Apartments are notorious for having odor issues that single-family homes may not. You may have noticed, no matter what you try to do to keep your apartment smelling great and fresh, you still have some type of odor issue. The odor may be faint or it may come from a central location in the apartment. This can cause havoc with sinuses, with guests' impressions of your home, and with finding a solution for the problem. There are ways to tackle apartment odor, make your apartment smell great, and reduce the amount of overpowering scents you use.
Locating the Odor
If your apartment has pockets of odor, or if you notice a strange odor occasionally, try to locate the odor first. This is tougher than you may think, simply because the odor could be coming from your neighbors or within the walls. Look for water damage, mold, or a wood-rot smell. These issues occur in areas like the back of a closet, under sinks, or around the shower area of a bathroom. If you have a laundry room, be sure to check the vents. They may be harboring lint that traps in foul odor. If you locate the odor, then take the steps to remove the culprit. If not, then you still have some other options to keep the apartment smelling great.
Bring in Nature
Bringing in nature is easier than you think. Sure, you can open windows to freshen up the rooms and make sure to dust in order to remove allergens, but there are other natural ways to freshen the air. Consider green plants throughout the apartment. Even in small studio apartments, there are areas that green plants can become beneficial. Hang plants in kitchen areas, place them on shelves as a decorative item in living rooms, or place a large green plant in the corner of a bedroom. Green plants will automatically allow nature to take charge and clean the air throughout the apartment. The plants remove odor, clean the air, and release it back into the environment without the use of harsh chemicals or overpowering scents.
Stop Misting and Spraying
If you have tried the air freshener route to no avail, then you know misting and spraying only offers a temporary sweet scent fix. Instead of using chemical mists and sprays, try using a fabric softener sheet in air vents. The fabric softener sheets will last for several days and keep the air circulating with a fresh and clean scent. If you are not comfortable with the fabric softener approach, there is still hope. Scented oil reed diffusers, wax simmer pots, and potpourri simmer options will also create a sweet scent that will keep your apartment smelling clean and fresh. Just remember to keep simmer pot options in safe locations and to extinguish them at night or when you leave the apartment.
The best ways to keep your apartment smelling fresh and clean are to open windows at least once a week, vacuum rugs to remove debris, locate any odd odors, and add green plants for a natural odor eliminator. If you combine those basic methods with a light scent from diffusers and simmer options, then the scent will take care of itself.
