How to Deodorize a Stinky House

Dear Friends,

When we moved into our new home, the combination of paint fumes (it had just been painted) and Heaven knows what, made me feel like I was suffocating, and I had to keep going outside just to get fresh air. The carpets had dog hair on them, so obviously had not been shampooed before we moved in, and we were already in before we realized this.

(Ginger the cat agrees that it was a little malodorous!)

We have finally gotten it to smell only faintly bad (when you're in a room with carpet), and I thought I would share with you some of the things I did, in case you need help deodorizing your own living space.

Firstly, I kept the windows open constantly (we had to go buy adjustable screens at the hardware store, since none of the windows had screens), and had fans facing outward, going all night and day. There are no screen doors, or I would have had them open as well. We bought deodorizing volcanic stones, deodorizing gels, LOTS of baking soda, peppermint and orange essential oil (to mix in the baking soda for the carpets), and a big box of Nag Champa incense. We bought a good used vacuum cleaner off of Craigslist and used it over and over again on every carpet.

(Hyrum approves of fresh-smelling homes)

After a few days of diligent use, the bad odors started to disappear. This was relatively inexpensive, and now I am not sick in my own home! Once our budget has recovered from the move, we will be purchasing a high-quality air purifier as well (which I highly recommend for everyone, since inside air is much more polluted than outside) to remove any allergens like mold and pet dander.

I hope that this information has been useful to you. Remember when burning incense, to keep it away from smoke detectors and children!

Love,

Marqueta