Can you give some good ecological ideas on how to deodorize a house?

Question

We don't want to use anything that would be bad for the environment, but would like to use something that would be effective.

Answer 1

Spray rose water.

Simmer a pot of water mixed with any combination of spices such as ginger, cinnamon, allspice, orange peel or even vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees and bake several orange peels for 15 minutes. This will deodorize the oven.

Dried orange peels can be placed in a cloth bag and placed in closets and cupboards to reduce musty odors.

To deodorize a garbage disposal unit, throw down a few peels while it's operating

Sprinkle baking soda liberally at base of waste bins.Baking soda is a great odor neutraliser.

Answer 2

Find out what ever is causing the odor and remove it.

Answer 3

Like Permaculture Bella pointed out, Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda here in the US) and Vinegar should take care of 99.9% of your cleaning needs.

The only thing I'd add to her list is a box of Borax, which you can mix with the Baking Soda and some soap to make laundry detergent and Washing Soda to mix with the Borax to make dish washing detergent (toss some vinegar in the rinse cycle to get off the spots).

Answer 4

Start with baking soda and salt, sprinkle this mixture on your carpets and leave overnight. In the morning place a few drops of essential oil on a bit of rag and place it inside your vacuum cleaner cylinder. Citrus essential oils are pleasant. Hoover the bicarbonate of soda/salt mixture up. The baking soda is a natural deodorizer the salt will destroy eggs such as flea eggs if you have a dog or cat.

Next sprinkle baking soda into the dirty clothes as they await washing to deodorize.

Pre-treating stubborn stains: I use quarter cup of water with 6 tablespoons of baking soda. Mix into a paste, spread over the stain, tie into a plastic bag and leave at least over night.

Grease cover in salt leave overnight brush away. Repeat if necessary.

Wine: Sprinkle stained area with salt immediately with salt. Soak in  enough water to wet the salt. Leave overnight.

Mildew make a paste of lemon juice, salt and bicarbonate of soda. Lay in the sun to bleach item then, when dry wash as usual.

Coffee/Tea that has dried, soak in water with cup of vinegar hang out in sun to dry then wash as normal.

Grass/ink/juice soak stained area in neat vinegar. Line dry then wash as normal.

Alternative to chemical bleach make a paste of lemon juice, salt and bicarbonate of soda. Lay in the sun to bleach item then, when dry wash as usual.

http://www.ecoballsdirect.co.uk/

I use eco balls have a look at link above,  in the wash. These are expensive and friends and family use dog balls instead and have the same great results. So buy three rubber dog balls about the size of an apple. Or the ones with the holes in like in the picture above. Alongside this I put in about 1/2 cup of baking soda, 1/4 cup of salt in the wash drawer and 1/2 of vinegar in the conditioner drawer.

The dog balls will work fine on their own, without anything, however, with smelly teenagers and a husband who works outside, I think I get a better result with the baking soda and salt. The baking soda deodorizes the clothes. The salt  helps to get rid of perspiration stains, helps prevent colour bleeding,  and as we live on a farm, it kills any nasties including chicken flea eggs.

The vinegar helps soften the clothes particularly towels and blankets and gets rid of the treatments on new clothes that can irritate skin. It prevents static cling too.

For delicates wash by hand and use vinegar in the rinse water to remove soap residues.

Freshening dry cleanables: Test for colourfastness then you can clean with a solution of 4 tablespoons of baking soda in cold water.

Ironing, clean rough spots off your iron by setting it on low then ironing a piece of paper with a layer of salt on it.

I use salt, vinegar and baking soda and a few essential oils for all household cleaning. I also use them and a few other things for most personal care toiletries too.

Buy only the cheapest malt vinegar - which is acetic acid - you don't need to buy white wine vinegar, cheapest cooking salt and cheapest bicarbonate of soda. In UK the value range has much less packaging and is much cheaper than any other products. So a bottle of malt vinegar is about 14p, a kg bag of cooking salt is 63p and tub of bicarbonate of soda is 37p.  I use pure natural essential oils in cleaning and for personal care. These last ages and are around £2.50 a bottle.

Cleaning: Start off by making a household cleaning spray for general use in an old spray bottle. In a bowl half a bottle of vinegar pour on boiling water. Decant into spray. Use as general purpose from kitchen to bathroom. Use household salt to scrub any stubborn areas, mix to a paste with a little water.

Make a paste of bicarbonate of soda and water, use this pans with dried on food, on rubber, on plastics on wood, on countertops  (add salt if you need to scour) on stainless steel, ovens etc.

Half a cup of baking soda and half a cup of salt to clean/mop floors.

To keep drains, sinks clear dilute cup of baking soda in enough boiling water to make a solution, pour down drain. then follow with a cup of neat vinegar. When foam subsides rinse with warm water.

Plastic Bins: Pour boiling water in them, just enough to swish out. Wipe around inside with a cloth soaked in vinegar, allow to dry, then sprinkle with baking soda to stop smells.

Toilets wipe over with vinegar soaked cloth. Use salt and bicarbonate of soda paste and leave on any stains, scrub and rinse. Then sprinkle loo with bicarbonate of soda to prevent smells and keep the lid down.

Place a few bowls of dried herbs around or better still collect a bouquet of herbs from the garden which you can use each day in your cooking.

Your home should smell as fragrant as a rose