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For many years, apartment living meant we had no garage or any kind of outdoor storage space. With no need for lawn equipment, it was really no big deal. But now we're moving to a house with a one-car garage and a big lawn in need of mowing. And that garage stinks. Here's how we're planning on combating those garage-y smells, the green way.
We haven't even moved in to our house yet, and the garage, which will also be our laundry room, already smells like a tractor barn. (For those of you who didn't grow up on a farm, think diesel.) Needless to say, we want to nip this in the bud.
These outdoor areas tend to be bigger than the power of vinegar and baking soda, which we use to soak up odors inside the home. Here are a few green ideas we've found to deal with the smells. If you've used any of these methods, let us know how you think they work.
- Air out the garage or shed. Ventilation is key to dissipating smells.
- Try Gonzo Odor Eliminator for Basements and Garages: lava rock in a mesh bag that soaks up odors, from pet-related to automotive. Sounds like it's worth a shot.
- Use kitty litter a lot like you would use baking soda. While kitty litter, which is generally made from clay but can also be made from a slew of recycled materials, can sometimes be the source of a bad smell, it can also be used to soak up smells much like activated charcoal would. Put the (clean) litter in an open tub and let it do its magic.
Anything we're forgetting?
(Image: Flickr member joguidi, licensed under Creative Commons)
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kitty litter? ...excellent! would that work to get rid of the smell inside of an empty garbage can? (i have two cans, but my landlord won't let me get rid of the GIANT one, even though i only use the small one she also provided me).
Oh, the lovely smell inside a garbage can. My husband once "scored" a giant garbage can from a neighbor and he was so excited to have this monstrosity that I couldn't object. But it was really too big for us so it sat unused for several weeks until I started to notice a really, really foul smell in the garage. I opened the lid to look in and OH, WHAT A SURPRISE! There was a dirty diaper hanging out in the bottom! Gross!! So I pulled it out to the driveway, sprayed down the inside with my all-purpose spray, let it sit for a while and then hosed down the inside and it was 95% better. After that I sprinkled baking soda all over the bottom and sides and it's been smell-free ever since! Here's the all-purpose spray: http://bit.ly/allpurpose
Did you try Room Shocker? I have been hearing a lot of good things about it. I just looked it up at http://www.biocidesystems.com/roomshocker1.html. If you try it out let me know what you think!