Ask Mrs. Clean: House Cleaning, Stain Removal and Organizing Tips

[Moth]

Is Detol a good smell remover used on the floors and cupboards. Or should I use Pine Sol on floors. I'm desparate

[mrscleannw]

Hi Moth,

Thank you for posting your question on Mrs. Clean forum.

I believe that Detol is a soap or lotion known for it's antiseptic properties. Pine sol is an effective cleaner, I like the smell of the product, but unless you get to the actual cause of the odor, anything you use (including pine sol) will only ** mask ** the nasty smell, and then you are stuck with both your nasty smell along with the overwhelming odor of your cleaning agent.

Since I don't know the cause, I'd recommend you first make sure the area is clean, obviously to remove any remaining source of the air contamination.

Depending on the location and type of problem that is causing the bad odours, there are several natural deodorizing cleaners that will help.

Baking soda works really well at absorbing foul smells. It is a natural deodorizer, mild abrasive (good for scrubbing)and many people use it in the refrigerator to absorb odors and keep it smelling fresh.

You can also try Vinegar. Vinegar is acidic, mild antibacterial and it cuts grease and deodorizes. It kills mold and mildew. We use vinegar at Mrs. Clean to quickly clean linoleum or hardwood floors quickly with no residue left behind. Note: Don't use this on marble or stone surfaces.

There are many more commercial products available that contain strong chemical deodorizers, they may help as well, but fixing the source of the bad smell first (whether it is bleach, detergent, etc) will be much more effective than using another very strong smelling cleaning product.

Good Luck with your deodorizing! Let us know which product works for you.

[jayliber]

There is a green way of cleaning and odor removing. Boil vinegar with some lemon juice and put it in a bowl in that place where you'd like to remove odors. Check for more tips on my cleaning blog: http://bestcleaningservices.wordpress.com

[marry]

Thank you so much for your help.

[mariacleaning]

Hey friend,
Check this way out:


Baking soda is also a good absorbent. Put a generous amount of baking soda in an uncovered container (the size of the container depends on the size of the confined area) and leave it for several days. Remove the baking soda and replace it with new one and leave it for a couple of days. Continue replacing the baking soda until it has cleared the bad smell.

It's easy and very efficient. I hope it helps.

[authentication]

Wow this really helps me. Thank you very much for this post. I had really a hard time fixing the bad smells.

[misty52]

I had a same problem with my fridge in the basement. I haven't used this for 2 months and it got a little bit mold with a bad smell. I was about to throw this fridge but we cleaned out with baking soda and the smell is gone. Thanks for the info.