For strong smells in large areas such as on carpets, drapes, and furniture, the first impulse is often to think that something just as strong must be used to remove the smell. While steam cleaning machines appear to be big and powerful, one drawback to steam cleaning is that it can set-in strong odors through the combination of steam and heat, thereby creating exactly the opposite of what is desired. Prior to steam cleaning, odors can be removed using a natural fabric and carpet deodorizer. One that uses natural ingredients is best, as these are less harmful to you and the environment. Natural fabric and carpet deodorizers also do not mask the smell; rather, the combination of natural ingredients work together to eliminate odors.

When cleaning carpets in particular, the affected area requires investigation prior to treatment. If possible, determine if the odor has seeped through the carpet backing and into the pad. This requires lifting the carpet to see if there is a visible stain on the pad. If so, clean the pad and carpet backing with the fabric deodorizer, let dry, and replace. If you are unable to lift the carpet and are quite sure the cause of the odor seeped through, you can use a syringe to inject fabric deodorizer underneath the carpet and into the padding.

Prior to using a carpet deodorizer, vacuum the area thoroughly, avoiding the use of any powder products directly on the carpet. Once you have vacuumed, apply the carpet deodorizer according to the product directions. Many can be applied directly to carpet using a spray bottle, which is quick and effective. Once the product has dried, smell test the area for any lingering odors. The procedure may need to be repeated a few times to completely remove the smell. After the fabric deodorizer has completely removed the odor, then it is safe to steam clean, and you can rest easy knowing that you won’t be setting-in any long-term odors.

The same process can be used on drapery on a regular basis or prior to cleaning. Many dry cleaners use both steam and dry heat, so it is a good idea to use a fabric deodorizer on your draperies prior to dry cleaning, even though this seems counter-intuitive. As with carpet, apply a natural fabric deodorizer to the drapes using a spray bottle and allow time to dry. Test for odors and repeat as necessary.

Fabric deodorizers can also be used effectively on furniture, where odors tend to accumulate easily from causes in the air, such as smoke, and repeated use by both people and pets. Vacuum furniture thoroughly prior to using a deodorizer, and then apply as directed. A good deodorizer will not stain fabric, although it is still a good idea to do a test on an area that is out of view. A natural fabric deodorizer may be less likely to stain.

About The Author

Vincent Platania represents the Fuller Brush Company. Fuller Brush has been in business since 1906, and offers safe, environmentally friendly products for keeping your home and your body clean. Visit http://www.fullerstore.com.

Close your eyes and think of each season: winter, spring, summer and fall each evoke special “scentual” memories. If it’s the dead of winter and you’ve already suffered through 73 days of snow cover, light a piña colada candle or a seaside candle and pop in your favorite Beach Boys CD. Inhale the scents of summer and forget about the cold for a few divine moments. Select a delicate floral candle or maybe a rain forest scent to remind you that April showers are right around the corner. If it’s 102° F in the shade, there’s nothing like a pine-scented candle to send a quick shiver up your back. Longing for fall? Light a pumpkin candle to evoke the Harvest Moon and the bounty of autumn. Whatever the occasion you’d like to recreate, it’s only a candle away. That’s the power of the sense of smell.

Holidays are incomplete without candles. If you think back to your favorite holiday gatherings, your mind will probably wander to your favorite scents. Think about your favorite Christmas tree, and you’re bound to remember the crisp smell of pine or cedar. The traditional holiday season from Thanksgiving to the New Year provides a natural cornucopia of fragrance. From pumpkin pie to peppermint ice cream to vanilla, the scents of the holiday season are everywhere.

Perhaps you use an artificial tree instead of a fresh-cut tree each year. Simulate the scent of a Frazier fir with candles. Artificial trees are getting closer to their natural kissing cousins with each passing season, but they remain “flat” without the accompanying scent. They just can’t bring the smell of Christmas into a home like the real thing. Light a few pine or cedar candles, and voila—you may never miss the genuine article.

Feel free to light several complementary scents at once. The seasons and the holidays are full of naturally occurring complementary fragrance. Each season contains a wealth of pleasing smell. The holiday season probably provides the most scent. Recreate the memories of Christmas past with gingerbread, vanilla, cinnamon, eggnog, clove, nutmeg, pine, peppermint candles. The scents don’t compete, because they occur naturally, and you’ve smelled them from infancy. If you can think of a memory, you can find a candle to recreate the mood.

Look around your home. You’ve probably created a room or two around a theme. Perhaps you’ve created an indoor sunroom. Bring the scents of the outdoors into your sunroom to add authenticity. Perhaps you’ve built a room around a color. Add lavender-scented candles to that lavender room, rose-scented candles to a pink room, new-mown grass-scented and rain forest candles to a green room, vanilla or gardenia to a white room, and seaside to a blue room.

Don’t forget the kitchen. Not only will you want to add scent, but you may want to eliminate odors as well. If you’ve created the perfect dinner for guests, the last thing you want is the smell of garlic, onion, or fish wafting through your home when they arrive. If the odor is overpowering, turn on the kitchen fan, spray a little odor neutralizer in the air, and light citrus-scented candles to replace cooking odors with the clean scent of fruit.

Cheaper than a trip to paradise, quicker than you can even say “banana bread,” you can light a candle. If your mind can imagine it, you can create it with scented candles for mere pennies!

About The Author

M J Plaster is a successful author who provides information on shopping online for http://www.candles-4-u.com/candle_holders.htm, http://www.candles-4-u.com/aromatherapy.htm, and http://www.candles-4-u.com/scented_candles.htm. M J Plaster has been a commercial freelance writer for almost two decades, most recently specializing in home and garden, the low-carb lifestyle, investing, and anything that defines la dolce vita.

The best Perfume and fragrances will make your enticing.

In ancient civilizations materials and ingredients were added to oils used to perfume the skin. Today science is able to isolate and remove a pure single aroma from natural materials. As a general rule, the purer and more distilled the material, the more it costs. However, there are many wonderful fragrances you can buy that are both inexpensive and of a high quality.

About The Author
Mike Yeager
Publisher
http://www.a1-perfume-4u.com/
mjy610@hotmail.com