Why Does My Bedroom Smell? 13 Reasons And Some Easy Fixes

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

A smelly bedroom is the worst! And if you've tried everything and the smell sticks around, this can be ultra frustrating. There are many sneaky spots in your home that can hide unwanted odors, and quite a few of them could be tucked away inside your bedroom because of its very nature. It's a space where most people spend a lot of time. While you can start with the essential steps to give your bedroom the deep clean it needs, they won't always work if you're fighting a bigger problem, like bad habits or hidden bacteria.

This is a list of the most common reasons your bedroom is a bit rank. From dirty laundry that's been marinating for a week to pets that need to be a little more pampered, most of the solutions are actually quite simple. They won't take long to complete. You can have your bedroom back into a great-smelling, or at the very least neutral-smelling, oasis by bedtime tonight.

As much as you love sharing your bed with Fido, unfortunately, a stinky pup can equal a stinky bedroom. The sweat that clings to their fur, as well as the dirt they track in from outside, can work its way into your sheets and mattress, making things pretty dire. Luckily, you don't have to banish your furry friend to their kennel to have a space that doesn't smell. There are plenty of ways to get rid of unwanted dog smells in the house.

The first is to wash your sheets more often than you currently do. If you're on a two-week rotation, bring it down to one. If you're already changing them once a week, consider twice a week. If the doggie smells seeping onto the sheets is the issue, this should reduce the stink. Next, use a deodorizing room spray. Focus on enzyme cleaners that remove the molecules causing the smell, instead of just covering them up like a candle or essential oil mist might. This is especially important if your pet is incontinent. Enzyme cleaners like The Pharma-C Company Odor Eliminator can target the proteins in urine, neutralizing them. Keeping your dog cleaner in between official groomings can also help with the stink in your room. There is even a doggie version of dry shampoo, like the Earth Rated Dog Deodorizing Conditioner Spray, which makes the chore less overall effort, so you can do it more often. 

Over time, your mattresses will absorb things like sweat and skin cells, as well as dust and pet dander. This applies to mattress toppers and pillows, too. This buildup can cause your bedroom to really stink. Depending on how old your mattress is, the best course of action might be to just replace it for a fresh start. Most mattress warranties cover the items for about 10 years, so if it's older than that, and not smelling great, it might be time for a new one. Even if you've faithfully rotated your mattress, you might be having other issues with it by then as well — like sagging or less overall support.

That said, if you get a totally new mattress, practicing good bed hygiene is essential to prevent the new one from beginning to stink, too. Luckily, there are a few cleaning tips that leave your bed smelling amazing. The first is to vacuum your mattress! When you change your sheets, run the vacuum hose with a fabric attachment over the top of the mattress to remove some of the debris. Next, you can use something like Tide Antibacterial Fabric Spray or baking soda with a few drops of essential oil to the top of the mattress before covering it with freshly-laundered sheets. Baking soda works by changing the acidic pH of the stinky smells to something more neutral, and an antibacterial spray can target odor-causing bacteria. Another alternative is to steam clean your smelly mattress so it's as good as new with something portable, like the MOSCHE Handheld Pressurized Steam Cleaner.

Your bedroom might stink because your HVAC system is in dire need of cleaning. If you sleep with your bedroom door closed, this would only be amplified because you'd have eight hours' worth of dust-or mildew-scented air being blasted into a confined space each night. If you have a split system or window unit and things smell a little bit rank, know that you can clean a window AC unit without removing it. The bit causing the smell is likely just under the front panel, not the coils, which can be harder to get to. After unplugging the unit, you can easily take off the front and clean the mesh filter, as well as the plastic bits. Pay special attention to any dust buildup or mildew. Typically, a damp rag and soap will do the trick, but you can also use store-bought options like Clorox or Armor All wipes.

If you have a ducted HVAC system, begin by changing your air filter. This simple fix might immediately freshen things up, as a filter overloaded with dust and dander is going to smell by its very nature. You should swap your filter every 60 days, but if you have a lot of pets or have someone with dust allergies in your home, swapping them monthly is even better. If this doesn't improve the scent, you might need to have your actual ductwork professionally cleaned. This typically costs between $450 and $1,000, depending on the size of your home.

