It’s not uncommon to get a whiff of something foul in your home on occasion.
However, you can often find that following your nose simply leads you in circles. In 2018, the entire city of Derby was plagued by a sewage like smell that nobody could find the cause of, at first. Sometimes, the cause of the odour isn’t immediately apparent, and it requires some more investigative intuition to remedy the situation at hand.
Where can such an horrendous smell be coming from in your house? What should you check, and what should you clean?
Below, you’ll find a quick list of all the things these scents could be, and how to remedy them.
Hidden Mould
Mould is not only smelly, but it’s also incredibly dangerous.
After all, entire apartments have collapsed due to mould, claiming lives and destroying livelihoods elsewhere too. It often takes root in more obscure spaces of your home, it grows at alarming rates when it goes unnoticed too. A foul smell from behind your furniture could well be the product of mould, because it thrives in spaces where the air can’t quite circulate as efficiently as it perhaps should.
Bleach, water, and a good scrubbing are the most commonly used methods of removing mould. Depending on the level of damage, you may need to call out professional services for a thorough clean or to carry out structural repair. If you’re renting your property, you will also need to contact your landlord to notify him or her of the issues present.
To prevent further issues in future, simply keep your home as well-ventilated as possible and frequently monitor the areas where mould arises. You can often smell mould before you see it, so stay sharp and eradicate it as soon as you become aware of the problem.
Faulty Drains
When there’s a bad odour, your drains can often be responsible.
Of course, not many homeowners are well-versed in rummaging around drains and identifying the issue. Nor would they want to, given the smell! In these circumstances, it’s best to make use of CCTV drain surveys from Drain Detectives, as they’ll provide you with a thorough diagnoses on what is going wrong. Their camera can identify a plethora of structural issues, and even rat problems should you be having those too. In the end, these services are ideal to use if your drains are blocked and the horrible smells won’t go away.
It can be tempting to use air fresheners or open windows to banish a smell, but it won’t stay gone if the problem is in the drains. After all, they are the figurative roots of your house. A quality fix is absolutely essential here, so entrusting that matter to the experts will ensure things go back to normal as soon as possible.
Kitchen Items
Some areas of your home are simply more prone to unsavoury smells, and the kitchen is one of them.
A piece in The Telegraph notes that, the kitchen is a prime culprit for foul smells in the home, whether it’s from the high volumes of traffic, the use of bins, or pets such as dogs typically bedding down in the area. Therefore, it makes sense to periodically concentrate much of your efforts in this space, removing as much of the bacteria as possible.
Wiping down ovens and bins and utilising extractor fans are strong places to start. Washing your dog’s baskets and bedding weekly is advisable too. The source above also recommends the use of a Dyson fan heater to purify the air, so that could be a viable option worth exploring as well. Ultimately, maintaining a regular cleaning schedule is the key here.
It’s important to also remember that the kitchen is a communal area, like many areas in the home. Therefore, sharing the responsibilities in the form of a cleaning rota might just help you and your household stay on top of things here. Persistence is vital in eradicating foul smells, so unite those you’re living with under this common cause.
Poor Pet Hygiene
Your pets are likely good boys and girls, but they do make smelly messes on occasion.
To be stinky here and there is in their nature. They can roll in foul things while on walks, or simply leave stools dotted around the house or in their cages. When you do smell these little presents then, acting fast is essential, or you’ll live with it all forever. Guests won’t be impressed either!
Aside from washing out their bedding and cages as mentioned in the last section, give your pets a good wash sometimes too. A quick bath can work wonders! Swap out old collars if they have become worn overtime and check the teeth and ears of your animals too. If you have a dog with a curly coat, lifting tails and checking rears might also be advisable, in case any of their stools are caught in their fur. It’s not pleasant, but pets are responsible for a great deal of smelly mischief, so being thorough is important.
