Does your house ever smell weird, with no indication of where the smell is coming from or what’s causing it? There can be many reasons for this.
Some smells are harmless, and just mean that something that shouldn’t be there has been ignored for too long. Other smells, however, could be dangerous, and may require professional cleanup, but these smells are fairly rare and often come with many other signs of danger.
If your house has been smelling especially funky these days, here are three possible reasons, and how to take care of the problem.
Mold—And How To Remove The Smell
Mold is quite common if you live in an area with high humidity, or your house has incurred water damage recently. Odor resulting from mold is usually musty, and even though it’s harmless in the beginning, it could pose health risks if left to grow for too long.
To remove mold, inspect your house for any damp areas that could encourage its growth. Once you’ve found all the areas, you can use simple household detergents with water to scrub it all off. Avoid using bleach as that will only kill mold spores that are alive, and not the spores. Once you’re done cleaning, dry the area properly and neutralize any humidity.
Tobacco—And How To Make Your House Smell Fresher
If someone in your house has been secretly smoking, household items will soon start smelling of tobacco because of the substance sticking to their surfaces. Cigarette smoke can penetrate carpets, bedding, and even your HVAC system, making your house reek of smoke, which poses health risks, especially for younger children.
To remove cigarette odors, start by opening all your windows and let the air out. Next, clean out or replace your filters, including air filters and AC filters. You can clean your walls using ammonia and glycol and seal them with a fresh coat of paint.
Pet Urine—How To Make It Go Away
If you have a pet that isn’t trained yet, getting rid of urine odor is probably a constant problem. Removing pet urine odor from nonporous surfaces like metal and plastic is easy, and your household detergent will be enough for that.
However, if your pet has peed on your carpet or sofa, it may be best to call in a professional cleaning company.
If you live in Scarborough, ME, our team can come in and make sure your house is squeaky clean and smelling fresh. We specialize in pet stain and odor removal, mold remediation, and water damage restoration. If you have any queries or questions, contact us here.