Taming Odor Tips

Leave bar soap in the package and rest it somewhere out of sight. Hide an extra bar near your kitchen garbage can. Soap also lasts longer when it is dried. Open the your new soap bars and place them in closets, under the bed, in your armoire, in clothes drawers, or any place else you want to smell fresh, but not overpowering. Since it does not pick up odors, you can use it to shower after it becomes a bit hard.

Cat litter is good for eliminating cat odors, but can also be used to reduce other odors. Use cat litter in closets to reduce odors or put some in a coffee filter and stick in smelly shoes. If you have cats, be careful, as they might use the litter for their own purpose.

Put a large bowl of vinegar in a smelly room, such as the kitchen to eliminate unwanted odors. Put out a large bowl when you leave for work and when you arrive home at the end of the day, you will be surprised how well it works. Vinegar also works for wood furniture. Mix a 50-50 solution with water and wipe down the wooden furniture with a damp (not wet) cloth of the mixture.

I put used dryer sheets in clothes drawers and the pantry. They work for months. You can also put them in shoes to make them fresh. It is a good way to get a second use. They also work well in gym bags and luggage.

Baking soda is great to unstink a clothes hamper. Sprinkle on top of clothes. When ready, toss clothes into washer as usual. The baking soda also helps clean the clothes during washing. In fact, baking soda can replace detergent for washing clothes. Baking soda is also good for carpet stains or furniture odor. Sprinkle on, wait a while, then vacuum. Do not leave on for too long, or it may tend to bleach the fabric.

Coffee is the favorite of airlines to unstink airplane restrooms. Leave a dish of fresh, ground, unused coffee on a table and within hours the room smells better. If you travel, those little room packets of coffee are perfect to use in your bag with dirty laundry and at home for room odors.

Five Household Uses for Tea Bags

Tea is a great, natural way to clean and polish wood furniture. Brew a full pot of tea and allow it to cool to room temperature. Then dip a light colored, clean towel in the tea and gently rub the wet end of the towel along the surface of wooden furniture. The tea removes light stains and scratches and leaves the furniture shining.

If you wipe mirrors down with room temperature tea, they will be clean and streak-free. A microfiber towel or newspaper both work well.

Empty wet tea leaves into a bowl and sprinkle them across the fireplace before cleaning. The wet tea leaves absorb the ash, making it easier to clean the fireplace and with less dust.

Add a few used tea bags to the bottom of a planter before adding soil. The tea bags absorb excess water.

Used tag bags actually absorb odors in small spaces, much like baking soda does. Let tea bags dry completely and add to sock drawers or toss a bag into shoes or sneakers. The bags soak up odors for a few weeks.