We all want fresh homes. Homes that smell nice, whether that’s because of a vase of fresh flowers or because of that loaf of bread we just baked. 

What we don’t want are homes that smell bad. Homes that smell like something died in it. 

If you’ve just moved house and it smells like someone put a rotten fish behind the radiator, have a think about whether you annoyed your vendors and, if so, maybe that rotten fish smell is actually a rotten fish. 

However, if you haven’t just moved house after annoying your vendors but something doesn’t smell right in your home, there could be a number of reasons. 

Most reasons will be harmless enough – a bit of food at the bottom of the bin, for example, but other smells could be a warning of something more serious. 

So, whatever the mysterious smell is, make sure to find out what it is and to deal with it to give you peace of mind (and a fresher-smelling home!) 

Kitchen bin

The kitchen bin gets all manner of stinky stuff thrown its way. Leftover food, pet food, cloths that have been used to clear up all kinds of mess, the list goes on. 

You may be diligent at emptying your bin regularly but do you clean it regularly too? Scraps of food can get trapped in between the bin liner and the bin and, although it may look clean, it doesn’t take much for it to get stinky in there. 

Clean your bin inside and out regularly to ensure it stays fresh-smelling. 

Washing machine

You’d think an appliance that constantly has warm water and detergent swilling around in it would be as clean as clean can be, wouldn’t you? 

Not so! 

Doors and drawers on washing machines trap moisture and mould, especially around the seal, which can cause a musty smell.

To prevent smells coming from your washing machine, leave the door and drawer open for a few hours after doing your washing and clean around the seal regularly. 

Drains

Pipes and drains can get blocked with food and other debris such as hair, soap scum and things that shouldn’t be put down plugholes or flushed down toilets but do, such as kitchen roll and cleaning wipes. 

Blockages in pipes can cause a bad smell and, most of the time, it’s a simple blockage in a pipe that a plumber can sort out but if you think you might have blocked drains, you’ll need to call in a drainage company. 

Pets

We love our pets but we don’t always love the stinky odours that come with them. Bedding, litter trays and food bowls are obvious causes for smells but if you can smell pet smells but can’t find the source, have a look for any ‘accidents’ behind furniture or in rooms you don’t usually use. 

Pets love to smell their own scent so don’t upset them by regularly cleaning their bedding but keep the litter tray free from waste (don’t use scented litter or other air fresheners though as the chemicals can harm your pets) and keep the area around the food bowls clean. 

These are just a few bad smells you may get in your home. As we said at the beginning, most smells are harmless and the source of them will be easily found and fixed to leave your home smelling fresh again. 

Other smells may be a warning of something more serious and harmful though, so if you can’t easily find and solve the problem, you’ll need to call a professional in.