10 house smells you should never ignore

Home safety is a serious issue, whether you have a gigantic house or a tiny one. There’s a whole lot going on in modern-day homes, and even the savviest homeowners need to be wary of these hidden home dangers you should never ignore and the things in your home that can be a fire hazard. Luckily, sometimes you can be warned and stop a home catastrophe before it happens, simply by identifying a foreboding smell. Here are the noteworthy odours that you’ll want to be on high alert if you notice, what they could mean, and what you should do.

Natural gas is odourless, so in order to make it detectable, the chemical mercaptan is added, which creates that classic “rotten egg” odour. If you smell a rotten egg smell in your house, you could be in danger of a gas leak, which could cause fire or an explosion. Leave the house immediately and call the gas company on your mobile phone or a neighbour’s phone, says home inspector Frank Lesh. Avoid using a landline phone in the house, turning lights or appliances on or off, or using a car, all of which could create sparks.

Here are 20 hidden things in your home that may be a fire hazard.

A musty, pungent odour could indicate a sink leak or broken pipe that has given rise to mould, which loves to grow in dark, damp spots. “For mould, we’re really concerned about people with allergies and asthma,” says David Dyjack, DrPH, CIH, executive director of the National Environmental Health Association. “Both conditions can be exacerbated by mould exposure.” If you see mould, disinfect non-porous surfaces like tile with a 10 percent bleach/water solution and let sit for ten minutes while ventilating, Dyjack adds. For porous surfaces like drywall, it’s best to replace. If you can’t see the mould it may be in the walls, in which case call your local health department or a home inspector to find the problem.

Plenty of exterminator nightmares start with a smell in the house.

If your home smells like a waste treatment plant, you could have a leak of sewer gas, which contains toxic and potentially explosive components such as hydrogen sulfide (which could cause problems from eye irritation to unconsciousness) and methane (which can deplete oxygen leading to asphyxiation). One cause could be a bathroom that isn’t used often. The pipes under a shower or sink include a U-shaped trap, which holds a small amount of water that blocks sewer gas from leaking back into the house. If a bathroom isn’t used, this water could evaporate, allowing odours through. To fix the problem, simply pour a cup of water into the bathroom drain, says Lesh. For extra effectiveness, add a teaspoon of vegetable oil to stop the water from evaporating. If, however, you can’t find the source of the problem, the issue could be that a vent pipe, which routes sewer gas up and out through your roof, is broken or clogged. In this case, call a home inspector or plumber to investigate.

Don’t miss 30 secrets your plumber won’t tell you.

A strong smoke smell could be cause for panic, but even a small, occasional whiff could mean a big problem. “If you only smell it once in a while, like when using a particular light or appliance, it could be electrical smoke behind a wall or in a ceiling light fixture – and that could be very dangerous,” says Lesh. Call your fire department or an electrician right away.

To avoid this issue in the future, all smart homeowners do these things once a month.

Picking up a fishy odour in your home, but don’t remember buying any seafood? This could be a sign that an electrical fixture, likely an appliance, in your home is overheating. The “fishy” or potentially acrid smell may mean that the plastic, rubber, or another material around the afflicted appliance is melting. If you ignore this for too long, it could cause a fire. To identify the source, use your sniffer to try to identify where it’s coming from. If it is indeed an appliance, you should probably call a repair expert, who will determine if the appliance is fixable or needs to be replaced. If it seems to be coming from an outlet or switch, you’ll want to shut off your circuit breaker and then call a pro.

Plus, watch out for these ways you’re shortening the life of your appliances.

If you notice a raunchy, wild smell like a dog in need of a bath – but you don’t have a dog – you could have rodents or possums in your roof. These squatters will use your rafters as a bathroom. If you find faeces in your attic, “don’t be a hero and just try to pick them up,” warns Lesh, who suggests calling a pest control expert to ensure safe removal.

If you do have a dog that stinks, however, here are some fuss-free pet care tips.

We’ve all heard of secondhand smoke, but there are newly emerging concerns about thirdhand smoke, which is the smell of old smoke that lingers, such as in a hotel room or holiday rental previously occupied by smokers. “With thirdhand smoke, the particles associated with the combustion of tobacco have settled onto surfaces, including benchtops, tabletops and bed linen, and there are at least 11 carcinogens associated with some of that dust,” says Dyjack. “We don’t know how significant thirdhand smoke exposure is, but kids are at greatest risk by rolling on the carpet, touching tables, then sticking their fingers in their mouths.” Dyjack recommends thoroughly cleaning places where smokers have been.

Here are 40 handy hints for cleaning every nook and cranny of your house.

Or, as it might be more colloquially identified, “cat pee.” If you don’t clean with ammonia or own a cat, this unpleasant metallic smell is one you shouldn’t ignore. Even if you do clean with ammonia, or use an ammonia-based coolant, this could be a danger because the smell could mean it’s leaking. Especially if you have older appliances that might use ammonia as a coolant, you’ll want to give them a smell to see if they could be the source. But an ammonia smell could also be indicative of other things, like a critter that died in your walls (yuck!) or even mould. If it is a dead rodent, it’s not necessarily dangerous, but a sign that you’ll want to tackle a pest problem.

Here’s some advice on dealing with pest problems in your home.

If you’re giving your walls a facelift, be on guard for the “fresh” smell of paint, which contains volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Because VOCs can cause health problems that range from throat irritation and headache to central nervous system damage and cancer, buy low- or no-VOC paint brands and ventilate during and after painting. VOCs are also found in insecticides. Instead of coating your home with spray, Dyjack says, carefully follow the directions on the can. Or better yet, eliminate the things that attract mosquitoes in the first place by removing any small pools of water in your home and yard.