Unpleasant smells

Unpleasant smells around the home can be very off-putting, especially when you’ve tried everything to get rid of them and then you come home at the end of a long day to be greeted with that familiar old odour.

Dear Wendyl, I own a motel and some guests recently had a big night out – meaning lots of vomit in various places. We have tried all our usual mixtures to clean the unit and eliminate the smell, which seems to hang on something awful. Suggestions please, o Wise one. It’s the smell when the door is shut that evidently comes back to haunt the new occupant.Gael

===

Dear Gael, Gosh, the life of a motelier! I have several ideas for you. Vanilla essence is my top odour remover – get some natural vanilla essence, dilute it with water but keep it strong – I’d do 1 tsp to half a litre of water – and spray. Next, try 2 tbsp baking soda in 2 cups hot water and spray. If the smell is coming from one particular spot, throw a whole box of baking soda on, leave it as long as you can, then vacuum it up. Baking soda is an alkali so it is great for getting rid of acidic substances such as vomit, urine or sour milk. If that still doesn’t work you can ramp it up a bit by using 1 tbsp borax (from your chemist) in 2 cups hot water and spraying it on. All the best with that!