How to Remove Bad Odors & Dust From the Air

Layers of dust can make your home appear dirty and smell musty.

Everyone has experienced bad odors in their home, whether they forgot to take the trash out before they went on vacation or whether their child put tuna fish down the garbage disposal. Your home might also have a strong dust presence in the air that can cause an allergic reaction. Sometimes the bad odors remain long after you've solved the source of the odor. Remove these smells from the air with natural odor purifiers rather than chemicals that simply mask the smells. Remove dust from the air with air purifiers.

Things You'll Need

• White vinegar
• Bowls
• Activated charcoal

Instructions

Remove Odor With White Vinegar

1. Pour white vinegar into a bowl.

2. Place the bowl in the center of the room.

3. Let the bowl sit until the odors are gone. White vinegar is a natural odor neutralizer that will remove bad odors and dust smells from the air.

Remove Odor With Activated Charcoal

1. Place activated charcoal into a bowl. Do not confuse activated charcoal with charcoal briquettes.

2. Place the bowl in the center of your home. Use more than one bowl if you have a large home.

3. Let the activated charcoal sit for several days until the smells are gone.

Remove Odor With Baking Soda

1. Place baking soda in a few shallow dishes.

2. Place the dishes throughout your home.

3. Let the baking soda sit there to absorb odors until the smells are gone from the air.

Add Odor with Orange and Cinnamon

1. Place a cup of water into a pot.

2. Add the peels of one orange cut into small pieces.

3. Add 2 tbsp. cinnamon.

4. Boil the mixture for several minutes. This will not remove odors but it will return a pleasant smell to the home after you have eliminated odors.

Remove Dust

1. Look for an air purifier that has a HEPA filter to remove small dust particles from the air.

2. Purchase an air filter that is large enough to service your entire home or purchase a small one for each room.

3. Install the air purifier in your home. Change or clean its filter as directed by the manufacturer.

4. Dust the room often with a microfiber cloth to remove as much surface dust as possible. This will help prevent the dust from moving into the air.

References

• Mrs. Clean: Remove Odors From Your Home
• Mrs. Clean: Removing Odors From Drawers
• Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America: What Do I Need to Know About Air Filters?