For several days - there was a bad smell in my house, and I couldn’t locate its source. To alleviate the bad odor I opened all the windows and then mopped the kitchen floor with bleach and water. The foul odor was still present.
The next day my sister came over and I didn’t say anything to her about the smell to see if she would detect it. She did. With her help we searched the house for the source.
She finally located the smell as coming from the washing machine. A few days before I had forgotten to transfer a wet load of clothes to the dryer and they mildewed.
I re-washed the load and put them in the dryer with a good smelling fabric sheet and thought that would be the end of it.
I soon realized that the washer still smelled bad.
My sister suggested that I run the washer on empty adding a little bleach and borax, and then leave the lid opened when it ran through. I did as she suggested..and even added a little good smelling Downey fabric softener at the bottom of the washer and left it in there when the cycle ended.
BINGO...the bad smell was eradicated and the problem was solved.
Here are some other ideas that can help with bad household odors:
Mop the floors with ½ cup of bleach added to a gallon of water (be careful not to splash it on your clothes, or they will become tie-dyed)
Mix lemon and water and heat on the stove to freshen the air
Mix white vinegar and water to clean kitchen surfaces
Open and place a box of baking soda to absorb odors in the freezer or refrigerator
Borax added to the wash or mixed with water to wash floors is a good fresh idea
Pour diatomaceous earth in a bowl to absorb household odors, or place in cheesecloth, twist and hang in closets.
Bars of scented soap hidden in drawers or closets clear the air
Add 30 drops of your favorite essential oil added to distilled water and poured into a spray bottle for an inexpensive air freshener.
Written by,
Dannie Duncan