You’ve cleaned, polished, and dusted your house ahead of your showing. Unfortunately, you’ve noticed it may not smell as nice as you’d like, especially now that the colder weather is here and you’ve closed your windows for the year. As tempting as it is to buy scented plugins, step away from them…slowly. When a potential buyer comes through your door and is hit with heavy perfumes, it raises an alarm. What odor is this seller trying to hide? Pet stains? Mold and mildew? Even worse, some people react badly to the plugins, which can trigger respiratory diseases like asthma. Don’t cover the odors up; remove them with these 8 tips.
1. Duct Cleaning
If you haven’t inspected your ducts in a while, you’d be surprised at the nasty things they can hide, and the odors they emit into your home.
Mold and mildew in ductwork is more common than you’d like to think, and are usually caused by an improperly positioned condensate drain that allows water to leak in. You may also be smelling dirt and dust, nested by the warm air from your HVAC system. If you smell natural gas or oil, this could be the sign of a bigger problem and will require a visit from an HVAC technician.
Getting your ducts professionally cleaned can eliminate odors seeping out of your exchanges.
2. Steam Clean Carpets
Not only does a freshly cleaned carpet look nice in a well-staged home, it eliminates odors, too. The smell of carpet shampoos is usually quite light and fresh, not overpowering like with a spray or plugin. You can steam away years of odor buildup in just a few hours, even the odors you’ve gone nose-blind to. Dirt, pet mess, and neglect can lead to carpets smelling musty; go ahead and give them a steam bath.
3. Wash Your Curtains
If you have machine washable curtains, toss them in the washer with a gentle detergent. If washing your curtains isn’t an option, such as with heavy lined drapery, steam clean them to remove dirt and odors. You can hang them outside in the sun to dry them for even more freshness. Grab your machine washable shower curtain while you’re at it, and change out the liner to remove moldy, musty bathroom smells.
4. Steam Couch Cushions and Furniture
Hope you rented that carpet cleaner for a few more hours, because steam cleaning your furniture is a great way to remove odors from cushions and fabric surfaces. This is especially helpful if your pet likes a good couch nap in the afternoon.
5. Deep Clean Your Home
Dirt stinks. Literally. Pet hair under the couch, dust on the fan blades, and buildup in your shower or kitchen sink drains can all add up to a less than fresh smell. Don’t just clean your house to a “friends” level, clean it to a “my in-laws are coming to visit for the first time” level. Run your dishwasher and washing machine through a cleaning cycle, too. You can wipe down your walls with a slightly damp cloth for an extra freshness boost, but be very careful not to overwet the sponge or use any type of cleaner or detergent to avoid damaging your paint.
6. Odor Eliminators
If you can’t resist a spray, go for a neutralizer spray that eliminates odors, not a heavily perfumed one that just overpowers them. Febreze Unscented is one option, but there are many others, too.
7. Dehumidifiers
If you have access to a dehumidifier or a humidifier with a charcoal filter, run it for a few hours to eliminate bad odors.This is a great way to get rid of musty, moldy smells. Remember to have it put away before you show your home; these appliances, especially a dehumidifier in a basement, can trigger a warning alarm to a potential buyer.
8. Open the Windows
Sometimes, a little fresh air is all you need. Airing out the house is a great, natural way to eliminate odors. Turn your thermostat down before cracking the windows if you’re doing this in the winter to keep your furnace from working overtime. An hour or two should be all that is needed to let in a bit of freshness.
For a handy way to keep track of your to-do items when you’re selling your home, download this free checklist, and make sure you’ve followed the above steps so you can cross “eliminate bad odors” off the list. For the rest of your list, contact me and let’s talk about selling your home.
