**How to Really Get Rid of Bad Odors at Home: A Step-by-Step Guide by “KP” and Experts**

“Just part of life!”—a fitting phrase from Carlson that describes the unwelcome arrival of unpleasant smells in an apartment. The sources of stench in a living space can be endless, and it doesn’t always come from outside. Sometimes, we neglect hygiene, make messes, and later find ourselves pinching our noses. Our sense of smell is especially sharp when we return home from outside. After about ten minutes, our receptors dull—nature’s way of helping us adapt as the brain “blocks” unpleasant sensations, making the stink seem to disappear. But in reality, it’s just an illusion. Here’s how to truly eliminate odors at home.

### **Causes of Unpleasant Smells in Your Home**
Bad odors never appear out of nowhere—there’s always a source. Here are possible culprits:

**Spoiled food**—Not everything goes in the fridge. Fruits and vegetables, for example, often sit in kitchen cabinets. Check them—something might have gone bad and needs tossing.

**Pets**—A treasure trove of aromas. No matter how clean cats are, they follow their own rules, turning shoes, closet corners, or even beds into makeshift litter boxes. Dogs, meanwhile, revel in smells humans find revolting—like rolling in feces on walks and bringing the stench home. To them, it’s a delightful perfume.

**Old plumbing or clogged drains**—A common source of lingering foulness.

**Neighbors**—Odors can travel through vents. Hoarding disorders in big cities aren’t rare, and worse—when someone passes away unnoticed next door. Until authorities decide whether to investigate, neighbors endure the stench.

**Hallway smells**—Often from backed-up garbage chutes, especially unbearable in summer. Many new buildings seal them off.

**Pollution**—A city dweller’s woe. Cars, power plants, factories—they emit not just carbon dioxide but all sorts of combustion byproducts.

**Construction “gifts”**—Not an urban legend: disgruntled workers might hide rotten eggs or dead rats in walls or vents as revenge.

### **Effective Ways to Eliminate Odors**

#### **Urine Smells**
For clothes or bedding, a thorough wash with detergent and fabric softener suffices. Use an extra rinse cycle.

*”For furniture, floors, and hard surfaces, sprinkle baking soda first. Then wipe with a cloth soaked in hydrogen peroxide. Reapply soda and vacuum after 12 hours. A vinegar solution (3-4 tbsp per 200ml) helps too. Iodine, bleach, or potassium permanganate solutions also work—but chlorine is toxic to pets, and others may stain,”* says Arthur Kochetarov, head of a cleaning company.

He advises against DIY experiments—just buy specialized pet-safe cleaners. Professional cleaning services are pricier but guarantee odor removal and a spotless home—though budget plays a role.

#### **Pet Odors**
The best solution? Head to a pet store for enzyme sprays that neutralize animal odors. The downside? The bottles (500-750ml) are huge, though you only need a few spritzes. Expect to pay 600-1000 rubles.

These sprays *work*. This writer has repeatedly tackled pet smells, resolving them in one treatment. A single bottle gets passed around relatives, still half-full after years. Use it on shoes, floors, clothes, or bedding—wait 15-20 minutes, then rinse. The odor vanishes.

Home remedies include vinegar (diluted 1:4), baking soda followed by hydrogen peroxide, or placing activated charcoal around. Avoid masking smells with perfumes or air fresheners—they only mix with the stink.

#### **Smoke Odor**
One of the toughest to remove. Apartment fires leave lingering fumes embedded in walls and even wallpaper.

First, ventilate aggressively for hours. The sharpest smoke smell should fade. Then clean with bleach, baking soda, or citric acid—but specialized odor absorbers work better (though coverage is limited, so buy several).

*”Try coffee grounds or vanilla powder. Some stores sell sublimated incense cubes or cones—they can sometimes overpower smoke. If all else fails, renovate. Start with new wallpaper and hire deep-cleaning services for furniture,”* advises Kochetarov.

#### **Cigarette Smell**
Ventilate immediately—the heavy tobacco scent will leave, but a sour aftertaste lingers. Use a steam cleaner on furniture (high heat works best). Wash all removable textiles—curtains, couch covers, blinds. Scrub surfaces with cleaning agents or vinegar (2 tbsp per water bucket), then dry with a clean cloth.

*”Buy a tobacco-specific air freshener. Most of the smell will vanish, and weekly airing will take care of the rest.”*