Did you know that 61% of US homeowners avoid company if they think their home stinks? This can be a major blunder in your social life not to mention ruin the joy of being at home.

Luckily, you are not alone when it comes to house odors as many reasons could cause it. 

Read on to discover 6 answers to the question “why does my house smell bad?”

1. Sewer

Your bathroom and kitchen sink might be clean but the causes of bad odors can linger deep. One of those is your sewer system that might be leaking bad smells like sulfur or rotten-egg stink into your home. 

You might try to cover the smell with an aroma diffuser that this company makes to spread fresh scents into your HVAC system. However, you want to tackle the problem as well. Unclog the drain and be sure to flush any rarely-used drains with fresh water to prevent odor from evaporating. 

2. Mold

Cleaning a house sometimes means finding out that you have a mold problem. You might notice water damage or a musty odor throughout your house. This most likely means you have mold that is possibly hidden from sight. 

First, remove the cause of the moisture and check for leaks in the roof and pipes. Then clean the mold with a solution if the problem is not severe or hire a professional. It may be a good idea to get your roof cleaned just to be safe.

3. Smoke

Smoke is known for clinging to fabrics like curtains, rugs, and even clothes. So, if you smoke in your home or have guests that do then you want to keep up with cleaning your fabrics. 

Use the washing machine to get the smell out of removable fabric and steam clean carpets to remove lingering particles. 

4. Trash

Taking out your trash may be a common-sense way how to get rid of bad odors, but not always. Sometimes trash that is not full may have something especially stinky. Or something may have fallen behind or inside the trash can that you missed. 

If you do smell rotting food then look at the trash cans to see if this is the culprit. 

5. Fridge

Emptying the trash is not the only way how to make a house smell good. Cleaning out your fridge might also help because food can rot even when refrigerated. 

It might be helpful to label leftovers to determine how long they have been in the fridge. Also, look for mold or do a smell test to easily see which items need tossing. 

6. Dead Animals 

Most likely looking for dead animals is not on your home cleaning tips list. But if you checked everywhere and you can not find the source of a decaying smell, it just might be that an animal chose your home as a graveyard.

Check in the walls or ceilings as well as behind appliances to see if a mouse, bird, or squirrel is decaying. 

Why Does My House Smell Bad: Lesson Learned

Answering the question “why does my house smell bad” leads to important insights into home maintenance. Once you find out what causes odor in your home you can start preventing them. And if you do have an odor you know just where to look before it gets worse.

Check out our Lifestyle blog section for more home-care tips.