Preparing Your Home to Sell - Combating the Odor Enemy

It’s human nature - when we get a whiff of something unpleasant up our nose, we often turn on our heels and hightail it away from the smell as quickly as possible.  Have you ever had the experience of walking through the front door of someone’s home, only to encounter a strong, offensive odor?  Do you recall the impression you had of the home at that instant?  When preparing your home for sale, odor is an enemy that must be eliminated.  Odors degrade the perceived value of our home, and if not addressed, odors will diminish our profits at resale.

Eliminating Offensive Odors in your Resale Home

Even the cleanest of homes can be plagued by offensive odors because many of the most stubborn smells are not produced by dirt, bacteria or pets.

Smoke

Eliminating the smell of smoke from a home’s interior can be difficult. The odor permeates carpet, upholstery and fabrics throughout the home. Walls and ceilings can become stained from nicotine in the smoke. To remove the odor, all surfaces in the home must be treated.

• If carpet is otherwise worn, dated or stained, just replace it. Carpeting that is newer and otherwise in good condition (besides the smoke odor), can be dry cleaned. Look for a carpet cleaning company that uses dry cleaning solution, rather than steam to clean the carpet. Steam cleaning alone will remove the dirt but not take care of the smoke odor.
• Upholstered furnishings will also need to be dry cleaned. Most dry cleaning carpet companies will also clean your upholstered furniture. Check the labels on your furniture first for recommended cleaning methods.
• Send any other fabrics in your home including window treatments, bedspreads, toss pillows and bed pillows to the dry cleaner.
• Before the interior of the home is given a fresh coat of paint, the current layer exposed to the nicotine from smoke will need to be sealed in. Use a good quality primer, like Kilz2 (a water-based product) to ensure nicotine stains and smoke odor do not leach through the new paint.
• Cease smoking inside the home while it is on the market.

Musty Smells

Older homes, vacant homes, or seasonal/vacation homes can sometimes have a damp, musty smell. The best strategy for dealing with these smells is to:

• First, ensure the odor is not related to a current problem with water intrusion.  If you suspect you may have a leak or drainage problem, consult an expert before you do anything else.
• Remove the carpeting and replace with hard flooring like hardwood, laminate or tile.
• Remove any upholstered furnishings and draperies.
• Repaint the interior.
• Avoid stagnation and keep the air recirculating with the heating or cooling system.
• Eliminate excess moisture from the air with a dehumidifier.

Try the Superhero of Odor Fighting

If you have tried it all and can still smell smoke or mustiness in your carpeting and upholstery, don’t dismay.  There is still something that can save the day.  It’s time to call in the Superhero Odor Fighter….Zeolite.  This naturally-occurring mineral, formed from the crystallization of volcanic ash, can absorb odors in a single bound.  Seriously, Zeolite does an amazing job of absorbing odors and moisture. It can be used on carpeting, mattresses, and upholstery to combat smoke, mustiness, pet and other difficult odors, and it’s safe to be used in households with kids and pets.  The physical structure of Zeolite crystals attract and trap molecules (including those that cause odors), and do not release the contaminants until they are heated, either by the sun or in a 200-degree oven.  Zeolite products can also be sprinkled in cat litter boxes and diaper pails to help absorb waste odors.

Cooking Odors

To prevent everyday odor problems, avoid cooking seafood or any other dishes that include cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, broccoli or cauliflower.  The kids will have to eat their broccoli raw for awhile!  If a strong smell does linger in the air after cooking, heat two cups of water and a cup of vinegar over the stove to boiling, turn down and allow the liquid to simmer for 15 - 20 minutes.

Odor Emitters to Avoid

Sometimes in our attempts to clean our homes and keep them smelling fresh, the products we choose to use leave behind strong scents that may be unpleasant to others’ noses.

• When cleaning, avoid using strong, antiseptic-smelling pine cleaners. A citrus-scented cleaner has a milder, more pleasant smell.
• Also avoid the use of potpourri or odor-masking sprays in your home.

Odor Fighters to Try

Some great odor removers that leave a light, pleasant scent include:

• Green apples - they have natural deodorizing properties. Get a bag and empty them into a large bowl or onto a platter. They’ll last about a month before you need to replace them.
• Citrus (lemons, limes, oranges) and citrus-scented products
• Vanilla scented candles or oil drops to scent light bulbs

While it may seem like a lot of work to eliminate persistent odors from smoke and moisture, the alternative is to be ready to accept less money for your home.  A resale home with an odor problem could be a great investment for a flipper - who will come in, follow all the steps outlined above, then turn around and sell the home for a hefty profit.  Keep the profits in your own pocket and neutralize any persistent odor problems before the house goes on the market!

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