👋 Happy Tuesday!

Have you ever opened your front door feeling proud of how clean your house looks, only to be hit with a smell that makes you pause for a second and rethink everything? Or have you ever gone on vacation and finally walked in the door after a long trip and thought to yourself…Is THIS what my house smells like when people walk in? 

If you have been there, you are not alone. I have experienced this in my own home and in countless client homes over my 20 plus years as a professional cleaner. And here is the truth most people miss.

A home can look clean and still smell bad.

The good news is this problem is usually not complicated to fix. It just takes knowing where odors actually come from and how to stop them at the source. Are You Ready for the Breakdown? Let’s Go! 👇

The fastest way to improve how your home smells is also the simplest.

Take out your trash every single day.

Kitchen and bathroom trash break down quickly and even one extra day gives odors time to settle into your space. But here is the part most people forget. You also need to clean the garbage can itself.

Once a month, wash your garbage can using a simple DIY mix of vinegar, water, and a little dish soap. Vinegar neutralizes odors while dish soap cuts through greasy residue that causes smells to linger.

This one habit alone solves a shocking number of odor problems.

Some of the worst smells come from places you cannot easily see.

Garbage disposals are a big one. Old food and grease hide inside and release odors back into your kitchen. Using garbage disposal cleaning pods regularly clears out buildup and leaves things smelling fresh again.

Another hidden zone is soft surfaces. Throw blankets, pillows, and pet bedding absorb smells over time. Washing them once or twice a month can instantly refresh your living room.

Walls also absorb odors, especially in kitchens and bathrooms. Washing walls once a year removes smells you did not even realize were there and gives your home a full reset.

Odors often float around instead of sitting in one obvious spot.

That is why air purifiers can make such a big difference. A properly sized unit with a HEPA filter removes odor causing particles like dust, pet dander, and debris from the air.

Just remember to change the filters. A dirty filter cannot do its job and can actually make smells worse.

Fresh air helps too. Opening windows for five to ten minutes allows stale air to escape and clean air to move in. Even in cold weather, cracking a window slightly can make your home smell noticeably fresher.

Once odors are removed, then you can think about adding scent.

Candles, fabric refreshers, and natural options like pot simmers work best when used intentionally. 

One of my favorite pot simmer recipes includes oranges, apples, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and vanilla. It creates a warm, cozy scent without overpowering the space. 

Just remember this rule.

A fresh smelling home is not about what you add. It is about what you remove first.

From real life experience, I can tell you this with confidence. When your home smells clean, everything feels better. You relax more. You enjoy your space more. And you never worry about that awkward moment when someone walks through the door.

If you want to make this process easier, faster, and more effective, I have linked my favorite odor fighting products, air purifiers, cleaning tools, and natural scent options in the Clean That Up Amazon Store.

👉 Visit the Clean That Up Amazon Store and start making your home smell as clean as it looks.

Until next time Clean Freak Fam, breath in the fresh and feel the clean! 🧼✨

💫Clean Freak of the Month:

Carolyn shared how watching Clean That Up’s videos on Facebook really helped boost her positive energy to make cleaning feel fun. She appreciated how everyday tasks were broken down into simple, practical steps while Brandon recommended safe, effective products for the home.

Want your cleaning win✨ to be featured? Join our Clean Squad or send us an email, yours could appear in an upcoming newsletter!

🎬 What’s on YouTube?

📝 Blogs We Posted

🛒New Products & CTU Favorites

Got a cleaning conundrum? Have a cleaning win? Reply to this email and we might feature your question next week!

Same time next week in your inbox, Clean Freak Fam.
Check your inbox for: ‘The Best Way to Clean Your Floor’✨🧼

Thanks so much for joining us at Clean Freak Weekly!

Brandon