Are you thinking of selling your San Antonio home soon? Part of your pre-list checklist is thoroughly cleaning your house. Unfortunately, if you own pets or have smokers living with you, you know how difficult those odors can be to get out. Sure, a complete renovation may help, but who has the time, energy or money to spend on that? However, saying "bye-bye" to bad smells in your San Antonio home may be easier than you think.

How to Get Rid of Bad Smells in Your Home

Zeolite (Volcanic) Rock

Perhaps the easiest way to eliminate pet and smoke odors from your San Antonio home is with zeolite rock. Look for the Gonzo brand odor eliminator at any office supplies or home improvement store. You can also order it online for delivery right to your home. Simply set it out in the sun to activate its natural odor-absorbing properties. Its non-toxic nature means you can place it anywhere around your home without worry of harming your children or pets. Set it discreetly out of sight all around your home and let it work its magic.

Baking Soda

Another low-cost way to eliminate odors in your San Antonio home is with baking soda. You probably have a box of it in your refrigerator right now. Why? Because it absorbs smells. Sprinkle it into decorative bowls. Then, place these bowls around your home. While not quite as effective as volcanic rock, it should help eliminate a good portion of the smells in your home. Also, sprinkle it on the carpet, let it sit for about 20 minutes, and then vacuum it up to get rid of carpet odor.

Replace/Repaint

One of the ways to get rid of bad smells in your San Antonio home is to replace the window treatments and/or carpet. However, the smells may permeate into your paint as well. Try washing the walls first. If that doesn't work, you may have to add a couple new coats of paint.

Ductwork Cleaning

Finally, as a last resort, hire a professional to clean out the ducts. Smoke gets trapped and lingers here. Its location makes it difficult to clean. That's where a pro comes in handy.

Before you start spending big bucks to eliminate the bad smells in your San Antonio home, try the volcanic rock and baking soda first. You need to get rid of these odors before you start showing your property to prospective buyers. A foul stench can turn away a buyer quicker than anything else. Do you have any odor-eliminating tricks you've used in the past? I'd love to hear them. Please feel free to share them in the comments below.

LUX Move Up* by Christine Aldrete Banks, CRS, SRS, RSPS
www.StoneOakLiving.com
830-279-8678

*Buy and sell with Christine in the same year and receive a full rebate of the lesser commissions upon execution of both closings! Call for details.
Find out what your home is worth with a Free Market Analysis