How do I get rid of the smell in a house?

Question

I viewed a house yesterday and loved it structurally ... 1 problem, it seems that the old lady who used to own it may have had problems getting to the toilet on time and downstairs the house really smelly. The carpet has already been removed.

Any ideas on how I could get rid of the smell if i go ahead and buy the property?

Answer 1

Put lemons all over the floors and step on them

Answer 2

Hmmm it really depends on what you're meaning- Did he smoke in the house a lot for many years? Cigarette smoke can stick around for quite some while... Even after opening all the windows and airing the house out, spraying airfreshners ect... You could try bleaching the walls and ceilings (a bucket of water with a bit of bleach diluted into it) just scrub the walls and ceilings down (you'll probably notice a lot of yellow stains coming off) <---if indeed he was a heavy smoker....Hiring a carpet cleaner (or renting one) will do wonders...Air the house out as often as possible...And buy some airfreshners, candles... ect... Before buying those though, I would go for the DEEP cleaning- Wash all sheets, blankets, rugs, too! And if all else fails- You can always paint!- That is a sure way to get rid of the smell. :) Good luck!

Answer 3

Had the same problem. Bought an old house from elderly people with little yap-yap dogs. I also have severe allergies and asthma, so it was critical that I get the house in order. De-smelling an old house is a multi-step process that takes time, but you will eventually get there. It involves the removal of all soft products (carpets, window treatments, etc.), frequent dusting and vacuuming, and the use of lots of Clorox and Windex. And a scrub brush. And lots of mopping. And have your vents cleaned or have some sort of industrial vacuuming service performed if possible. Good luck.

Answer 4

If it's caused by urine soaked through the carpet, it's going to be a tough task. Your best bet is to replace the flooring all the way down, including the sub floor. Barring that, bleaching the sub floor may help. My mom had a smelly floor cause the previous owner had a cat who thought the corner of the room was a urinal.

Answer 5

Do you like the smell of coffee? You can buy a bag of coffee beans and put them in little containers around the house, they will absorb the smell. Also try cleaning the floors and counters and walls with a mild bleach water solution. It will kill any germs left and also help with the smell. Try mopping the floor with 1/2 cup bleach to 2 gallons of warm water.

Answer 6

Mix one part bleach with one part water and mop the floor. Allow sufficient time to dry, then seal existing subfloor with a good latex floor sealent. For a simple and lasting fresh scent, install fragrant bars of soap in the heat vents. This will give you a continuous fragrance whenever the furnace fan is running.
:)

Answer 7

I used vanilla extract to get rid of ANY odor. You can soak cotton balls in vanilla extract, place them all around the house. Vanilla is a natural odor absorbent.
Best of luck, hope this helped.

Answer 8

baking soda srpinkled all over the floors, then vaccum, wash kitchen/sub floor down with vinegar and/or bleach, usually it is the refridgerator that makes an empty house smell so bad, i dunno why, but they generally reek. pour bleach in all drains and let it just sit in them for a while, then rinse it down. baking soda, baking soda, baking soda.

Answer 9

Open the window and close the door

Answer 10

get rid of the old lady, she will only devalue your new house