# Removing odors

Anywhere:

- Most odors can be broken down by placing them in direct sunlight for several hours.
- To remove smoke smells:
  - Soak or steam in vinegar.
  - Scrub with a mix of water and baking soda.
- For baby formula odor, moisten a cloth, dip in baking soda, and dab at the marks.
- Put dry tea bags or silica bags in smaller areas with odors.
- Hang a bundle of chalk in an enclosed space to keep everything fresh and dry.

Room odors:

- Place a bowl of vinegar in the room overnight.
- Alternately, mix ten drops of your favorite scented oil, 1/2 cup of vinegar, and a cup of water in an open container.
- To remove cigarette smoke, spin a wet towel around quickly while walking around the room.
- To remove the smell of burned food, boil water with several spoons of vinegar in it.
- Sprinkle some baking soda in an ashtray to prevent smoldering and reduce odor.

Refrigerator odors:

- Place an open container of baking soda in the fridge or freezer.
- Put a piece of charcoal in a plastic cup, then secure a paper towel over it with a rubber band, then set it in the back of the fridge.

Trash odors:

- Sprinkle baking soda at the bottom of the trash can.
- Sprinkle baking soda on top of the exposed trash.
- Put an old newspaper at the bottom to absorb any liquids.

Trash odors:

- Sprinkle baking soda at the bottom of the trash can.
- Sprinkle baking soda on top of the exposed trash.
- Put an old newspaper at the bottom to absorb any liquids.

Garbage disposal:

- Microwave or grind up a few lemons and then run them down the garbage disposal.
- Freeze vinegar in ice cube trays and run them down the garbage disposal to clean the blades.
- Pour vinegar in and let sit for an hour.
- Throw several ice cubes and a handful of rock salt down the disposal, then run cold water and the disposal for fifteen seconds.

Washing machine:

- Run a cycle with vinegar to dissolve residue from detergent.
- Epsom salt and vinegar mix:
  1. Fill the washing machine with hot water.
  2. Add a cup of Epsom salt and a quart of white vinegar.
  3. Let the machine cycle for several minutes, then pause and let it steep for several hours.
  4. Complete a full wash and rinse cycle.

Bathroom odors:

- Mix baking soda and vinegar to deodorize a surface.

Car odors:

- Pour fragrant bath salts into a loose-leaf tea strainer and store in the glove compartment.
- Drop a potpourri wax tart into a cup holder.
- Lay fresh herbs on a piece of newspaper in the back seat and leave the windows rolled up.
- Shake a few drops of lemon or eucalyptus oil onto car mats.

Closets and drawers:

- Mix dried mint, lavender, peppercorns, rosemary, bay leaves, whole cloves, and cedar chips and hang them in a sachet inside the closet.
- Put a bar of unopened soap in the bottom.
- Mix 1/4 cup borax with a quart of water and wipe on moldy areas.

Plastic odors:

- When storing empty, airtight containers, add a pinch of salt to keep them free from odors.
- Rinse with a mixture of half vinegar and half water.
- Wipe with a mix of water and baking soda.
- Place outside in the sun for several hours, but watch for too much heat that will warp the plastic.
- Crumple up a newspaper and stuff it into the container, then seal for a day or two.
- Place a piece of charcoal in the container, seal it, and wait until the odor is absorbed.
- Make a paste of baking soda and water and rub it all over the interior of the container. Let it sit for a day or two, then wash it off. Repeat as necessary.
- Rinse with lemon juice or rub a cut lemon over the interior surface.
- Place used coffee grounds (wet or dry) into a container and let sit until the odor is gone.
- To get rid of soap smell, soak in vinegar overnight.