Walk in after a day out and get hit by a bad smell? Small spaces trap odours fast. Most have a simple fix: find the source, remove it, then add fresh scent.
TL;DR: How to Get Rid of Smell in an Apartment
- Find it: Step outside for fresh air, come back in, and follow the smell to where it is strongest.
- Remove it: Take out the trash, clean the source, and ventilate. Baking soda and vinegar handle most carpet, fridge, drain, and appliance smells.
- Keep it fresh: Use an air purifier, open windows regularly, and wash soft furnishings. Add scent only after the bad smell is gone.
- Call your landlord if the smell is musty, smells like mould or gas, or will not go away after a deep clean.
Why Apartments Hold Onto Smells
Apartments are smaller than houses, with less airflow and more shared walls, floors, and vents. Cooking smells, pet odour, damp, and drain smells build up quickly, and soft surfaces like carpet, curtains, and sofas soak them up.
See more in our Apartment Guides.
Step 1: Find the Source First
Reset your nose
If you live with a smell every day, your nose gets used to it. Step outside for five minutes, then walk back in slowly and notice where it hits you first. Sudden smells often point to food, trash, or a spill. Slow, musty smells often point to damp, mould, or a dried-out drain.
Common sources, room by room
| Room | Common source | First fix |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen | Trash, drains, disposal, fridge, cooking smoke | Take out trash, clean the bin, flush drains |
| Bathroom | Grout, toilet base, drains, damp towels | Scrub grout, clean the toilet base |
| Living room | Carpet, sofa, curtains, pets | Baking soda on carpet and sofa |
| Bedroom | Mattress, bedding, laundry pile | Wash bedding, air the mattress |
| Whole apartment | Stale air, vents, neighbour smells, mould | Ventilate, clean vents, check for damp |
Kitchen: Trash, Drains, and the Fridge
The kitchen is the most common source of apartment odour, and the easiest to fix. Take the trash out daily in warm weather, keep it in a bin with a tight lid, and wash the bin itself once a week.
For drains, pour half a cup of baking soda down the drain, followed by a cup of white vinegar. Let it fizz for 15 minutes, then flush with hot water. Run water in any drain you rarely use once a week. Check the fridge too: throw out anything past its best, wipe the shelves with vinegar water, and leave an open box of baking soda inside.
Bathroom: Grout, Toilet Base, and Damp
Bathroom smells often come from places you do not clean every day. Moisture soaks into tile grout, the floor around the toilet, and the toilet base. Scrub grout weekly, and wipe the toilet base and floor around it. Keep towels and bath mats dry between uses — a damp towel left bunched up will smell musty within a day. If the bathroom still smells musty, look for mould around the shower, under the sink, and around window frames.
Carpet, Sofa, and Pet Odour
Soft surfaces are smell magnets. Carpet, rugs, sofas, curtains, and cushions trap cooking smells, sweat, and pet odour, then release them slowly. Sprinkle baking soda over carpet and rugs, leave it for at least an hour — overnight for strong smells — then vacuum. Do the same for the sofa, including under the cushions. Wash cushion covers, curtains, and pet bedding, and hang the rest outside in fresh air if you can. If you have a pet, vacuum pet areas more often and clean litter trays daily.
Cooking Smoke and Food Smells
Frying fish, garlic, spices, and burnt food can leave a cooking smell for days. It sticks to walls, ceilings, curtains, and soft furnishings.
Ventilate while you cook, not after. Turn on the kitchen exhaust fan before you start, and open a window slightly. If you have no exhaust fan, put a fan in a window facing outwards. For more on moving stale air out, see our guide on how to vent air in an apartment. After cooking, wipe down counters and the hob, and leave a small bowl of white vinegar out overnight.
Neighbour Smell Coming Through Vents
Sometimes the smell is not yours at all. Cooking smells, cigarette smoke, and pet odour can travel through shared vents, gaps around pipes, and thin walls. Keep your vents clean and unblocked, and keep clear space around your return vent. A bowl of baking soda placed near — not inside — a vent can help, and an air purifier with a carbon filter can reduce smoke smells. If the smell is strong or constant, raise it with your landlord in writing.
Musty Smell: Check for Mould and Damp
A musty smell often means damp or mould is hiding somewhere — behind furniture, under a sink, in a wardrobe, or in a bathroom with poor ventilation. Clean a small patch carefully with a mould cleaner, ventilate the room, and dry the area fully. Wear gloves and do not dry-brush mould, which spreads spores. If the patch is bigger than a dinner plate, keeps coming back, or comes with damp walls or a leak, tell your landlord in writing and take photos.
