Baking soda can take several hours to absorb odors. It's recommended that you allow at least 24 hours to remove odors. When you make this baking soda air freshener DIY, let it sit for 24 hours to notice a change.
Next, sprinkle about ¼ cup of baking soda evenly over the affected area, and let it sit out for awhile. Overnight or around 8 hours would work, but the longer it's left out, the more effective it will be. After the baking soda has had time to neutralize the odor, vacuum it all up.
Baking soda absorbs impurities in the air, which is why it can also be used as a deodorizer. If you use it for that purpose, it does the job for thirty days. But if you accidentally leave the pack open, it's better to replace it for the same reason.
Add 1 tablespoon (14 g) of baking soda to a small bowl or dish. Mix 5 to 6 drops of an essential oil into the baking soda with a spoon until they are well combined. You don't necessarily have to add an essential oil to the air freshener. The baking soda will absorb odors to help freshen the air on its own.
Millions of people keep a box of baking soda in the refrigerator and freezer to help keep them from smelling stale. But that little orange box, shaker container, or 3.5 lb. pouch contains a multi-purpose substance you can use to clean and deodorize all kinds of items and areas.
Tackle the Smell
Place bowls of baking soda around the basement. The baking soda will begin to absorb the odors and should make a significant difference over the course of a few days. You can also use bowls of white vinegar or clean cat litter—both will absorb odors as well.
If you or someone in your home is sensitive to any scents, you can still use baking soda to freshen the air. Simply sprinkle a few tablespoons into small, uncovered bowls and place them around the house where they can't easily be tipped over or attract curious children and pets.
Febreze Odor-Fighting Air Freshener
This GH Seal-star spray quickly tackles airborne cooking odors, smoke, must and more with its cyclodextrin technology that surrounds odor molecules and pulls them from the air. And all this performance comes at a great price, making it our Best Value pick.
A: Spokesmen at Church and Dwight Co. Inc., the makers of Arm and Hammer baking soda, said baking soda contains a hydrogen ion and that can bind with acidic (body odor) and alkaline (fish smell) odors to neutralize them.
Baking soda, unlike most commercial air fresheners, doesn't mask odors, “it absorbs them," says Mary Marlowe Leverette, a home economist and blogger. Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate in a convenient box) neutralizes stubborn acidic odors -- like those from sour milk -- as well as other funky smells lurking in your home.
When you need to remove a bad smell, your first step is to air out the room. The easiest way to do this is open all the windows and leave them open for 24 hours, if you can. You might also invest in an air purifier or plants to increase your efforts.
Sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda on the smelly carpet and let it sit as long as possible, ideally overnight, so it can absorb as much of the odor as it can. You can vacuum the excess away if you have a strong vacuum or absorb some of the baking soda with a damp cloth and vinegar first.
'Leave a bowl of vinegar out overnight,' advises Saskia Gregson-Williams, cookbook author and founder of Naturally Sassy. 'In the morning, the vinegar will have absorbed all the unsavory smells and your kitchen will be as fresh as a daisy. '
Add about 25 drops of your favorite essential oil to 2 tablespoons of baking soda and stir to combine. Lemon and lavender are great choices, but eucalyptus is my favorite because of the refreshing scent. Pour the baking soda and essential oil mix into the water and stir. Then funnel the water into your spray bottle.
Common culprits to watch out for include mold and mildew, dust, dirty laundry, stains and spills, pet accidents and leftover food. Once you determine the source of the smell, dispose of it and clean the area as needed.
Open Windows Can Make Your Home Smell Better
Open a window! Nobody likes that stuffy house smell, but you'll notice a dramatic difference when you air things out. Just as pollutants get trapped inside a closed-up home, so can odors.
Luckily all aromas get less over time thanks to a weakening concentration of scent molecules. Smells 'disappear' when the aroma molecules disperse in the air to a concentration below your detection threshold.
The colder months hinder not just on the way scent travels through the air, but the way we perceive those smells, too. In the winter, the air is drier which inhibits the far travel of molecules to our noses. The colder it is, the fewer smells you can perceive.
Bicarbonate of soda is ineffective against most bacteria including salmonella E. coli and staphylococcus. Use caution when applying bicarb to aluminium cookware, and avoid if possible. Allowing bicarb to sit on the surface for too long can cause it to oxidise and change colour.
The research shows that body hair by itself is not a cause of bad body odor. But everyone is unique. Some guys report smelling better after their shave their armpits, body hair, or pubes. They feel that it makes them sweat less and smell better.