Your home’s indoor air probably smells fine to you and the rest of your household — even if it isn’t fine. That’s because humans lose sensitivity to odors the longer we’re exposed to them. Woe to the first-time visitor greeted by a funky aroma upon crossing your threshold.
Don’t wait until a downright foul smell rears its head so fiercely that even you scrunch your face. It’s time to go on the offensive. Read on to learn about the top three sources of nasty home odors and why an air purifier with a HEPA filter and carbon pre-filter should be your weapon of choice for keeping the air inside your home fresh, clean, and healthy.
Culprit #1: Your Kitchen
The same kitchen that enables you to create delightfully fragrant meals can also host your home’s most pungent odors. Warm temperatures, moisture, and oxygen quickly take their toll on organic matter like meat scraps in trash cans, overripe fruit on counters, or expired dairy in fridges.
A Honeywell air purifier with a HEPA filter and activated carbon is a logical addition to any kitchen. It’s engineered to reduce the microscopic airborne particles related to odors, volatile organic compounds, gasses, and chemicals. Air purifiers with HEPA and carbon filters circulate filtered and fresher-smelling air back into your kitchen.
Kitchen areas that produce unwanted odors:
- Trash can
- Fridge, freezer
- Sink and disposal
- Stove, oven, microwave
- Counters
Back up your air purifier’s efforts by preventing bad kitchen smells as much as you can. Place a scented dryer sheet in the bottom of your trash can. Empty your fridge and countertops of goods that are past their prime. Put the appropriate organic scraps to good use with a compost bin.
Use baking soda and white vinegar to clean your kitchen. They’re natural, inexpensive, tried-and-true cleaning products that can tame tough scents.
Culprit #2: Your Bathrooms
Bathrooms don’t have to smell bad! If yours does, don’t hang the blame on your toilet bowl too quickly. Not enough air circulating through a small, humid room is a recipe for mold and mildew.
Common bathroom offenders:
- Toilets
- Dirty clothes (especially workout wear), towels
- Mold and mildew
Remember to wash sweaty clothing and towels immediately. If that’s not possible, air them out in larger spaces without humidity or outside, until you can wash them. No one enjoys that locker room smell.
Mold and mildew can form on more bathroom surfaces than you want to contemplate. (Mildew is the start of a mold colony.) Because mold can compromise the health of sensitive or allergic household members, it’s vital to deal with it properly.
To clean mold and mildew — and rid yourself of the associated odors — baking soda and white vinegar are reliable allies. Bleach, too, is an effective mold remover.
Culprit #3: Your Pets
No one wants to point the finger at a beloved pet. Yet, a furry friend can contribute to the “character” of your indoor air.
Honeywell air purifiers to the rescue! HEPA air purifier machines shine whether operating in small rooms or large spaces.
Pet-related odor sources:
- Cat litter
- Urine, vomit
- Food and water bowls
- Beds, blankets
- Carpets, rugs
And odors aren’t Fido’s only indoor air pollutants. Molecules from pet saliva, urine, and dander (dead skin cells) can linger in the air, irritating members of your household with allergies.
Let a HEPA air purifier trap airborne particles while you clean up after your furry family members. Washing food and water bowls daily, as you would your own, is an easy place to start. Ditto for laundering your animals’ blankets on the same schedule you use for your own.
Foam shaving cream and a little warm water can make quick work of tough stains and smells. And vacuuming on the regular — using a vacuum with HEPA filtration — just makes sense.
A Clean-Smelling Home Is Easy-Breezy
We spend up to 90% of our time indoors. For a more pleasant for household members, guests, and pets, cleaner indoor air matters.
Want to know where to buy Honeywell air purifiers for any size room, plus replacement HEPA filters? Click here!