how to get rid of house odors?

Elaine M
by Elaine M
house smells bad when you walk in the front door.
  9 answers
  • Pam Pam on Aug 25, 2012
    Try spraying Odor Ban. But you need to find the cause of the odor. Maybe too much moisture?
  • Pam Pam on Aug 25, 2012
    Do you have a moisture problem? Odor Ban spray is good for removing odors but you have to find the root of the odor.
  • Miriam Illions Miriam Illions on Aug 25, 2012
    If it's not a serious issue, you can always use an odor absorbent like Smells Begone.
  • Becky H Becky H on Aug 25, 2012
    I'd try to pinpoint the source of the odor.
  • Carroll A Carroll A on Aug 25, 2012
    My mom always said... Open them windows and blow the stink out. But I am with the others you need to pinpoint what is causing the odor.
  • Odor Ban, Air freshener, and all the other products like them are simply masking the odor and not doing anything from making it go away for good. You need to find the source of the odor. What is it? Do you have carpet? Basement or crawl under house? What about duct system if you have a air conditioning system. Being in TX perhaps your swamp cooler needs to be cleaned. It will build up all sorts of fungus that can cause odors if its not properly maintained. You can look into Ozone treatments. We do them for folks who have found the source and fixed it. The Ozone removes the odors that have become trapped in the other objects such as carpet walls, insulation, as well as fabrics on chairs, walls etc. But Ozone is not expected to be a long term solution. You must find the source and remove it.
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Aug 28, 2012
    You need to sniff out the source...literally. Once you have ID'd the problem you can take measures to fix it. With out knowing the exact cause you are just shooting in the dark. This article I wrote may provide some more insight. http://www.networx.com/article/what-are-you-inhaling-at-home
  • Elaine M Elaine M on Aug 29, 2012
    Thanks for all the help. Sniffing out the problem is what I will do then clean and open the house up.
  • Elaine, how old is the house? And what kind of odor is it that you have? Does it smell worse on sunny days or cloudy? Does it smell on just one side of it more then another? Sniffing out odors can be a bit tricky as the longer it is present the more it is absorbed into other soft goods. In any case tell us a bit more about your home. Type, age, style. How long you have lived there, how long this odor has been around? Knowing that may help us give you some more ideas on what it is being caused by. Bob