Deodorize the Room With a Bowl of Vinegar
Distilled vinegar is so good for cleaning many types of surfaces that we sometimes forget that it also cleans the air. If you run out of Febreze but your living room starts to smell bad, you can get rid of that smell directly with a bowl of vinegar.
Most deodorants don’t actually get rid of the odor; they just cover them with scent. Vinegar is different. According to the Popular Science blog on odor elimination , the acetic acid molecules in vinegar bind to the smelly volatiles in the air, neutralizing them and killing the bad odor . When the vinegar evaporates, it carries away the neutralized molecules without leaving any odor.
You don’t need to spray vinegar to take advantage of its deodorant properties. Just fill a small, shallow plate, place it in the corner and wait. This smell will disappear after a few hours.
This article was originally published on June 21, 2011. It was updated on April 26, 2021 to reflect the current Lifehacker style guidelines, as well as provide a new photo, updated links, and current information.