The term ‘nose blind’ has certainly entered the popular lexicon in recent years, whether that’s referring to a side effect of COVID-19, your colleague whose garlic bread habit has become an increasingly visible concern, or, most commonly, the aromas in your home that you can’t discern but your guests most certainly can.
Every home has certain smells, from laundry detergent to preferred cooking ingredients, and not all of these are unpleasant. Some, however, might be indicative of a serious, potentially dangerous issue that needs attending to. In these (and, frankly, most) cases, trying to cover up the smell isn’t enough. Instead, you need to go to the source of these 7 smells in your home you should never ignore.
Sewerage
Sewerage fumes don’t just smell bad, they can also be toxic and even flammable. The most obvious cause of sewerage smells is a blocked sewer; you’ll know if this is the case, because the smell will be coming from your drain.
Rather than this unwelcome intrusion into your bathroom and beyond being caused by overuse, as it were, sewer smells in your home are more often due to sewer gas coming from a rarely used toilet or sink.
This is caused by the p-trap drying out or potentially becoming clogged. Though the former can be fixed by simply running water through it regularly, responsive drainage experts will be able to help with the latter, removing any blockage safely and cleanly. Broken seals or burst pipes could be another cause, and fixing them will definitely require a plumber.
Read: 10 IDEAL questions to ask when first viewing a house
Rotten Eggs
The odour of rotten eggs could be caused by a crate of forgotten eggs, sure, but it could also be down to a gas leak. A chemical called mercaptan that smells like rotten eggs is added to natural gas so that we can easily detect when there is a gas leak.
A gas leak is of course serious and requiring of urgent attention – natural gas is highly flammable and contains carbon monoxide which is highly toxic. If you suspect that there is a gas leak in your home, open as many windows as you can and then go outside before calling out an emergency gas engineer.
Burning
A burning smell is never a good sign unless you’ve just lit a barbie. If you’re not cooking anything, you may want to check electrical outlets around your home – smoke or scorch marks could be a sign that an outlet is damaged and that an electrical fire is imminent.
In such situations, your best option is to turn off the electrics at the mains and get an expert to take a look immediately. Experienced electricians will be able to identify the source of the problem and make the necessary repairs before things escalate.
Fishy Smells
Plastics used in some outlets and some cases of damaged wiring can produce an unpleasant fishy smell when overheated. If you haven’t left any fish out on the counter and you smell fish, consider checking each outlet in your home. This smell could be another early warning sign that an electrical fire is about to break out and you should call out an electrician.
Of course, if you’ve just enjoyed a fish supper, you might want to put that phone down.
Mould
Many of us know the distinctive musty smell of mould. Living around mould is not good for our respiratory health, so you should try to find the source as soon as you start to smell mould in your home.
Most mould is clearly visible on walls and ceilings, but sometimes our homes can contain hidden outbreaks in cupboards or behind appliances. Try to follow the smell to find the source so that you can get rid of the mould. There are anti-mould sprays you can use to get rid of the mould, as well as homemade solutions using either bleach or vinegar.
That said, it’s important to be aware that the cause of mould may be structural, potentially down to leaking pipes, rising damp, or rain seeping into your property through either a damaged roof or window frame. As we said, mould can have a detrimental impact on your health, so it’s essential you get it seen to. A professional mould removal service is your best bet, here.
Strong Chemical Smells
If you haven’t been using chemical products and you start smelling chemicals, this could be a concern. Such chemicals may be toxic to inhale, so it’s important to find the source.
Unusual chemical smells can have many sources – a common one being formaldehyde used in furniture. New furniture or furniture placed too close to a radiator may start to produce this smell. Open windows to air the room after buying new furniture or move the furniture away from radiators.
Read: How to determine if a cleaning product is indeed eco-friendly
Has Something Died In Here?
If it smells like something has died in your home, it’s possible that this may indeed be the case. Animals like mice or birds can get into homes where they may die and start to decompose. This smell can be very unpleasant and may attract a further pest intrusion; start looking behind sofas, up chimneys and under floorboards immediately!
The Bottom Line
Your home’s scent profile is something you become nose-blind to over time, but certain smells demand immediate attention rather than a scented candle. From the rotten egg odour that signals a potentially lethal gas leak to the fishy whiff of overheating electrics, these aren’t mere nuisances; they’re warnings.
The key takeaway? Never try to mask a persistent, unexplained smell. Track it to its source, ventilate the space, and call in the appropriate professional before a minor inconvenience becomes a major emergency.
