Three Reasons You Can’t Get Rid of Household Odors

Do you struggle with odors? You likely aren’t alone—this is a common problem for many people. While cleaning products can typically mask odors, sometimes the problem goes a little deeper than that. If you can’t seem to get rid of the problem, you might not have some strange hidden issue or area of your home that you are neglecting to clean. Instead, the issue might have everything to do with your indoor air quality.

Foul odors are just one sign that your indoor air quality may not be up to the level it needs to be, and taking steps to fix the issue can help you get rid of your household odors for good. But how do you know where to begin? What can be causing your poor-quality air and creating the conditions that allow odors to thrive in your home? Here are three reasons why indoor air quality is making it impossible for you to get rid of those stubborn odor problems.

Your Air Filter Is Dirty

A dirty air filter is by far the most common reason for poor indoor air quality. Your air filter’s job is to strain the air that passes through your HVAC system, removing debris in the process. However, the more debris ends up in the filter, the less air can pass through it. Likewise, the older the filter gets, the more debris finds its way through the filter and back into your home as a whole. This causes plenty of problems, including damaging your HVAC system and causing general issues for the air quality throughout your home.

However, your dirty air filter may also be the reason why you have household odor problems. As debris accumulates in your air filter, whatever qualities it has stay with it, and that means air filters can become a source for plenty of different types of odor particles. Sometimes these odors can sneak through the filter and imbue the air that flows throughout your home where they continue to cause problems even after you might have cleaned up the initial source of the odor in the first place.

If you want to solve this problem, just change your air filter frequently. We recommend replacing your air filter every three to four months, or more often if necessary. Keep several spares on hand so you can instantly swap out your old filter should you notice your current one is dirty.

Your Condensation Drain Is Clogged

If you struggle with musty odors that are not all that unlike mold or mildew during the summer months, your problem might actually be a clogged condensation drain. As your air conditioner runs, it extracts humidity and water vapor from the air. This condensation drips down and drains away through your condensation drain—a small drain line attached to your air conditioner’s drain pan. However, a blocked or clogged condensation drain prevents water from leaving, and that can create all kinds of musty or mildew-like smells.

The reason for these odors is actually as simple as it seems—your blocked condensation drain may be fueling mold growth in your HVAC system. While drain pans are typically metal and resistant to mold, the vapor they contain could cause mold to grow in your HVAC closet or even in the air ducts that carry the cool air you need throughout your home. We recommend regularly inspecting your drain to make sure it isn’t clogged as well as regularly flushing the drain with some hot water to remove any potential buildup within.

Your Air Ducts Need to Be Cleaned

Does your whole home smell of odors that no amount of cleaning can get rid of? The problem might be that you aren’t cleaning the right spot. It is by no means uncommon for odors to become permanently engrained in the debris found in air ducts, and these particles continually spread throughout your home until they are properly cleaned out. Such is the case with things like strong food odors, body odors, or odors from things like cigarette smoke.

In fact, your air ducts are actually one of the most prominent sources of indoor odors precisely because they aren’t cleaned frequently. If you’re like the average homeowner, you probably don’t even know the last time you had a duct cleaning service done. We recommend having this done every two to three years for most homeowners, and those who have not had a cleaning in a longer period than that may be shocked to find just how dirty their air ducts can be.