Four Dangerous Household Smells You Should Never Ignore

Posted by on Jun 25th, 2019 in Home | 0 comments

Your nose is actually quite powerful, and scents play an important role in our daily lives. However, not all scents are good ones, and when you smell something out of the ordinary in your home, there’s probably something more going on that you need to address.

If you catch a whiff of any of these strange smells, be sure to keep the following in mind to know what that means:

Gas
Natural gases don’t usually have their own smell, but they are mixed with certain chemicals let you indicate its presence when it’s leaking. If you smell anything that smells like rotten eggs, especially in your kitchen, this means that your home is at risk of a fire hazard. While you can avoid this by routinely checking for leaks, you will need a professional plumber or home inspector to fix this issue with your home.

Musty smell
Pungent odors in your kitchen could indicate either a leaking sink or a broken pipe, which allows mold to grow and become a problem for those suffering from asthma or are prone to allergic reactions. If you have any non-porous surfaces at home, such as tiles, be sure to disinfect them regularly with a 10% bleach-water solution and ventilate the area well. However, for porous surfaces, you might be better off taking them down and replacing them since they could easily promote mold growth.

Smoke
Smoke always means that fire. Just like smelling gas, even the occasional whiff can be a big problem that could put your HDB flat or condo unit at risk of a huge fire hazard, and should automatically set off your fire alarm system if you have one. If you smell it when using a particular light, appliance, or light fixture, you need to turn it off and call an electrician to fix the problem right away.

Bathroom odors
You might have a drainage leak that contains toxic components if your home somehow smells like a waste treatment plant. These toxic components can be gases such as hydrogen sulfide and methane, which can cause problems such as eye irritation, unconsciousness, and even asphyxiation from the lack of oxygen.

Causes could either be leaking pipes or just an unused bathroom in general, and the latter can be solved by simply pouring a cup of water or two into the bathroom drain. However, if you can’t find the source of this problem, the issue could be with your plumbing and would need a professional plumber or home inspector.

If you’re worried that your home actually smells but no one seems to be telling you, you can clear your nose by going out for a few hours and then coming back to smell your house again.