Smells like old age
If we are talking about people, then, as a rule, a heavy unpleasant aroma comes from non-compliance with certain factors:
1. Personal hygiene:
Elderly people are no longer able to take care of themselves the way they did before; they simply no longer care about such problems. All household chores for older people can cause difficulties due to infirmity, loneliness, and illness. Various diseases, such as arthritis, decreased vision or osteochondrosis, greatly impair the ability to move quickly and make it difficult to take a normal shower. If an old man is lonely, then he simply doesn’t see any point in washing.
2. Clothes:
Typically, older people wear the same clothes for a very long time. Clothes are capable of absorbing all the smells and surrounding aromas like a sponge. And as a result of this superposition of individual odors, peculiar fluids of old age are formed.
Is it possible to remove the smell of cigarette smoke?
Those who smoke do not notice this. But their guests often stifle themselves more heavily so as not to “enjoy”, along with a pleasant company, the disgusting smell of old tobacco smoke. Yellow (and for those who are especially zealous, brown) coating on the walls, furniture and ceiling, a heavy smell from all things, even without soft upholstery. It is extremely difficult to eradicate this. But probably.
If you are just staying in the “house of aromas”, send your clothes to the wash and they will come back fresh. If you are planning to eliminate the smell from your apartment, stop smoking in the house, do a general cleaning and laundry, thoroughly washing all the most forgotten corners and mezzanines, and at the same time cover the house with coffee:
- Buy coffee beans and a coffee grinder, grind the beans.
- Scatter over bowls.
- Place it around the apartment.
- Update after 2 weeks.
- Repeat until the smell completely disappears.
The appearance of old odors in the apartment
The smell of old age, which has a peculiar specificity, can appear in a room for various reasons.
, among which may be factors such as a breakdown of the ventilation system, a break in the water supply or sewerage system, high humidity levels, fungal infections, dampness, poor thermal insulation, old, poorly dried items in closets or other enclosed spaces.
In those rooms where old furniture is located, it is this that serves as a source of a specific smell.
A similar smell is formed in those rooms
, which serve as storerooms if they are not properly cared for. Usually we ourselves create the appearance of an average smell of decay when we throw different rubbish into a pile, and its smells overlap each other. And in this regard, stale paper gives off very strong odors, since the cellulose included in its composition absorbs everything very well.
How to get rid of it using accessible methods
There are different ways to combat the senile “smell” in the house, but you need to know that sometimes it will still appear again. One of the important methods of combating the smell of old things is general cleaning.
To complete it you will need:
- any chlorine-containing detergent composition;
- carpet cleaner;
- strong air fresheners.
When cleaning the homes of older people, you should know that the best option for eliminating the old smell would be to renovate the apartment - replacing wallpaper, repainting floors and windows.
After the cabinets and bedside tables are emptied and the old things are thrown away, it is necessary to rinse them on all sides with water in which the cleaning agent is diluted, since bleach easily eliminates unpleasant odors.
The windows also need to be washed no less thoroughly, and if the wallpaper is not re-pasted, then they too must be washed, since dust has settled on them and various odors have been absorbed. Therefore, the wallpaper needs to be wiped with a well-wrung out cloth (this needs to be done even if it is not washable).
When washing floors, you need to use disinfectants that will help remove old odors. It is best if they have a forest or citrus aroma. You need to wash the floors very carefully, changing the water 3-4 times.
We must not forget about ventilation of houses and apartments. If in winter it is recommended to do this several times a day, then in summer it is necessary to constantly keep the window open. In addition, you can constantly use an ionic air conditioner, which refreshes the air in the room and also does not allow it to stagnate.
An air freshener has a good effect, especially if it is automatic. Since modern air freshening compounds not only reduce bad odors, but also completely eliminate them, the apartment will always have a pleasant aroma.
You should check all kitchen cabinets and throw away old food items. Cereals need to be poured into clean bags and tied tightly. These cabinets also need to be treated with a chlorine solution, and then you can put everything back in its place.
How to get rid of unpleasant odor in a room
First of all, it is necessary to identify the source of the rotten old smell and eliminate it.
General cleaning with special products can help with this.
- Don't use air fresheners
, since they are not able to completely eliminate odors, but only partially mask them. But the most unpleasant thing is that they cause enormous harm to human health. Indeed, behind these pleasant odors are hidden very harmful toxic substances, which quite easily enter the human body along with the breath, and are also absorbed through the skin.
- If trash has accumulated in the room for a long time
, then you just need to throw it away or go through it and throw away what has already served its purpose and is not needed. Things like broken chairs, old shoes, clothes worn out a long time ago, newspapers and magazines should simply be thrown away immediately.
- All hard-to-reach places in the apartment should be thoroughly washed
, wipe all doors, walls and even ceilings. Or maybe it’s even better to change the wallpaper completely.
- It is advisable to get rid of carpets for good immediately.
If this is not possible, then using special products you should thoroughly clean it and ventilate everything well, and best of all, take it to the dry cleaner right away.
