Like the smell of a skunked dog. That odor is nothing compared to the stench of nuking a live scorpion. Yep, I did it once, and my Hot Pockets still taste funny. Strangely enough, I love sauerkraut. Who else has gone hog hunting in total darkness and got a whiff of a wild boar nearby? That stench will have your finger on the trigger and your eyes wide open.
Who has squished a stink bug with your shoe? But that also means these furry pals fill their litter boxes with a highly concentrated solution, which includes a heavy dose of urea, a compound that forms when ammonia and carbon dioxide combine.
The potent mix then wafts out of the litter box and assaults our faces. Sometimes the liquids that transport smelly molecules can easily sink into all sorts of surfaces, which makes odors linger. Porous materials like wood and the fibers in carpets might hold onto fluids for months or even years. As long as ambient conditions let those volatile compounds turn to gases, the stink will stick. When faced with a bad smell, your first step should be to get its source out of the surface where it hides.
First, a quick review. There are five categories of cleaning agents: surfactants, weak corrosive agents like vinegar, oxidizers, enzymatic cleaners, and solvents. Surfactant molecules, for example, have a hydrophilic and a hydrophobic side, so they can attach to and remove messy stains and smells at the same time.
Enzymatic cleaners, meanwhile, use specially-engineered blends of enzymes to attack specific types of stains and the stinks that go with them. These solutions remove stains by knocking out chromophores the parts that absorb and emit light , and in doing so, they have no effect on the stench.
In some cases—especially with food spills and pet accidents—bacteria might be feeding off the substance. You can blame those little pests for emitting the offending odor, and if this is the situation, you should use a cleaner that also disinfects. You wake up the morning after a late-night party with friends who are smokers, and the pungent stench of their cigarettes or cigars is still in your hair.
Or maybe you plop down on the couch and wrinkle your nose at the fragrance of wet dog, which is still detectable even though it's been days since your damp pooch rolled on the cushions.
Your nose and brain can detect a lot of smells — about a trillion of them , according to recent estimates. But while many smells come and go relatively quickly, others seem to take up long-term residence in fabric, clothing and hair. Why do some smells linger longer than others do, and what makes these tenacious scents harder to banish for good? Our sense of smell activates when special sensory cells in our noses, called olfactory receptor neurons , react to certain molecules in the gas phase and generate a signal to the brain.
Different receptors "recognize" different molecules based on the molecules' shapes and the configuration of atoms on their surfaces, said Christopher Cramer, a professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Minnesota. Others, we would rather avoid, such as pet accidents or spilled milk. But some smells, whether good or bad, can be completely baffling. When you are faced with a lingering, mysterious odor, what are your options?
How do you know which smells should cause concern and which can simply be fixed with a quick cleaning? Learn more about what may cause the unexplained smell in your home, and what you can do to get rid of it.
When you encounter a new, unexplained smell in your home, the first thing that you should do is make sure that it is not causing immediate harm to you or your family. Some lingering smells could indicate serious health hazards and should not be ignored. While maintaining your indoor air quality should always be a priority, you should take special care when dealing with the household smells described below.
If you smell rotten eggs or sulfur in your home, it could mean that you have a gas leak, especially if the smell is coming from your kitchen or near other appliances that use gas. This may simply mean that you have a burner valve is slightly open or a pilot light that is out.
If this is the case, you may be able to fix the problem yourself. Do not try to turn off any electric switches or appliances. Avoid changing your thermostat, using automated garage doors and smoking or lighting matches. Did you know? This helps protect consumers by making gas leaks easier to detect. There are a few different reasons that you might smell smoke in your home. Even if you do not see a fire, there could still be one behind your outlets or in your wall.
When electrical wiring starts to overheat, it can emit a burning smell. Check to see if any of your outlets are sparking, especially if you notice that the smell is only present when you use a certain appliance or outlet.
However, if the burning smell is strong and you can not pinpoint the source, the safest option is to exit your house immediately and call once you and your family are safely outside.
Do not return indoors until the fire department has had a look around. If there is an unexplained fishy smell in your home, check your outlets and appliances just as you would for a burning smell.
Carbon monoxide may be odorless, but it is far from harmless.
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