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You're welcome. The one exception to organic waste in a trash can is citrus peels. They should not go into a compost pile, because they won't break down. Fortunately, they don't create an odor problem, and they might actually improve matters!
Chop an apple into small pieces, add some cinnamon sticks and water. Let the mixture simmer on the stove. As it heats up, a fresh citric smell will spread throughout the house.
Clean often, empty trash, keep up with your laundry, have carpets shampooed often, wash walls once a year, wipe all furniture down with Murphy's oil soap often, wash/clean draperies, air the place out, use a large ionizer (they are great!). To me, trying to cover up odors with candles, fabreeze, etc, is worse than the original smell.
I simply take my trash out to the garbage cans in the detached garage daily. I can't smell what's in those big cans until I open the lids. I'll need to find a contained compost bin that keeps out rodents because I can't toss food garbage into my current compost pile. I don't have any room in my freezer, but I'd definitely get an extra basement freezer for food waste if I needed to combat a rodent problem. (My sister froze her trash for that reason once.) Fortunately, that hasn't been a problem since I'm meticulous about taking my trash bags out to the secure garbage cans outside daily.
Chop an apple into small pieces, add some cinnamon sticks and water. Let the mixture simmer on the stove. As it heats up, a fresh citric smell will spread throughout the house.
This is a neat organic idea!
Quote:
Originally Posted by LivingDeadGirl
To me, trying to cover up odors with candles, fabreeze, etc, is worse than the original smell.
I agree. If I want a pretty smell, it's not to cover an order. I prefer to prevent odors by keeping everything fresh with nontoxic cleaners, some of which do smell good. I like natural scents like flower arrangements from my garden. I'm looking forward to the lilacs blooming in a few weeks.
Here's an unusual potential source of odor for those of us who live in dry climates. Years ago, we discovered that the trap in our basement dries out thanks to an awkwardly positioned heater. Once a week or so in the cold months we pour a bucket of water down the drain to prevent sewer gas from backing up into the house. Woe to all if we forget! It's a wicked bad odor.
Last edited by randomparent; 05-01-2014 at 07:02 PM..
I'm a little shocked, while reading these threads, there's such a need to cover up odors.
If randomparent's most excellent suggestions are followed many odors won't start in the first place.
Outside of taco night and the litter box there's not much of a problem around Casa Dew. Since we live where it gets very hot I use odor control bags for the kitchen trash so that when it goes into the wheelie bin and sits for a week it doesn't stink to high heaven. The litter box gets cleaned daily. The people IN the house are clean. And with very low humidity things don't get musty or damp.
The last odor problem we had was when a box of cheap-o wine leaked all over the fridge. That lesson was..... drink faster.
I was thinking the same thing...I don't really need to do anything special to keep my house from smelling like a dirty sock! Goodness - and I'm not even a fabulous housekeeper! Even when my house is dirty, it doesn't smell bad...
ETA - the humidity does make some difference as far as musty or damp smells - but I've lived in humid climates and I don't remember odors being a big problem...
It's obvious that dirty socks was an exaggeration for humor. The thread is part satire and serious.
Personally, I'm interested in organic and nontoxic ways to clean and deodorize because I don't want to develop any odors that could inspire me to use crazy toxic air fresheners.
The Diaper Genie years were pungent to put it mildly.
OMG! Those were awful! Do parents still use them today?
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Do parents still use them today?