Even if you're really good about collecting trash in your bedroom, if you don't clean the trash can itself, your room can still get quite stinky. There can be leftover residue stuck to the bin that gets really smelly over time. This is especially true if you have a woven basket; it's possible there is gunk trapped in between the twists. Even with plastic bins, smells can emanate from leftover detritus that sticks to the bottom.

To get rid of the smell, start by cleaning your trash can. Plastic options can be cleaned with soap and water, or disinfectant wipes and a little bit of elbow grease. Woven ones might need a steam clean to really get between the twists. If you find it too far gone, however — just get a new one that'll be easier to maintain. For example, the Tipgo Trash Can has a lid to help keep smells locked inside. Lining your bedroom trash can, just like you would for your kitchen, will also help keep things smelling better. As an added bonus, you can use scented bags like Hefty Small Trash Bags in Fabuloso Watermelon Scent to keep things under control. Finally, commit to taking all food trash straight to the kitchen or empty your bedroom trash daily if you often eat in your room.

If you enjoyed some pizza in bed while catching up on Netflix, or chugged down a coffee while sitting at your desk, it's possible that the bad smells in your room could be coming from forgotten dishes or food debris. Perfect CleanTok bedrooms may have nary a food wrapper in sight, but in real life, people eat in their bedrooms.

Even if you're typically vigilant about bringing dishes or food trash back to the kitchen, have a thorough look to make sure you haven't missed anything. Did a plate get pushed under the bed? Did an apple slice fall off the back of your desk while you were snacking? In college, some of our team members even found pizza crust wedged between their mattress and their headboard ... who knows how that got there. The point is, if your room smells like rotting food, it's probably because there is some rotting food! You'll just have to get a bit more creative when cleaning it up, because it's going to be somewhere you don't expect.

It's possible that your room smells so bad because your carpet needs more than just a vacuum. While running a vacuum is always a good place to start, things like pet accidents, late-night snacking spills, and strewn laundry can mean that your carpet has bacteria embedded a lot deeper into it than a simple vacuum can handle. "Carpets act as a giant filter, collecting dust, germs, pollutants, and odors," carpet cleaning expert Ken Faherty told Martha Stewart. "However, unlike your HVAC filter, you can't easily replace your carpet."

You can always hire professionals to deep clean your carpet. If you want to DIY, professional-grade carpet cleaning machines are also one of the things you never knew you could rent from Lowe's. If you don't have access to either, consider the source of the smell for how to best clean it. Old pet accidents need an enzyme cleaner to get rid of the bacteria causing the stink, like the previously-mentioned The Pharma-C Company Odor Eliminator. For smoky smells, try using baking soda. Sprinkle it onto your carpet, let it sit overnight, then vacuum it up. Baking soda's alkaline pH can help neutralize acidic smoke residue (and its odor).

Laundry is a never-ending chore, but ignoring it could be one of the reasons your room smells so bad. When you sweat, the liquid can pick up bacteria already present on your skin. The bonded pair then settles into your clothing, making a less-than-pleasant smell which can only get worse if you let it marinate. If your hamper is open-topped, then this scent will fill up your entire room.

An easy way to take the edge off is to have a closed laundry basket to help keep things contained, similar to something like this Baleine Laundry Hamper. The Lifewit 100 Liter Laundry Basket also has a lid, and comes with a removable bag, so you don't have to lug the entire hamper to the laundry room. In addition to this, commit to not letting especially dirty clothes marinate. When you get back from your pickleball match or day working in the yard, drop your drenched clothes directly into the washing machine instead of just leaving them for "laundry day" when they will only be more stinky.

Sure, you change your bedding regularly, but what about all the other textiles in your room? It might be a bit smelly in your space because you've neglected to look after other fabrics that have been absorbing odors, just like your pillowcases. Things like curtains, decorative wall hangings, throw pillow covers, and throw blankets on your chair can stink. Even things that you wear, but only sometimes, like a bathrobe hanging on the back of your bedroom door. These should all be laundered to freshen up the space.

You don't need to wash these items as often as you need to wash your sheets, but experts recommend giving things like curtains a refresh at least once per year. There is a quick caveat for their care, however. While lightweight curtains can easily be laundered at home, heavy drapes should be taken to the dry cleaners so you don't ruin their shape. Yet, if either type seems a bit dull in between cleans, you can easily use a vacuum attachment to quickly remove dust and dog hair.

