Odours are just part of life. Whether they come from cooking, pets, sports gear or laundry left too long in the machine, smells have a habit of lingering on household textiles long after the original cause is gone.
The good news is you don’t need a cupboard full of expensive products to sort it out. These 8 proven tips to remove common odours around your home use simple, mostly natural ingredients you probably already have — so you can pick whichever suits the smell (and the fabric) you’re dealing with.
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Top Tips to Remove Common Odours
#1. Sunshine
The simplest way to remove musty, mildew-y odours from clothes and textiles is good old-fashioned sunshine. UV rays destroy the spores and bacteria responsible for that stale smell, and sunlight is gentle enough to use on almost any fabric or item.
Mattresses benefit from a sunshine airing too. They’re one of the household items cleaned least often, yet they can hold onto a surprising amount of odour-causing bacteria. To freshen a musty mattress, strip off the bed linen and stand the mattress upright somewhere sunny — either indoors with the windows open, or outside in the garden if you have the space.
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#2. White Vinegar
White vinegar is non-toxic, inexpensive, and something most kitchens already have. It’s mildly acidic and reacts with most odour-causing substances, which makes it especially effective against pet urine smells.
Simply mist undiluted distilled white vinegar onto the affected surface using a spray bottle (blot up any fresh urine first), then leave it to dry. The vinegar smell itself is strong at first but dissipates quickly, leaving the area smelling fresh rather than vinegary.
You can also mist vinegar onto clothes that have picked up a musty smell from sitting too long in the washing machine, or add a cup of distilled white vinegar to the laundry cycle on a delicates setting to lift cooking smells out of curtains.
Keeping a spray bottle of vinegar in the laundry room means you can tackle two jobs — odour removal and light disinfecting — with barely any extra effort.
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#3. Borax
Borax is handy when brand-new clothes don’t smell quite as fresh as they should. New t-shirts and other garments straight from the factory can carry a faint chemical smell from the treatment process used to keep them hygienic during manufacturing and transport.
A regular wash cycle will shift some of that smell, but adding a cup of Borax to a single laundry load helps absorb the odour more thoroughly. It’s also a bleach-free way to lift yellowing from white t-shirts.
#4. Baking Soda
Carpets take a battering — foot traffic, pet accidents, spills — all of which can lead to a build-up of odour-causing bacteria in the fibres. Steam cleaning every few months helps, but there’s an easier way to keep carpets smelling fresh in between.
Baking soda neutralises odours naturally. Vacuum the carpet first to lift any loose particles, then sprinkle a thin, even layer of baking soda over the area and leave it for at least two hours. Vacuum it back up using the brush attachment, and the odour should lift with it.
For an extra fresh finish, add a little lemon peel or a few drops of your favourite essential oil before vacuuming up. This method works just as well on upholstery. Baking soda is also useful on a urine-soaked mattress — sprinkle it on to soak up and dry out the moisture before disinfecting with vinegar or bleach.
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#5. Steam
The high heat of steam kills bacteria and mould spores, with the bonus of removing wrinkles and refreshing tired-looking clothes. It’s ideal for upholstery and other chemical-sensitive items that could be damaged by regular laundry products.
Add a few drops of essential oil to your steam cleaner to help mask any lingering smell as you go. Depending on how strong the odour is, you may need a couple of passes over the item to fully clear it.
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#6. Activated Charcoal
Activated charcoal is another strong odour absorber. This heat-treated charcoal can tackle stubborn smells, from pet odours to the chemical smell sometimes found on second-hand clothing.
You’ll usually find activated charcoal at pet shops (often in the aquatics section) or online. To use it on fabric, place a block of charcoal in a sealable bag or container along with the item and leave it for at least 24 hours, or up to a week for stronger odours.
#7. Essential Oils
Sometimes a smell lingers even after fabric deodorants and laundry products have done their best. Adding a few drops of your favourite essential oil gives an extra layer of freshness.
Essential oils tend to last longer than commercial fabric deodorants and are gentler on textiles. Some, like clove oil or tea tree oil, also have natural anti-bacterial properties that help slow the return of odour-causing bacteria, keeping clothes fresher for longer.
#8. Bleach
Bleach is a powerful disinfectant and highly effective against stubborn pet urine odours and the bacteria that cause them — but it can damage certain fabrics, so use it carefully.
Always work in a well-ventilated space, as the fumes are strong. Dilute one part bleach in ten parts water and test on a small, hidden area of fabric first.
For pet urine odours: soak up as much excess urine as possible with baking soda first, remove the soda, then spray the diluted bleach solution on the area and leave for 30 minutes. Rinse with a damp cloth and warm, fresh water.
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Prevention really is better than cure. The best way to keep your home smelling fresh is a regular cleaning routine that stops odour-causing bacteria and mould building up in fabrics in the first place.
But odours happen to everyone, so for the times between cleans, these proven tips should help get your household textiles and clothes smelling fresh again.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the quickest way to remove a musty smell from clothes?
Sunshine is the fastest natural fix — hanging damp or musty-smelling items outside in direct sun helps UV rays break down the bacteria causing the smell. For a deeper fix, a rinse cycle with a cup of distilled white vinegar added works well.
Is vinegar safe to use on all fabrics?
White vinegar is gentle and safe for most washable fabrics and surfaces, and it’s a good first option before trying stronger products like bleach. As with any new product, it’s worth testing on a small hidden area first if you’re unsure.
How do I get pet odours out of carpet or upholstery?
Baking soda is your best starting point — sprinkle it over the area, leave for at least two hours, then vacuum it up. For urine odours specifically, white vinegar or a diluted bleach solution can help disinfect as well as deodorise.
Can I use essential oils instead of shop-bought fabric deodorants?
Yes — a few drops of essential oil added to laundry, carpets or a steam cleaner can freshen fabric naturally, and oils like tea tree have mild anti-bacterial properties too.
Is bleach necessary, or can I avoid it?
Bleach isn’t essential for most everyday odours — vinegar, baking soda, sunshine and steam handle the majority of household smells. Bleach is worth reaching for on tougher jobs like stubborn pet urine odours, always diluted and used in a well-ventilated space.
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Save These Tips for Later
Not dealing with a smelly sofa or musty mattress right now? Bookmark this page or save it to your favourite parenting folder so it’s ready the next time an odour catches you off guard.
Do you have any tips of your own for tackling household odours? Leave a comment below and let us know — we’d love to hear from you!
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