Commercial air fresheners will cover up odors for a while, but they are often laden with toxic chemicals and can exacerbate respiratory issues, cause headaches and dermatitis, and be toxic to pets.

Naturally fragranced candles, potpourri, simmer pots, diffusers, and room sprays all tend to mask odors without eliminating them. This is fine if you need a quick fix or for use with odor elimination options while they are working their magic. But to really get to the source of the problem and make your house smell better, you need to eliminate the odor, rather than cover it.

Here are six ways to naturally neutralize odors.

Windows and Fans – Airing out the space is a good first step for odor elimination. If the walls, floors, and textiles are holding the smell, this is not going to be a long-term solution, but it is a good start. Open windows and turn on fans to increase air circulation and air out the space.

Baking Soda – Baking soda has so many uses around the house that I always keep a big bag of it on hand. For carpets, rugs, upholstered furniture, and other textiles that are holding smoke, pet, or other household odors, baking soda is a great option to try. This natural odor eliminator can be sprinkled on carpet or fabric to absorb odors. Leave it on for at least 30 minutes – longer for more stubborn odors – and then vacuum it up and empty the vacuum in your outside garbage can.

You can also use baking soda in a bowl or box for deodorizing closets and refrigerators, sprinkle it in shoes to absorb odors, or add a cup to a load of laundry to help eliminate tougher odors in clothes and bedding.

If you are not concerned about animals or children getting into it, it is best to leave baking soda for at least 24 hours before tossing it out or vacuuming surfaces where it has been sprinkled.

Activated Charcoal – Small bags of activated charcoal can be placed in closets, shoes, drawers, cars, pet areas, and around the house to absorb odors. They are inexpensive, easy to use, and can be reused repeatedly after setting them outside in the sun for a few hours to release the odors they have absorbed.

Distilled White Vinegar – Like baking soda, vinegar is one of those household staples that seems to be good for everything. To allow it to work its odor-elimination magic, put a small amount of vinegar in a bowl and place it in the area that is need of deodorization. You can also mix it with water in a spray bottle to neutralize odors in the air.

Vodka – Fill a spray bottle with unflavored vodka to use as an air and fabric deodorizer. Vodka kills odor-causing bacteria, neutralizes odors in fabrics, and dries quickly. I have never had an issue with vodka causing discoloration or damage to fabrics and have never heard of this happening, but if you have a favorite garment or chair that you are concerned about, make sure to try it in an inconspicuous area first.

Some folks like to cut their vodka with water or to add a few drops of essential oil to the spray bottle. Cheap vodka works perfectly fine for odor elimination, so you can just buy the cheapest, unflavored vodka you can find. Of course, if you prefer to use the good stuff, I am not here to tell you how to live.

Coffee Grounds – The nitrogen in coffee grounds helps make them effective for neutralizing odors in your home. A small bowl or sachet of dry coffee grounds can help eliminate odors in smaller spaces, such as closets or refrigerators, as well as in whole rooms. You can use fresh grounds or used coffee grounds, but if you use used coffee grounds, be sure to spread them out on a cookie sheet to dry first. Like with vodka, you can use the cheapest coffee you can find, since nitrogen is nitrogen, so, if you are not a coffee drinker, buy the cheap stuff for this. If you are a coffee drinker, use the grounds from whatever coffee you are drinking.

For ongoing odor control, make sure you stay on top of household tasks that can lead to smelly situations when left undone. This includes regularly taking out the trash and recyclables, emptying the kitchen scrap bucket into your backyard composter, changing bedding, doing laundry, vacuuming carpets and rugs, changing the air filter on your HVAC system, bathing your pets, and checking for spoiled food in the refrigerator.

It is also good to regularly clean your dishwasher, washing machine, garbage disposal, and trash and recycling bins.

If you are trying to deodorize a house that was exposed to smoke or pet odors over a long period of time, you may need to replace the carpet, wipe down the walls and ceiling with vinegar, and repaint the walls and ceilings to remove the odor.

Loma Flora is a freshly painted, two-bedroom home that brilliantly maximizes usable space with a two-room enclosed porch and covered front porch for extra living and entertaining space, plus three sheds for extra storage.

From the covered porch, step into the large living room that wraps around into the dining room with built-in cabinets and the adjacent kitchen, which features a breakfast bar and opens to the family room.

From the family room, you can access the two-room enclosed porch or head down the hallway to the sleeping quarters.

Here, you will find a storage closet, guest bathroom with bathtub and large vanity, guest bedroom with a step-in closet, and the primary bedroom with a walk-in closet and an en suite bathroom with a large vanity and built-in storage cabinets.

Outside, a covered carport, storage sheds, and mature landscaping complete the home tucked in the Mira Valle 55+ mobile home park with mountain views and close to the Ojai Valley Trail and the eclectic village of Meiners Oaks.

Features include:

Two bedrooms
Fresh interior paint
Family room
Breakfast bar
Walk-in closet
Dual-sink vanity in primary bathroom
Two-room, enclosed porch    Mira Valle Mobile Home Park (55+ Park)
Covered front porch
Three storage sheds
Carport
Mature landscaping
Close to Ojai Valley Trail
Close to shops & restaurants in Meiners Oaks & Ojai

Visit the property information page for more information, or contact your Ojai realtor, Nora Davis, to schedule a showing.

Located on a .31-acre lot in Oak View’s Live Oak neighborhood, this three-bedroom, two-bathroom, 1,618-square-foot home features a spacious family room with a fireplace, dining room, and country kitchen.

Close to Lake Casitas and the Ojai Valley Trail, about one mile from the shops and restaurants of Oak View, and less than five miles from downtown Ojai, this home has great potential as a home base from which to enjoy all that the Ojai Valley has to offer.

The long-time owner has decided it is time to downsize, which gives you the opportunity to purchase this 1959 mid-century home, give it a bit of TLC, and transform it into your dream home.

The large lot is flat and usable with plenty of room for RV parking, a vegetable garden or cutting garden, fruit trees, a swimming pool, or other amenities that fit your lifestyle.

Contact Ojai realtor, Nora Davis, today to schedule a showing!