisture and neutralize the smell. Ideally, you should keep it there for a few days for it to really work its magic.
Sort Out a Stinky Basement With Vinegar and Baking Soda
Although basements offer extra space for homeowners to use as storage or as extra living space, there's no doubt about the fact that basements can become damp and moldy as the years go by. This is due to a lack of ventilation and the fact that basements are underground. But you don't have to spend a fortune using chemicals and professional cleaners to sort out a smelly and damp basement.
First, you need to ensure that you remove all of the standing water in the basement. When you've done that, you can use a mixture of vinegar and baking soda to kill mold and neutralize any damp smells.
Keep Linens and Cushions Fresh With a Dryer Sheet
Whether you keep your clean linens under the bed or in a cupboard, you'll know that it's very easy for them to succumb to bad odors as the weeks go by. But if you want to ensure that your linens stay fresh, you don't need to wash them with extra chemical cleaners. Instead, you can use dryer sheets - just like the ones you already use in your tumble dryer.
To do this, you can either play a dryer sheet on the shelf with your linens, or you could place a few dryer sheets in between your linens to keep them extra fresh.
Clean up Your Laundry Basket With Some Essential Oils
As your laundry basket is home to dirty clothes, the whole thing can stink up your house. And while there's nothing you can do about its use in the home, you can do something about the smells. In fact, there are a few things that you can do to naturally tackle the smells in your laundry basket. Your first option is to place a clean cloth with some essential oils on it into the laundry basket.
Your second option is to place a dryer sheet in there. But if you really want to absorb any nasty smells, it's best to empty the whole thing and sprinkle in some baking soda.
Make a Baking Soda Paste to Clean Stove Burners
The burners on your stove are constantly dealing with a barrage of food debris. This, coupled with the heat that comes from the stove, can result in burned-on food that just won't budge. And while you could use chemicals to get rid of them, why would you want to use chemicals on the appliance you cook on? You should avoid chemicals at all costs when it comes to your cooking appliances.
Instead, create a natural paste from baking soda and water and then use it to scrub at the burners. The abrasive nature of the baking soda should work a treat in no time.
Fill Your Home With a Fresh Scent With a Fan and Dryer Sheets
Have you ever wondered if there was a natural way to fill your whole house with a fresh scent? Of course, you can buy air fresheners and candles from the grocery store, but is there another way? Well, we're happy to tell you that there is - and all you need to try this natural cleaning hack out for yourself is a fan and some dryer sheets. Then, stick the dryer sheets to your fan.
When you've done that, you can turn the fan on and wait for the fresh scent from the dryer sheets to waft around your whole home. It really does work a treat.
Use Potpourri to Stop Your Clothes From Stinking
With little airflow in the confined space, closets often get damp and musty - and this can leave your clothes smelling strange, even if you've just washed them. Thankfully, there's an easy, natural way to keep your clothes smelling fresh, and that's to use potpourri. You can normally buy bags of this from the grocery store, and you can then just hang it up with your clothes to absorb moisture and release a delicious fragrance.
If you don't want to use potpourri, you could also use dryer sheets or make your own scented cloths by dropping essential oils onto some clean fabric. Just make sure you replace it every now and then.
Freshen up Your Freezer With Baking Soda
Although frozen food rarely smells too bad, sometimes you may find that your freezer does start to smell a bit funky. And while they're typically contained to this one space, opening and closing your freezer can result in these smells making their way out of the freezer and into your home - and nobody wants that. That doesn't mean that you have to simply live with these nasty smells, though.
If you want to naturally deodorize your freezer, you can add a container full of baking soda into the freezer and allow this magic powder to absorb the smells and leave it fresh.