- You should open your curtains every day
, since ultraviolet light kills mold and pathogens. A UV lamp also has a good effect, but it is important to know that when using it there should be no one in the room. It is recommended to turn on the lamp once a week for ten to fifteen minutes.
In order to begin the fight for freshness in the apartment, you need to stock up on the necessary cleaning tools:
Why is the smell of decomposition dangerous to health?
A cadaverous stench can harm human health and therefore you need to figure out in advance why it is dangerous.
Nausea and vomiting
The most common problem for people who encounter this stench is vomiting with nausea. These unpleasant symptoms do not appear immediately, but only if you stay in a room with an unpleasant smell for a long time. In order for a person to begin to feel sick and vomit, one must inhale the foul aroma for more than half an hour.
Breathing problems
People who inhale stench for a long time often complain of difficulty breathing. A person begins to experience shortness of breath, due to which there is not enough oxygen. This leads to additional complications. They often complain of headaches, dizziness and nausea.
Cough
If a person is exposed to the cadaveric aroma for a long time, he will begin to develop a chronic cough. In this case, during coughing, you may notice minor pain. If nothing is done about the smell of decomposition and the cough that appears, the first signs of shortness of breath and difficulty breathing appear, which must be eliminated immediately.
Convulsions
It is no secret that prolonged inhalation of an unpleasant aroma will lead to the development of symptoms of poisoning. One of them is convulsions that develop if you breathe in cadaverous stench every day.
Most often, muscles located on the surface of the thighs or on the calf suffer from cramps. However, sometimes they appear in the abdominal wall, on the wrists and even on the shoulder muscles.
Enlarged lymph nodes
Sometimes inflammation of the lymph nodes occurs, which is accompanied by the appearance of painful bulges on the body. There are several places where lymph nodes most often become inflamed:
- back of the head;
- ears;
- front of neck;
- lower part of the chin;
- jaw.
In case of serious inflammation, you may notice round-shaped swellings under the skin that hurt when touched.
Diarrhea
Sometimes, when exposed to the cadaverous aroma, people develop digestive problems that lead to diarrhea. Many people believe that this disease is accompanied only by active gas formation in the intestines, but this is not so. There are other symptoms that a person experiences:
- nausea;
- painful sensations in the upper and lower abdomen;
- general weakness;
- temperature increase;
- heat.
Weakness and loss of concentration
After inhaling unpleasant stench, people feel general weakness. It is accompanied by loss of concentration and disorientation in space. Some people become so weak that they pass out for several hours.
Removing the old smell with vinegar
Best for room treatment
for those with old odors, vinegar is perfect. This is an indispensable tool for removing all unpleasant and heavy odors.
To do this, mix two tablespoons of vinegar with a glass of water.
, moisten a rag in the resulting solution and very carefully wipe every wooden element in the house. After about a week, this procedure must be repeated.
Vinegar removes odors very well
, and disinfects the room. For more convenient use, it can be poured into a spray bottle.
Acetic acid and potassium permanganate
You can carry out the procedure for eliminating the unpleasant stench using ordinary apple cider vinegar. Although, if necessary, a standard table 9% solution will do. For one glass of water you need to add 40 ml of essence. A rag is soaked in this liquid product, and every centimeter of a wooden piece of furniture is treated with it. The procedure must be repeated after a week.
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With this product you can only treat dark furniture. A light-colored chair or cabinet may change its color not for the better. For cleaning, dilute a weak solution of manganese (it should be pinkish), then wipe the furniture with the resulting liquid.
Other remedies against the specific odor of senility
In order for the result to be successfully established after colossal work and cleaning the room with vinegar and potassium permanganate, you need to prevent old persistent unpleasant odors from returning.
You can use various other means to do this:
- Place citrus peels and zests throughout your apartment. It can be laid out on all shelves, boxes and crevices of the apartment.
- Ground or whole coffee beans. The main thing here is that the smell from it goes smoothly to all corners.
- Scented soap. It can be cut into many small cubes and placed in all places in the room, especially in closets with bedding.
- Soda, lemon powder, activated carbon. These substances are also placed in bowls throughout the house.
How to eliminate the smell?
To eliminate the old smell in a room, it must first be ventilated. Next you need to wet clean all surfaces. For furniture where this is not possible, dry cleaning is performed. Disinfectants must be used during processing. Where possible, use polish. Fabric interior items must be washed with powder, which contains a large amount of parabens. If you have financial capabilities, it is more advisable to replace them with new ones. In flowers, it is worth replacing the soil and washing the plants. It is recommended to treat walls, floors, door and window openings with antifungal agents. An audit needs to be carried out in cabinets, drawers and bedside tables, and based on the results, you need to get rid of unnecessary things, replacing them with scented sachets. It is better to choose a scent with spruce or citrus notes.
It is possible that the first time it will not be possible to completely remove the amber. But if you do thorough cleaning once every 2 days and daily ventilation, then after 10–14 days the problem will disappear.
Homemade deodorant
There is a way to remove unpleasant odors in the room using a homemade deodorant.
made at home.
It is done quite easily.
To do this, mix vinegar and warm water in a ratio of one to one, and add any favorite essential oil to this mixture. The resulting spray should be used to treat those surfaces that emit an old and musty smell.
