By Daniel Mintz
Pull the clothespin off your nose and instead try these 10 common household items to deodorize every nook and cranny of your abode.
Green Tea for Cat Litter Boxes
Dry green tea leaves work like magic in reducing those unwelcome scents from the cat “john.” Break open a few bags and sprinkle the loose leaves into the box. Fluffy will also appreciate a more sanitary scented restroom.
Dryer Sheets for Trash Bins
Take a sheet from the laundry room’s playbook to stomp out persistent trash bin odors, a dryer sheet that is. They soak up yucky trash smells just like they do static. Toss one or two into the bin and let the fresh scents take over.
Baking Soda for Sneakers
Don’t ditch your barely worn sneakers just because your nose is ready to run for the hills. Sprinkle baking soda inside each one and let them sit overnight. In the morning, tap the powder off outside and the stenches will be shooed away.
Apple Cider Vinegar for Drains
Your upper GI isn’t the only plumbing that apple cider vinegar works wonders on. It also blasts away yucky odors that seep up from sewers and septic systems. Pour a half cup down any drain and send unpleasant smells back where they belong.
Vanilla Extract for Freezers
Here’s one cool odor fix to freshen up your ice box. Soak a cotton ball in vanilla extract, then swipe it around the inside of your freezer. Voila! The scent of fresh ice cream instantly replaces the reek of leftover meat.
Lemon Juice for Garbage Disposals
To snuff out the odor of a smelly garbage disposal, douse it with two cups of lemon juice. A zesty clean sink drain will make washing pots and pans slightly less of a drain.
Onions for Basements
After a hard rain, deploy an onion to absorb mold and mildew odors. Just slice one down the middle and let it sit in the cellar overnight. By morning, your eyes may tear—though not from the onion, but from the joy of an odor-free basement!
Coffee Grounds for the Fridge
If your meat locker stinks like a gym locker, fill a nylon stocking with coffee grounds and toss it inside the back of the fridge. The invigorating scent of java overpowers odors from fish, cheese, and other harsh-scented foods.
Salt and Cinnamon for Stove Spills
Next time soup or stew boils over, patter a few pinches of salt and cinnamon onto the spill while it’s still warm. After it’s dry, scrape off the residue. Future meals won’t permeate that smoky smell and have your neighbors calling the fire department on you.
