Summer is coming, and you can smell it. Under the warm rays of the sun, countless flowers, grasses and rubbish bins spring to life. Between lilac and geraniums, notes of decay in every possible odour say hello. Well hidden behind house corners and thuja hedges, organic waste bins, compost and manure heaps glow on warm days, carrying for miles on the wind. Physically speaking, by the way, scents and smells spread much better in warm air than in cold. Next problem: insects always party wherever there’s a smell. And it doesn’t matter what kind of smell. Sweat or fruitcake, it’s all the same to them. And wasps are always up for it anyway. Those little striped party animals. But: with a few tricks and a fragrant tip, summer can come fresh and wasp-free.
Who or what is actually stinking here?
And how exactly do unpleasant smells come about? Neither the rubbish nor your colleague in sportswear actually reeks in themselves; it’s the work of countless microorganisms that turn up wherever conditions are good. They like it warm, damp and rich in nutrients. In the fridge (and in winter), bacteria, mould, germs and other decomposition helpers don’t feel nearly as comfortable as in warm summer air. You’d rather keep your distance from unpleasant smells. And with good reason, because what smells disgusting we don’t eat: a sensible protective mechanism of evolution, especially in children. For most kinds of fly, however, decay simply smells irresistible and offers the best breeding ground for their offspring. We, on the other hand, wrinkle our noses, and take the rubbish out more often. A little tip from Gran: wrap organic waste in old newspaper, which keeps curious insects away and draws moisture from the decay.
Life hacks from chemistry class.
Not everything stinks the same: the odorant of rotten fish and stale water, for example, is called methylisoborneol. Even the smallest concentrations of just ten micrograms are enough for sensitive noses to sniff it out. Biotic decomposition basically splits into organic substances (propionic acid, acetic acid, butyric acid, ethanol and amines) and inorganic ones (such as ammonia and hydrogen sulphide). Without exception, all these “decay gases” smell extremely unpleasant to us humans, but they can, for example, be used (hermetically sealed, of course) as biogas in biomass power plants. You don’t often have one of those at home, though, so here’s another chemistry tip for fresh fruit: apples give off the completely natural “ripening gas” ethylene. Bananas, pears, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumbers and tomatoes are very sensitive to this gas and ripen very quickly as a result. Stored separately, they’ll of course stay fresh-smelling rather than rotten for longer. Half a lemon in the fridge has a disinfecting effect, by the way, while half an onion effectively neutralises smells.
The organic bin biotope.
There’s a whole range of effective home remedies against that old familiar brown mood killer, the food waste bin. First of all: maybe just don’t stand it in the blazing sun. And otherwise: table vinegar washes away any smell, and some coffee grounds or crushed charcoal are effective odour neutralisers in any bin bag. Bicarbonate of soda (baking powder in Gran-speak, sodium hydrogen carbonate for the chemists) is also considered a magical all-purpose weapon around the house: a little bag scattered at the bottom of the organic bin simply draws foul smells out of the air overnight. A word from the chemists: be careful with metal containers, as baking powder can attack the material. So it’s better to put the packet of bicarb in a cup and stand it in the bin here.
Houseplant wetlands.
And if there’s no organic waste anywhere to be seen in the room, it might be the houseplants. They’re actually meant to improve the indoor climate, and many plants even work as proper air filters or are particularly good against tobacco smoke (rubber plant, orchid, aloe vera, Ficus longifolia, dracaena and many more). Naturally thirstier in summer, these good houseplants are often overwatered, though. The pot turns into a swamp and, once again, methylisoborneol says hello. So for fresher air, first check the soil with your finger and only water when the surface is dry.
Little party animals and other uninvited guests.
Hands off wasps too, by the way, as they get really snappy extremely quickly. Especially when you flail wildly and disturb their spontaneous open-air parties, which interestingly always take place exactly where you’ve just found a nice spot yourself. But: the scent of cloves has always helped here. An orange or lemon studded with cloves may be a little Christmassy, but it’s quite effective. Lavender smells a good deal more summery, is calming (perhaps for wasp tempers too) and also reliably keeps moths and mosquitoes away. But anyone who simply wants to lean back relaxed and undisturbed among all the summer scents uses the premium fragrance essences from Aromea. They reliably neutralise all unwanted smells, so you can enjoy your fragrant summer dream with no unpleasant surprises. Just like that.
Fragrant household tips from Granny Aromea
