An Australian cleaning expert has lifted the lid on the seven surprising reasons your home might smell worse than you realise, as well as the simple weekly tweaks that can keep every room smelling pleasant.
Jason Shipway, who is the CEO of Enhanced Cleaning, says most households are completely unaware of the hidden grime, mould and everyday habits quietly sabotaging their home’s freshness.
According to the professional cleaner, who regularly shares his home tips and advice to his 65,000 Instagram followers, it’s rarely the things you expect.
From shower mats that turn into mould factories to laundry hampers fermenting sweaty gym gear, Jason says these sneaky odour traps build up slowly over time until your home develops a smell you simply stop noticing.
‘Take care of these and you’ll be amazed at how fresh your home smells and feels,’ he said in a recent post that’s already garnered thousands of views and comments from followers.
However, instead of cleaning overwhelm, Jason has listed seven key checkpoints to monitor over time, as well as natural and low-tox cleaning solutions to combat bad smells for each.
His no-nonsense list is simple, but once you read it, it’ll be hard to ignore the same spots in your home again.
Professional cleaner Jason Shipway (pictured), says most households are completely unaware of the hidden grime, mould and everyday habits quietly sabotaging their home’s freshness
1. Shower mats hold mould and mildew
It doesn’t seem like rocket science, but as it turns out your bathroom floor could be behind that lingering damp smell in most bathrooms.
‘Fabric mats go mouldy quick [and] washing doesn’t remove the deep smell,’ Jason warned, and instead recommends replacing them regularly or ditching fabric altogether.
‘Switch to bamboo [or] stone mats – these are a game changer.’
2. Sink drains hold sludge and attract fruit flies
Kitchens may look clean on the surface, but the pipes unfortunately tell another story.
‘Trapped food sludge plus fruit flies equals bad smells,’ said Jason, but fixing it can be quick and wallet-friendly.
A weekly flush using bicarb soda followed by boiling water will effectively break down grime and neutralise odours.
It doesn’t seem like rocket science, but as it turns out your bathroom floor could be behind that lingering damp smell in most bathrooms – especially fabric mats
3. Your bins are breeding grounds
If you’re wondering why your kitchen never quite smells ‘fresh’, even after a thorough wipe-down Jason says the bin is almost always to blame.
‘Liquids leak, cupboards get grimy, and big bins sit too long,’ he added.
His number one hack is to firstly, downsize your bin to a smaller one so it’s emptied more often, eliminating the build-up of bad smells.
Jason also advised to always wipe both the bin and the cupboard weekly, inside and out.
A sprinkle of bi-carb soda at the bottom ‘keeps smells down’, and for an extra boost, he swears by a cotton bud dipped in essential oil placed inside the bin.
Jason’s advice in the kitchen is to use a smaller bin and empty it often, clean inside and out weekly and add bi-carb soda and a cotton bud with essential oil. For your dishwasher, rinse the filter and run a hot cycle with bicarb soda every few weeks
4. Shoe racks by the door linger
If you’ve ever walked into your home and caught a whiff of something funky, check your entryway, as sweat, moisture and dirt coming from the shoes on your shoe rack will be the culprit.
Jason recommends spraying shoes weekly with a shoe spray and giving the rack ‘a proper wipe down’ to stop smells from lingering.
5. Laundry hampers trap bad smells
Dirty gym clothes and damp towels don’t just smell bad, they can fester inside hampers, especially fabric ones.
Jason’s golden rule is to wash the hamper itself monthly. And if you’re using one made of fabric it might be time to upgrade to eliminate extra work for yourself.
‘Consider switching to a hard surface hamper instead of fabric for easier cleaning.’
Jason is the CEO of Enhanced Cleaning, and regularly shares his home tips and advice to his 65,000 Instagram followers
6. Air-con filters can spread stale air
According to Jason, Australians routinely forget to clean one of the most important appliances in their homes.
‘Air conditioners can be full of dust and a breeding ground for mould that circulates throughout your home,’ he warned.
However, his solution is a quick and easy fix, consisting of a monthly check of the filters which can be vacuumed and then washed in warm soapy water.
7. Your dishwasher harbours grime
Even the cleanest kitchen can be ruined by one forgotten part: the dishwasher filter.
‘If the filter’s dirty, the whole kitchen smells,’ Jason said.
He recommends pulling the filter out and rinsing it thoroughly, wiping the door seals and running a hot cycle with bicarb soda or a dishwasher cleaner once every few weeks.
Jason’s followers flooded the comments with shock at how many of these they had overlooked, with many admitting they couldn’t remember the last time they cleaned their air-con filter or replaced their shower mat.
Some were quick to offer up their own tips, with one saying the culprit of bad smells could be down to dog leashes and harnesses hanging up.
‘I’m a dogwalker and I’m amazed at how bad people let them get, at times it has made my eyes burn, that smell carries,’ they wrote.
‘Also, open windows! The amount of houses I see [with] windows never get opened,’ another added.