Many housewives use this spray to care for their premises.
When wiping, you should always close the cabinet doors only when the surface is completely dry.
Special formulations
At home, special household chemicals can be used to remove unpleasant odors of biological origin. They are effective, easy to use, but quite expensive.
OdorGone Med
The drug is intended for professional processing. The spray, acting at the molecular level, removes odors:
- sweat,
- feces,
- vomiting,
- urine,
- mustiness,
- dampness, etc.
OdorGone can be used on any surface:
- textile;
- plastic;
- tree, etc.
The product is multifunctional and is suitable for complex treatment of a room. When cleaning, the drug can be applied by spraying onto the surface, or added to a solution for washing floors and walls. It contains natural plant ingredients and purified water. Price for a 0.5 l bottle – from 800 rubles.
Helmetex Med
The drug is intended to eliminate specific odors from various surfaces that are in contact with sedentary people.
Eliminates odor:
- deceit,
- sweat,
- urine, etc.
In addition, surfaces are disinfected. The product is suitable for processing cabinet and upholstered furniture and textiles. Has the smell of fresh mint. Price for 100 ml – from 400 rubles.
SmellOFF for solving sensitive problems
The product is intended to eliminate difficult to remove odors characteristic of elderly people and bedridden patients.
The product is applied by spraying onto the surface that needs treatment, or directly into the air. On average, 5 sprays are sufficient for an area of up to 15 m² . Price – about 700 rubles per bottle.
Cleaning upholstered furniture
You should always pay attention to upholstered furniture
, which often bears the brunt of the impact from older people, since waste products of older people very often end up on the surface of sofas or beds.
When treating any upholstered furniture, it is recommended to always open the windows wide.
To prepare the solution, mix well one teaspoon of citric acid with two glasses of water, one teaspoon of vinegar and one tablespoon of liquid soap or any detergent.
When you prepare the mixture, a thick, stable foam will form.
, which must be applied with a sponge to the upholstery of the sofa. After approximately two hours, the surface should be thoroughly cleaned with a brush.
Removing odor from old furniture in the house
Upholstered furniture absorbs and retains various odors well. You can remove odors using commercial sprays or using a home remedy.
To prepare the cleaning solution you will need the following components:
- Liquid soap (20 ml.).
- Water (2 tbsp.).
- Vinegar (1 tbsp.).
- Citric acid (1 tbsp).
All ingredients are mixed. The solution is poured into a bottle and shaken until foam forms. You can use the prepared solution to clean upholstered furniture using a sponge.
After the surface has dried, you need to brush and vacuum it. It would be better to replace the covers and bedspreads with which the seats were covered.
Dry fog generator
This device allows you to permanently and completely get rid of the smell of antiquity. It is capable of spraying small particles that envelop molecules and can irritate our sense of smell. The particle size can penetrate even the deepest structures and layers.
Why does it have this name? When the process of spraying particles with a generator occurs, a kind of cloud is formed, which is very similar to fog.
This device was invented in the USA. The substances obtained there have the ability to penetrate into the most inaccessible places. It’s hard to imagine, but they are able to penetrate even the pores of any materials. The device is able to capture odor and remove it permanently.
Some recommendations
When older people live in the same room for a very long time, unpleasant odors are unlikely to be avoided. Unfortunately, the odor problem is not always and not everyone can completely cope with.
If, after you have made every effort to get rid of the specific senile smell, but absolutely nothing has helped you, it is best to make a major overhaul in your apartment.
And in order to consolidate the results obtained for as long as possible, you must adhere to some simple rules:
1. Try to regularly ventilate your apartment. Or just always, if possible, leave the windows open, especially when household members are not at home.
2. Always keep the room tidy and do not bring new things. The apartment needs some time to relax and freshen up a bit.
3. If there is high moisture in the house, it will lead to mold. And therefore, it is recommended to carry out general cleaning as often as possible.
4. Try to use only natural fragrances for your home.
Using household appliances
In order to cope with unpleasant senile odors, household appliances can be used .
The most effective are an ozonizer, a filter and an air conditioner with an air purification system. Less effective are an ionizer, an air conditioner without an air purification function, and a fan.
Air conditioner
To eliminate the stench, an air conditioner with an air purification function can be used. If such an opportunity exists, it is worth taking advantage of. This option is not available on all split system models. The disadvantage of using it is that additional functions increase the cost of the device itself.
Fan
Using a fan with open windows helps improve air exchange in the room . Unpleasant odors disappear faster. But the fan itself does not fundamentally solve the problem.
Air purifier
Air purifiers can solve the problem of indoor odors. When choosing a device, it is necessary to take into account the type and principle of operation of the filter. Disadvantages of the application include noise during operation and the cost of equipment.
Ozonizer
Using this device gives a noticeable effect in a short time . In addition to eliminating odors, the ozonizer disinfects the room. The disadvantage of using it is the price of the device itself.
Ionizer
Disinfection and odor control using an ionizer is quite possible. In terms of efficiency and effectiveness, this product is inferior to ozonizers and filter systems.
