What Makes Garages Smell?
- If you keep your garbage can inside your garage until trash day, it may be a source of odor. The easiest cure for this problem is to empty the can of trash, pour disinfectant inside and fill it with water from the tap. Empty the water and allow the can to dry in the sun. Once it is completely dry, sprinkle cat litter in the bottom to help absorb future spills and odors.
- After a time, oil and grease begin to decompose, leaving behind an unpleasant odor. Clean your garage floor on a regular basis using one cup of liquid household cleaner to a gallon of water. Mop the mixture on, let it sit for a few minutes and sweep it out with a garage broom. The primary caveats involve the bleach you're using to clean the floor. Make sure no children or pets are around as you clean, and be very careful to not track it inside your house as it will discolor your flooring.
- Unless lawn mowers and other gardening equipment is well-cleaned after each use, odors can emanate from the rotting grass and debris left on them. Rinse anything you use in the course of lawn work before storing it in the garage.
- Dead animals anywhere in your garage will smell until they have completely dried out or decomposed. If your garage is damp, the process will take longer. Wearing gloves and a mask, search your garage for anything that might be dead. This includes insects, as they also must decompose. Once you've removed any carcasses, use one of the many available odor neutralizers on the market to combat the smell. Odor neutralizers normally work by breaking down the organic compounds that cause odor. Some also contain an artificial fragrance to help mask the smell until it's complete neutralized. These neutralizers are available in granules, powders, sprays and rods.
- Sports equipment stored in the garage can create offensive odors. Wash uniforms, spray shoes, clean bats, balls, hockey sticks and other equipment before storing them. Prevention is the key when it comes to storing sports equipment.
