Natural Ways to Unscent Your Home

Getting ready for guests? Try these great ideas!

• Vinegar is an inexpensive, effective deodorizer. To get rid of unpleasant odors, pour 1/2c. of vinegar in each of several containers and place them around the room.

• Rid your hands of fish odor by washing them with vinegar, then rinsing them with water.

• Lingering odor on your plastic or wood cutting board? Cover the board with a paste of baking soda and water and let it set for 15 to 30 minutes. Remove the paste with hot soapy water - and as a final step, rub the entire board with a little lemon juice.

• Blast garbage disposal odor with simple ice cubes! Mix 1 cup of vinegar with 1c water. Pour the mixture into your tray and freeze. Pop the ice cubes in the disposal and grind.

• Sour microwave smells are easily eliminated. Add 2 TB of lemon juice to 2c water and microwave on high power for 10 minutes. Leave the mixture in the microwave another 10 minutes, and wipe down with a clean cloth dipped in a bit of the mixture.

• For simple fridge fresheners, cotton balls soaked in vanilla, or an open container of coffee grounds (even used coffee grounds!), do the trick.

• The ultimate litter box deodorizer? For every 5 pounds of litter, add 2 teaspoons dried mint and 1 cup baking soda.