How to Neutralize Your Home of Cooking Odors

First, to avoid cooking smells from collecting in the house try opening the windows, not running the air conditioning, close all interior doors and run cooking fan before you start cooking.

All surfaces in cooking area will need to be cleaned with warm soapy water or a combination with vinegar. This includes all walls, ceilings, tops of cabinets, bottoms of counters, framing and inside cabinets and drawers.  Same with all cooking appliances and cookware. Scrub all knobs, backsplash, especially tile grout areas though they are tough to clean.

Wash cooking vent in dishwasher with lemon juice. Scrub cooktop, inside ovens, refrigerator and dishwasher. Change house filters.

Wash all food containers, seal and double wrap any especially pungent foods or store outside or in garage. Use plastic bags & Rubbermaid containers.

Some random smell absorbing ideas: open bowls of baking soda, or white vinegar, or coffee beans. Spraying with Oust or Febreze.  Boiling water with lemons or boil water with vinegar

( 2 cups water, 1 cup, 1 tsp whole cloves.) Many of the web sites talk about how many spices are already prepared in oil, so any heating releases these oils/proteins and to best clean, something acidic works best to neutralize.

Certain light scented candles can help absorb-vanilla, lemon, orange, tangerine?  Bake cinnamon rolls the morning of a showing.

Many sites agree that the smell of cumin, turmeric, or curry may never go away 100%  but recommend replacing pad and carpet after sealing floors beneath. Sealing all walls and ceilings with primer then repainting. Replace ALL filters. Professionally clean air/duct work.

Wash inside of windows and do not forget the upper transom windows.

Wash door frames and inside doors and handles, especially pantry door.

Neutralizing Pet Odors

Most dog & pet odors can be eliminated by good basic cleaning (listed above) of cages, litter boxes, sleeping and eating areas. Cat urine that has soaked through carpet, pad, or under-layment/plywood will need special attention because of the enzymes. Bleach and vinegar help but you usually need a special product. Unless you can reach all areas to kill the enzymes you will have to remove the carpet, pad, and plywood.  Try Google or Pinterest for treatments. Many are much like skunk smell removal...hydrogen peroxide, liquid detergent & vinegar or baking soda.

Rid Musty or Damp Smells

Try dehumidifier if possible. Box fan with air filter taped in back. For larger areas try plastic, metal or shallow glass containers of BBQ charcoal briquettes or kitty litter. Change every 2-4 weeks. For smaller areas hang tied together chalk, or bowls of vinegar or baking soda or coffee beans. Try an Ionizer, maybe rent and add a professional cinnamon treatment to furnace filters.

EB 10/18