The smell of cigarette smoke and durian fruit can give you a major headache. At times, you can even lose your appetite when you get a whiff of dead carcass and garbage. Have you experienced any of these?
It is not an easy task however, to remove bad smells especially within a confined area, for instance in the refrigerator, in the trunk at the back of your car, in the wardrobe or in a poorly ventilated tiny room.
Nevertheless, before you can get rid of the bad smell, it is important first to clean the affected, smelly surfaces with a clean cloth, some water and some detergent or soap. Then, you can perhaps follow any of the following tips, which work wonders and can effectively help you to get rid of the bad smell. Don't be surprised that most the things that can remove the bad smell can easily be found in your kitchen.
1. Charcoal
Charcoal is on top of my list as it is one of the best absorbent agents that can absorb and soak up the bad odour. Charcoal is also widely used as water filters and in most odour removing commercial products. You can put a medium-sized chunk of charcoal inside your smelly refrigerator for instance, and leave it there for a couple of days. You will notice that it can effectively remove the bad smell.
2. Baking Soda
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.
3. Lemon or Lime Peel
Just put some lemon or lime peels into an uncovered container and leave them inside the confined area for a couple of days. The citrus smell will naturally replace the bad smell.
4. Pandan Leaf (also known as Pandanus or Screwpine)
It is easy to get pandan leaf in tropical countries as it is widely used in Southeast Asian cooking to add aroma to dishes. Its pleasant aroma also acts as natural air freshener. Just take a few strips of the pandan leaves and tie them into knots. Place the leaves inside the confined space and leave them until the leaves withered or dried up. Replace the leaves regularly until the smell goes away.
5. Vanilla Essence
Pour several drops of vanilla essence on a couple of cotton wools. Toss the cotton wools inside the confined space such as your wardrobe. Leave them for several days and you will notice that the area smells nice.
6. Mint Extract
If you favor neither the smell of citrus nor vanilla, you can perhaps use mint extract instead. Pour several drops of mint extract on a couple of cotton wools. Toss the cotton wools inside the confined space and leave them for a couple of days.
7. Fresh Ground Coffee
Ground coffee has a nice, crisp natural aroma. Just put about a cup of ground coffee in a flat, uncovered container. Place the container inside the confined space for several days. If the bad smell is extremely horrible, put more ground coffee. The area will smell of fresh coffee for many days.
8. Tea Bags
If you don't like coffee, you can use tea bags instead. Just place 2-3 tea bags inside the confined space. The tealeaves in the bags will not only absorb the bad smell but also will release the natural aroma of tea.
9. Orange and Cloves
Get an orange and poke it with sharp objects like needle or fork to form small holes. Place each of the cloves inside these small holes until most of the orange surfaces are covered. It may look like a hedgehog with the cloves jutting out of the orange fruit. Leave it in the confined area for a couple of days. The area will smell nice with the said combinations.
10. Old Newspaper and Slices of Bread
Old newspaper and slices of bread also work wonders in absorbing the bad odours particularly inside the refrigerator. Just place some crumpled old newspaper and two slices of bread (uncovered) inside your refrigerator and leave them for two days. Replace them (especially the bread) regularly until the bad smell is removed.
You can also use the combination of any of the above tips together, to effectively remove bad smell. Try those tips and you will say goodbye to bad smells forever.
