The 6 best odor eliminators to rid your home of bad smells for good

The Hamilton Beach TrueAir Room Odor Eliminator is only a small 8-inch cube, but it's a mighty tool for removing odors. Simply plug it in and the TrueAir fan pulls in air, pushes it through three carbon filters, and traps dust and malodors to leave your room smelling fresh. There are two settings and I keep it on low, which makes very little noise. You can increase the speed to tackle tougher smells — like tobacco smoke or pet odors — too.

The product claims to cover a 10-by-10-square-foot room for three months. After that, the filters should be replaced. Changing the filters is very simple and if you don't use them all the time, the filters are effective for more than three months. The filters aren't available at every store, so you'll want to plan ahead when it's time to replace them. It also comes with a fragrance cartridge, in the Green Meadow scent, that you can use or skip. 

I've been using the device for several months, and my home is less dusty and smells fresh. It's powerful and effective, and you can store it in a closet when it's not in use.

Pets have accidents. Even if you thoroughly clean after them, the odor often lingers in the carpet, upholstery, tile grout, and hardwood floors.Once the animal catches a whiff of that spot, it will return to the scene of the crime. Enter Mister Max Anti-Icky-Poo — the cleaning agent that will have your home smelling fresh and void of lingering pet smells.

I have a precious rescue pup that tends to urinate when startled or when she feels threatened. When accidents happen, I simply grab Mister Max and give the area a good spray. Live bacteria and enzymes in the formula destroy the odor molecules, so there is no residual stench remaining.

Safe to use on all types of floors (it even penetrates concrete), carpets, and fabrics, the nontoxic Mister Max comes in a light scent or an unscented formula, and features a 100% satisfaction guarantee if it's not up to par.

Soft surfaces like carpets, area rugs, and upholstery are magnets for odor molecules. The fibers grab hold of the molecules and simply won't let them go. This is particularly true for natural fibers like wool that are barbed and synthetic fibers made from petroleum products that like to hold onto greasy molecules.

To get the most benefit from this product, I sprinkle a very light dusting of Arm & Hammer's Extra-Strength Carpet Odor Eliminator, then use a slightly damp sponge mop to work it into the carpet fibers (it's best to use a damp sponge when cleaning upholstery), and then step away for an hour or so. When I come back and give the area a good vacuuming, it's amazing to see how much soil is trapped in the powder.

Small spaces packed with lots of clothes, shoes, or linens can begin to smell stale, and the last thing you need is another strong scent layered on top. Luckily, the Moso Natural Air Purifying Bag contains 200 grams of bamboo charcoal to absorb odors, hassle-free.

Moso bags come in several sizes to fit any space and will last up to two years. They can be "recharged" by placing them in the sun for one hour per month. This helps remove the moisture that has accumulated in the charcoal. Since this is a natural product, after two years the charcoal can be composted for the garden, making it a sustainable product to have on hand.

I love that the bags come in several colors, and I use them to freshen clothes and linens in every closet, in the laundry room near the dog's crate, and in my car to keep it smelling fresh.

There are dozens of air fresheners on the market, and they're available in various forms, from sprays and essential oil diffusers to plug-ins and gels. The problem with almost all of them is that they only add fragrance to the air and don't eliminate odor. For an air freshener that actually gets rid of odors, I use the Renuzit Snuggle Super Fresh Air Freshener. 

The science is similar to that in fabric refresher sprays, where offensive odor molecules are trapped by ring-shaped cyclodextrin molecules (imperceptible to the human nose). The 98% biodegradable gel in the formula traps malodor molecules and eliminates odors.

Housed in a contemporary-looking container, the air freshener can be opened as much or as little as you'd like to release the Snuggle fragrance. There's no need for batteries or an outlet, either. I've been using this gel for many months and the bathroom still smells fresh and clean even when it has had plenty of traffic. 

Smelly laundry is no joke either; whether it be sweat to mildew, the best laundry odor remover can bring it back to smelling fresh. I like the OdorKlenz Laundry Additive, which can remove odors that cling to your clothes like sweat, smoke, grease, mothballs, pet urine, and even perfume. 

It's available in a liquid or powdered formula and is used alongside your favorite detergent at any water temperature. OdorKlenz is made from a combination of magnesium, zinc, and titanium oxide where the minerals attach to and react with pollutants to destroy or neutralize the odor. The product contains no added scents so it won't compete with your favorite detergent.

I have more than 40 years of experience testing cleaning products. Our picks are based on hands-on testing and use. We also interviewed Brian Sansoni, SVP of communication at the American Cleaning Institute, for advice on what to look for in an odor eliminator.

A key piece of advice from Sansoni is that if you really want to remove an odor from your home, you have to eliminate the bacteria or germs at the source as opposed to masking the smell with scented cleaning sprays. "Fragrances that cover an odor might be used alongside an odor absorber or a product that kills odor-causing bacteria," he said. 

In making our picks, we looked at the following criteria:

• Efficacy: We looked at how well each odor eliminator removed odors from household areas. This includes how quickly the scent was removed, how long it took to make the living area smell great, and if it was consistent over time.
• Ease of use: We looked at how easy each machine, spray, or stationary product was to use.
• Good value: We looked at how closely efficacy and ease of use corresponded to price. While price wasn't the primary consideration, we found that you don't have to spend a lot to get good performance.