Keep Your Home Smelling Fresh

Get rid of cooking odors, mustiness, and problematic pet 'aromas'

By Catherine Roberts
Senior Health & Food Reporter

April 13, 2025

Bad smells in your home can be more than just unpleasant. They can also indicate the presence of potential health hazards, such as spoiled food in your fridge, mold in your bathroom, or even leaking gas.

And while some sources of stink can be easily dispatched, others can be trickier to handle.

Click on dots to learn more.

Illustration: Chris Philpot

Editor’s Note: A version of this article also appeared in the March 2025 issue of Consumer Reports On Health.

Catherine Roberts

Catherine Roberts is a health and science journalist at Consumer Reports. She has been at CR since 2016, covering infectious diseases, bugs and bug sprays, consumer medical devices like hearing aids and blood pressure monitors, health privacy, and more. As a civilian, her passions include bike rides, horror films and fiction, and research rabbit holes. Follow her on X: @catharob.