Step 2: Remove the Smell Properly
Ventilate first
Open windows on opposite sides for 10 to 15 minutes. If you only have windows on one side, put a fan facing outwards to pull the bad air out.
Deep clean the source
Give the smelly area a proper deep clean: empty it, wipe every surface, and clean the places you normally skip — inside the oven, under the sink, behind the toilet, and inside the washing machine seal. Run an empty washing machine on a hot cycle with a cup of white vinegar, run the dishwasher empty with vinegar, and wipe the microwave with lemon water. Clean or replace hood and air conditioner filters, as dirty filters hold smells.
Baking soda and vinegar: what they do best
- Carpet and sofa: Sprinkle baking soda, leave for an hour or overnight, then vacuum.
- Fridge: Leave an open box of baking soda inside, and replace it monthly.
- Drains and disposal: Baking soda followed by vinegar, then hot water.
- Dishwasher and washing machine: A cup of vinegar on an empty hot cycle.
- Microwave: Heat a bowl of water with lemon slices, then wipe it out.
Do not mix them in a sealed container, and do not use vinegar on marble or granite.
Step 3: Keep Your Apartment Smelling Fresh
Air purifier
An air purifier does not replace cleaning or ventilation, but it helps with lingering smells. Choose one with a HEPA filter and a carbon filter, and replace the filters on schedule.
Candles, diffusers, and essential oils
Candles and diffusers work best after the bad smell is gone, not instead of removing it. Never leave a candle burning unattended.
Simmer pots, plants, and fabric sprays
A simmer pot — water with orange peel, cinnamon sticks, and cloves at a gentle simmer — fills the apartment with scent. Keep it on low and never leave it unattended. A light fabric spray on the sofa and curtains after vacuuming keeps them fresh between washes.
Plug-ins: use them with care
Plug-ins release scent all day, but use them sparingly in a small apartment — they can quickly become overpowering. If anyone has asthma or allergies, skip plug-ins and stick to ventilation and cleaning.
What NOT to Do
- Do not just mask the smell. Air freshener over a bad smell creates a worse mix. Remove the source first.
- Do not put baking soda or vinegar inside vents. It can damage the system and block airflow.
- Do not pour bleach down every drain. It does not fix most drain smells and must never be mixed with other cleaners.
- Do not ignore a musty or gas smell. A gas or rotten-egg smell needs urgent action — ventilate, leave if you feel unwell, and call your landlord or gas supplier straight away.
- Do not overdo scent. Too many candles, plug-ins, and sprays can trigger headaches and allergies.
When to Call Your Landlord or Property Manager
Most apartment smells are yours to fix. Call your landlord when the problem is in the building: mould, damp, or a leak; a smell from inside the walls, ceiling, or plumbing; a neighbour’s smoke through the vents; or a smell still there a week after a deep clean. Take photos and keep a copy of your message. Heat and poor airflow can make smells worse, so if your apartment also runs hot, read our guide on why your apartment is so hot.
FAQ: Getting Rid of Smell in an Apartment
Why does my apartment smell even when it is clean?
Odours hide in carpet, sofas, curtains, mattresses, grout, drains, and filters. Deep-clean those surfaces and ventilate daily.
How do I get cooking smell out of an apartment fast?
Open windows on opposite sides, put a fan facing outwards, and turn on the exhaust fan. Wipe down counters and leave a bowl of white vinegar out overnight.
How do I stop my neighbour’s smell coming through the vents?
Keep vents clean and clear. Place a bowl of baking soda near the vent — never inside it — and run an air purifier with a carbon filter nearby.
What does a musty smell in an apartment mean?
A musty smell usually means damp or mould. Check behind furniture, under sinks, around windows, and in wardrobes. A large patch or a smell that keeps coming back should be reported to your landlord.
What is the best natural deodoriser for an apartment?
Baking soda is best for carpet, sofas, shoes, and the fridge. White vinegar works best for drains, appliances, and food smells.
Final Thoughts
Getting rid of smell in an apartment is not about buying the strongest air freshener. Find the source, clean it properly, and let fresh air do its work. If the smell keeps coming back, look again for damp, check the drains and vents, and ask your landlord for help. You may also like our guides on how to cool down an apartment without AC and how to soundproof an apartment. If you are staying as a guest, see what a private room on Airbnb is.
