Through the House Thursday! My House Smells Weird

I took about a week off to get things in order for Halloween, so much chaos here with 6 kids. I found this interesting article about finding smells at the source in the August 2010 issue of Woman's Day magazine. I am only going to list 3 and then will list the final 4 another day when I have more time.

My House Smells Weird!

The only way to remove a smell is to remove the source. This sounds basic, but you'd be surprised how often people spray air freshener and pray the smell will disappear. It won't. Odor experts never use air fresheners: "They mask the source as opposed to dealing with it," says Dr. Shaughnessy. Here's how to handle some common problems.

Smells like: Rotten Eggs-That's hydrogen sulfide coming from your main sewer line. The U-shaped trap in one of your drains may have dried up.

Get rid of it by: Doing a test: Pour a teaspoon of peppermint oil down a drain and run hot water, If you can smell the peppermint in another part of the house, you probably have a bad trap. Dump a couple of cups of water into the smelly drain.

If that doesn't work: Call a plumber. You likely have a crack in the trap that needs to be plugged or replaced. If that's not it, there may be a crack elsewhere in the plumbing system.

Smells like: Unbathed Pets-It's most likely underfoot. Most odors come not from your carpet, but the padding underneath. Pet urine is a common culprit.

Get rid of it by: Steam cleaning--it's the only way to get through to the padding. Or try a short-term solution: Cover up the smell with baking soda (sprinkle it on the rug, then vacuum).

If that doesn't work: You're going to have to pull up the carpet, remove the padding, and replace it with new padding.

Smells like: Decaying Animals-It's amazing how much one teeny tiny dead mouse can smell.

Get rid of it by: Checking behind appliances and in the chimney. If you find the animal, shovel it into a double layer of plastic garbage bags and put it out with the trash. Disinfect the shovel.

If that doesn't work: Call an exterminator. They're experts at locating (and removing!) dead animals behind walls and under homes.