4 Funky Odors in Your House Only Your Guests Can Smell

Stand in your kitchen and take a deep breath. Smell that? From last night's fish to your son's nasty lacrosse pads (why did he leave them on the table?), you probably can't detect any of your home's rankest odors. You've got nose blindness.

On a sensory level, your processing mechanism becomes less sensitive to the continuous stimuli. Or, on a cognitive level, you can become habituated to the smells and basically learn to ignore them. Or you can do both.

Here are some of the most common nose blindness culprits and how to ban them from your home.

#1 PET FUNK

As a pet owner, I am keen to the idea that I don't want my home to smell like a litter box when new friends show up. Pet odor is the #1 most common undesirable smell. I have gone to the extent of designing my own electric cat litter box. It exhausts odors to the outdoors by venting a covered litter box much like a stove vent but with a lower volume of air and heat loss in the winter. I have been told I should patent it.

#2 MUSTINESS

Fortunately, nose blindness only affects one of your senses, and you don't need your nose to verify a basement with a musty smell.

Mustiness is caused by mildew and mold, which - for better or for worse - your eyeballs can easily detect. Do a careful inspection of your basement, from the darkest corner to the surface of every cardboard box or bookshelf. If you find gray or white splotches anywhere, it's probably mildew. If it's fuzzy, (oh no!) it's mold. 

First, you'll want to bust up those existing odors. Then, you'll want to make sure they never return. Some elbow grease with regular household cleaner will scrub away mildew. Bleach isn't the cure-all for mold. In fact, it can often exacerbate the problem.

To prevent mildew and mold from returning, consider running a dehumidifier or improving air circulation and sunlight exposure in the affected area if possible.

For chronic mustiness, you can deodorize rooms by setting out bowls of vinegar, cat litter, baking soda or as crazy as this sounds, an onion also will do the trick.

#3 SMELLY BEDDING

Similar to pet odors, knowing if your mattress smells is easy: Do you have a human body with skin and oils? Do you sleep on it?

Eventually, all the dead skin and body oils you shed while sleeping are going to build up, and stink they will, especially if your bedding is older.

You can't exactly toss your mattress in the washing machine, so you'll have to deal with it where it lies.

But there's an easy fix: Sprinkle baking soda on it, let it sit for an hour or more, and then vacuum up the soda. (This works for memory foam, too.)  Add a couple drops of essential oil to the soda (drip directly into the box and shake it well to mix evenly) for a pleasant smell. Bonus: Lavender has been shown to help you sleep.

#4 FRIDGE AND FREEZER GRIME

Itty bitty food bits hang out long after you've tossed the item from which they came. Although you might not notice the odor creep, you may notice your ice starting to taste funny or see those food morsels start to accumulate in the corners of your fridge shelves.

If you see or taste something icky, you can bet others can smell something icky. 

To zap odors from from your freezer and fridge, unplug and empty them and do a thorough cleaning with a mix of hot water and baking soda.

You can sanitize with a solution of one tablespoon bleach and one gallon of water. Let it air out for 15 minutes. Try wiping it down with vinegar for extra odor eliminating, or even leave the door open for a few days.

What better excuse is there for a long weekend away or to treat yourself to takeout?