Our homes will always have lingering smells, and no matter how well, or often we clean, some of these smells are inevitable. Some odors like mold may herald potential danger and may require a professional to clean them up. Other smells, however, are less hazardous and can be easily eliminated with the right cleaning products. Follow this quick guide to learn about the causes of these various smells and what you can do to eliminate them.
1. Smoke Odor
The smell of smoke tends to linger on carpets, upholstery, clothes, and any other absorbent surface it can find. Even if you ask a guest to smoke outside, the smoky smell can still carry into your whole house. Additionally, your building’s HVAC system might carry the smoke odor throughout the building. When this happens, homespun odor eliminating remedies—leaving out small bowls of coffee around the home or sprinkling baking soda on the carpets to absorb the smells—won’t work.
To help remedy this, consider using Veil’s smoke odor eliminator. The veil is an all-natural, non-toxic, and eco-friendly odor eliminator designed to neutralize the smell of smoke. Made from a blend of essential oils, a spritz of this room spray provides a fragrance combination of black pepper, Virginia Cedar, and sweet orange scents. Even better, it can be used to get of other unpleasant smells besides smoke.
2. Musty Smell
If you’ve noticed wet cardboard or a musty smell in your home, chances are you might have a mold problem. Mold can expose you to allergic reactions and other respiratory issues, so you find its source once you notice this smell. Most mold problems develop around the windows and often go unnoticed. If not removed, this mold could spread to the rest of your home and affect the quality of your indoor air.
If you notice a whistling noise coming from your windows, it might be time to consider a window replacement. In most cases, this whistling sound indicates that you have a leak and your window glaze needs to be re-sealed. Put, window glaze is the sticky strips that hold window glass in place. If not tended to, this can result in window condensation (when warm air inside your home collects on a cold surface, like your cold, unsealed windows), which is responsible for mold growth.
Having your windows repaired can help you save a fortune on expensive energy bills, so as soon as you notice an air leak or broken window, contact schedule a window inspection with a professional. If you’re looking for replacement house windows in Kalamazoo, consider the team at All-Weather Seal.
An All Weather Seal technician can answer all of your questions about your home’s windows questions and help with your window replacement needs. Besides ensuring that your air conditioner isn’t being overworked, they’ll also install energy-efficient windows to ensure that your monthly electricity bill stays low.
3. Sulfur
One of the most common plumbing issues is the rotten egg or sulfur smell that water heaters emit as you run water out of your faucets or other water lines. This smell is caused by a buildup of bacteria within the water heater tank, usually when warm water is left to sit in your tanks for too long.
Once you notice this sulfur smell, first confirm that your water heater is the cause of the issue. To do this, only run the cold water tap. If you fail to notice the rotten egg smell, then it’s likely that your heater is the cause of the foul smell. After you establish the cause of the smell, it may be time to call a professional plumbing company to have your drains serviced.
If you’re looking for professional plumbers in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, or the surrounding areas, we recommend the team at Wagner Mechanical. Their team of experienced plumbers is known for their reliable and fast service. With several years of experience repairing different water heater makes and models, you can trust that there’s no plumbing project that these Albuquerque plumbing experts can’t handle.
4. Burnt Dust
If you’re starting your furnace for the first time in months, it may give off a burning smell. Similar to how unused household items gather dust, your furnace may also collect some dust. This dust will eventually burn off once you start your furnace, and this is to be expected. However, if the burning odor lingers, try vacuuming or dusting your furnace to remove the lingering dust and debris.
Home odors can be subtle and tricky to deal with. In some cases, they’re faint and announce themselves over time, making their source hard to find. In other cases, they’re easily identifiable and easy to fix. To avoid any surprises, be sure to regularly clean your home, repair any broken appliances, and have your HVAC system regularly serviced by a professional.
