If you consider yourself a pretty clean and neat person, then you probably expect your apartment to smell fresh and inviting. However, if your apartment smells funky despite your best efforts to stay tidy, some unexpected sources of odor might be to blame. Here are some of the top reasons why your apartment might be smelly and how you can fix them.

You Just Sort of Clean Your Kitchen

When we're cleaning our kitchens, a lot of us go through the same routine. We wipe down surface areas, rinse out the sink and run the garbage disposal. However, this doesn't account for nooks and crannies where food and crumbs can collect. For example, if you smell a funky odor coming from your otherwise clean oven, food that's fallen through the cracks between the counter and the stove may be to blame.

The Solution: Once a season, turn the power and gas off in your kitchen so that you can move large appliances forward and clean behind them. It's tedious, sure, but you'll be shocked at just how much waste and grime has collected there.

You Have Clogged Drains

We think of clogged drains as a reason why our water takes a long time to drain out of the basin, not as a source of odor. However, the grime that collects in clogged drains can create quite an unpleasant odor.

The Solution: Call a plumber. While some drains can be fixed with liquid drain clearing products, more serious clogs will require professional intervention from capable businesses, like High Speed Plumbing Inc.

Your Laundry Is Clean, but There's Still a Dirty Laundry Odor

If you don't have any dirty laundry lying around but can still smell that particular odor, it's probably the assorted fabrics that you don't think to wash on a regular basis.

The Solution: Start washing your non-clothing fabric items more often. Bed sheets and blankets should be washed once a week. Curtains and duvets should be washed seasonally. Couch covers and items that need to be dry cleaned should be professionally laundered once or twice a year.

There's Nothing Rotting In the Trash, but the Bin Reeks

Even when you use a bag or a liner, debris and liquid waste can seep through, creating an unpleasant odor that lingers even when you take the trash out.

The Solution: Every couple of months, take your garbage cans outside and give them a cleaning with the hose and some bleach. For extra freshness, sprinkle baking soda in the bin every time you take the trash out before you replace the bag. You can also consider spraying some essential oils into the can once a week took.

You're Not as Clean as You Think You Are

Keeping a clean apartment doesn't mean just wiping down surfaces once a week or so. Unfortunately, it does take some daily habits to ensure that your place is clean, tidy and odor-free.

The Solution: Don't try to scrub everything from top to bottom all at once. Instead, work on changing your daily habits to gradually get your mess under control.

Nobody wants to live in a place that smells. By following these tips, you’ll avoid these classic housekeeping blunders and keep that foul odor at bay.