Smelly shoes, musty carpets and cooked fish – the stinks plaguing homes as study finds 1 in 5 Brits worry about odours
ONE five Brits worry about lingering smells in their home with sewage, toilet odours and smelly bin bags among the worst, a poll has revealed.
A survey of 2,000 adults found cigarette smoke at 45%, gone-off food at 29% and smelly shoes at 18% also made the top 20 nastiest stinks.
These were followed by smelly fridges at 15%, musty carpets at 11% and a dirty dishwasher at 5%.
Despite this, 88% of Brits said it’s important that their home smells nice even if it’s just them at home.
But this figure rises to nine in 10 when people are hosting guests.
A spokesperson for Febreze, which commissioned the research to support the launch of a new formula for its Air Mist air freshener, said: “We know that unwanted smells can ruin the day.
“Even if you’re not having people over, you don’t want to be in a situation where you’re having to put up with unexpected stinks at home.
“And if you do have an unexpected guest, it can be embarrassing trying to either pretend the smell isn’t there or desperately trying to explain it away.”
The study also found the kitchen and bathroom are the rooms of the house most likely to be the source of a stink.
In a bid to get rid of a stench, 72% open a window, 51% spray an air freshener and a quarter use plug-in scented devices.
Fresh and clean is the preferred odour of choice, ahead of citrusy and floral notes.
But the research also found that smells in the home also have an impact on people’s wellbeing, with 60% admitting it can influence their mood.
And 64% of Brits are on the lookout for new and interesting ways to make our homes smell better.
Our obsession with scents translates to other people’s homes too – but most people admit they are too polite to point out if another person’s home had a bad smell.
“Fighting bad odours shouldn’t be a chore,” Febreze’s spokesperson added.
“Whether you’re at home on your own or in the company of others, no one wants bad smells lingering.
“That’s why so many people act quickly to get rid of those smells, because our homes should be a place of comfort – not stinking of sewage.”
The Worst Home Odours
1. Sewage (62 per cent)
2. Toilets odours (50 per cent)
3. Smelly bin bags (46 per cent)
4. Cigarette smoke (45 per cent)
5. Gone-off food (29 per cent)
6. Pet litter tray (26 per cent)
7. Pet odours (23 per cent)
8. Cooked fish (20 per cent)
9. Smelly shoes (18 per cent)
10. Raw fish (16 per cent)
11. Smelly fridge (15 per cent)
12. Musty carpets (11 per cent)
13. Wet towels (10 per cent)
14. Fried food (nine per cent)
15. Mould in the bathroom (eight per cent)
16. Dirty laundry (seven per cent)
17. Musty laundry (six per cent)
18. Used sports kit (e.g. gym, football, etc.) – (five per cent)
19. Dirty dishwasher (five per cent)
20. Paint fumes (five per cent)