Homeowners can develop a condition that is called “nose blind.” Getting to this state involves three steps. The first is odor adaptation; your nose’s physical response that normalizes new smells. The second is odor habituation; a built-in reprogramming of our brain to ignore a smell. And last odor infestation which is what your guests smell when they come to visit. When you nose does not recognize a smell as a threat to you, it begins to learn to ignore it.
Using candles, air freshener sprays and even baking chocolate chip cookies won’t get rid of the smells permanently. To get rid of an odor once and for all, you must track down the source of the smell first and then clean and/or treat the area.
Cigarette smoke is a hard one to get rid of and is especially offensive to most people. Buyers will often refuse to even look at a home where smoking is allowed. This type of odor permeates the air, soaks into carpets, furniture, curtains, clothing and can even find its way into drywall and cabinets.
Pet accidents are also a hard smell to get rid of. Urine not only hits the carpet but is absorbed by the padding and/or the floor underneath. In bad cases, the floors and walls will need to be treated and sealed before being painted or replacing the flooring. To keep up with accidents, look for an enzyme spray and soak the spot after you clean it up. The enzymes literally eat away at the cause of the odor to kill it. Some professional carpet cleaners charge extra for an enzyme pre-spray before steam cleaning your carpets.
Friends don’t want to hurt your feelings so they might not want to comment on the smell of your home. Rely on a very close friend to give you an update or a relative. Or you can refresh your nose by leaving the home for a while or by going out for a run or fast walk. Science shows that elevating your blood flow will keep your nose sniffing all the smells.
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