From Homescape

When a seller is preparing her home for an open house, she usually packs away the clutter, scrubs away stains on the walls and adds some fresh flowers to liven up the ambience. But sometimes not even fresh flowers can help a home when it comes to getting rid of stinky odors. From the pungent stench of tobacco to the nose-pinching reek of an unkempt kitty litter, no one wants to be “snuffed out” of a sale. While some homeowners like adding scented candles or spraying air fresheners to mask the smells, even the rich aromas extracted from these products can sometimes overwhelm those who are sensitive to strong scents.

To play it safe, I would recommend going with an aroma-free product. At the International Home and Housewares Show in Chicago last week, I found Fresh Wave’s line of natural odor neutralizers as a good alternative for the fragrant-sensitive, environmentally conscious consumers.

From the gel crystals and home spray to the vacuum pearls, the Fresh Wave products do a good job of eliminating odor molecules. I don’t want to get too technical, — I’ll leave that to Bill Nye “The Science Guy” — but how these odor-eating products work, is the plant oils in the gels and sprays get picked up by natural airflow and attach themselves to the odor molecules, neutralizing the smells in a room.

The products are all made with a unique blend of natural ingredients like soy, purified water, aniseed, clove, lime, pine needle and cedar wood. When you open up the gel jar, you can initially smell a hint of pine and clove, but the smell quickly dissipates within minutes. The gels can be left out in the open or hidden behind air ducts. These products are all nontoxic, recyclable, non-aerosol and EPA approved.

The gel crystals last 30 to 60 days and cost $14.95 for a 16-ounce jar. So even after you’ve moved out of a home, and your agent is still showing the property to buyers, you can leave the crystals out to keep the home smelling fresh. Fresh Wave products can be purchased online at Freshwave.com or you can pick them up at Sur La Table, the Container Store and select Whole Foods and Ace Hardware stores.

Got hot local housing tips or a story you want to share? Contact Amy Le at openingdoorsblog@homescape.com.