Stinky shoes will cause your room to smell! This is especially true if you often leave your closet door open, or your closet space doesn't have a door at all. Shoes are prime places for odor-causing bacteria to thrive because they offer a kind of moist, dark, and enclosed space. You can try airing them out, but because you wear your favorites so often, there often isn't enough time for things to dry and the smell to wear off.

There are a few things to do as an alternative. You can store your most-used shoes on a rack in your entryway, which is potentially more open, so there is more air circulation to ward off stink. That way, the shoes left in your room will be those that are used less often, so they won't be as smelly. You can also transfer your shoes (no matter where you keep them) into a closed storage container, like the Bornoon Shoe Cabinet, to contain any stray odors. And finally, to really solve the issue, see what you can do to clean and sanitise your shoes. Most sneakers can go in the washing machine, but other more delicate shoes might need a dryer solution, like Uncle Todd's Shoe Deodorizer Spray, which uses enzymes to kill odor-causing bacteria.

Your laundry is sorted, you've refreshed your sheets, and even your carpet ... but there is still a sweaty, stale smell in your room. Where could it be coming from?! In this instance, it's possible that your upholstered furniture has absorbed smells and this is where the issue is. Things like the fabric on your headboard, the desk chair you sat in while you were still sweaty from your run, and even the cushioned bench in front of your vanity can all be the cause.

Cleaning these things doesn't have to be tricky. Much like your mattress, start by giving them a solid vacuum using a fabric attachment. Next, you can use the same baking soda trick from your carpet to absorb smells. Yet for a quicker option, consider an enzyme cleaner that can dissolve the bacteria and doesn't need to be vacuumed off. For visible dirt and stains that might be causing the stink, consider using a handheld steam cleaner like the Bissell Little Green Mini to remove them.

If your en-suite bathroom smells musty or like sewage, then it's more than likely your bedroom will smell, too – especially if you leave the door open between the two spaces. There are many reasons why your toilet constantly smells bad or why your bathroom sink stinks, but it's mostly due to mold and bacterial buildup.

First, consider the ventilation in your bathroom. Do you have an extractor fan in working order? Is there a window you can open when needed? If not, fixing this problem is going to be a longer-term process, as you will need a small remodel. However, as a quick fix, consider this: Are your towels and bathmats dingy and in need of a wash and dry? Is your sink or shower drain clogged with hair and old toothpaste? Does your toilet need to be snaked — or possibly deep cleaned around its base to remove bathroom accidents? Giving your en-suite a deep clean to attack the odor-causing bacteria can help the bad smells from seeping into your bedroom, too.

Just as ventilation problems are one of the main culprits for a stinky bathroom, the same issue can occur in bedrooms, too. Unfortunately, as bedrooms are not supposed to be "wet spaces" in general, this problem can be harder to fix — yet it still shows up often in humid climates. If the humidity in your room is too high, it can lead to mold and mildew, which can cause a damp, musty smell in your space.

To get rid of this smell, you can use a dehumidifier like the Tabyik 35 Ounce Dehumidifier. Essentially, dehumidifiers work by pulling in moist air, removing excess moisture by condensing it into water, and then releasing drier air back into the room. This lack of moisture means a less hospitable place for odor-causing mildew and bacteria to grow. Look for machines that run quieter, making them ideal for enclosed spaces like closets and bedrooms. You should also select one with an auto shut-off so you can leave it running when you're not at home. There are also no-tech solutions, like Vacplus Moisture Absorbers, which use small beads to reduce moisture.

A damp carpet can be a big culprit of smells, and this is especially true if you have recently washed it and it hasn't dried out properly. This can give off that wet laundry left-too-long-in-the-washer smell, which is somewhere between old feet and rotten cheese. So, if you've recently had your carpets cleaned and now your room smells even worse, this is likely the issue.

Just like with sour laundry, you can choose to rewash and then dry more thoroughly, or simply dry more thoroughly to remove the smell. However, to make sure your carpets are as dry as they need to be this time, you'll need a heavy-duty fan like the Vacmaster Three Speed Floor Fan. You don't need to purchase this expensive tool if this is a one-off task, as you can also rent them. In addition, a dehumidifier can also help dry out damp, smelly carpets, although renting a larger one than you use for daily use is essential, as there will probably be a lot of excess moisture in the space.