ARRANGING house parties requires meticulous planning. You may need to buy roses, and use house scents to get rid of odours in the house.
BY THOMAS PERE
ARRANGING house parties requires meticulous planning. You may need to buy roses, and use house scents to get rid of odours in the house.
Dr. Jeanette Fisher, the author of Joy to the Home, says house scents have got a strong influence on our mood, and can evoke negative or positive emotions, depending on what we associate them with whether we are consciously aware of it or not. And, you can also recreate pleasant memories and share them with your family and friends.â€
She says odours can sometimes be overpowering to visitors although people who live in the home, may have become accustomed to them.
Home odours can, particularly, be strong during cold months when the temptation to keep windows shut is strongest, yet by keeping out the flow of air, you end up keeping in odours.
Vin Mulindwa, a director of a house cleaning service company, says several factors are responsible for the occurrence of odours in our homes.
Some of the common ones are from old books which are reacting with atmospheric elements, pests such as cockroaches and bats, appliance odours from things like frigdes and microwaves, and others from pets.
House odours can also emanate from the kitchen because of the spices, ingredients and food cooked. They can also result from the type of cooking energy used such as paraffin and gas.
To minimise this, install an extractor fan above your cooker, or cook while the windows and doors are open, and steam-wash your upholstery regularly.
Bathrooms also contribute to odours as a result of the ventilation. Bathrooms also tend to get damp and have musty smells.
If the ventilation is poor, consider installing an extractor fan and keep bathroom windows open at all times.
Change bathroom mats every two days, and check to ensure that the drain pipes are in good condition. Also, pour bleach and hot water into the drainage systems.
Other lingering smells in your home may relate to secondhand smells that are passed down from inhabitants. These tend to linger on pillows, sofas, duvets, mattresses, stored clothes, towels and bedsheets.
Beddings must be washed weekly and mattresses aired often.
Dr. David Hyeroba, a private veterinary practitioner in Entebbe, says: “Pets such as dogs, cats, birds, and fish tanks at home, are also sources of some of the lingering odours. The only way to get rid of these is to regularly wash pets and rooms.â€
He says musty smells are usually the result of pests such as cockroaches, moulds, or mildew. If you suspect a musty smell, inspect your home, and get the infestation treated before it spreads.
Avoid placing stinking things like smelly shoes, rugs, rubbish and damp clothes into the house. Clean your kitchen and bathroom waste bins regularly by sprinkling baking powder inside, and leaving them to air overnight.
Use floral scents, such as, rose and lavender, which are associated with romance and love. Good sources of floral scents are natural flowers and natural air sprays.
Scents evoke feelings of freshness and cleanliness. They work well in masculine decors, and tend to make us calm, and rejuvenated. Spicy scents are invigorating, and evoke feelings of warmth and passion. Fruit inspired scents, for example, citrus, make us feel cooler and healthier.
A nice fragrance should be applied to clean the interior. You can get good scents in incense, candles, flowers and air sprays although you have to limit the scents to one, or at most two, the house to avoid conflicting smells.