There are whole sections of products in supermarkets and discount stores intended to combat household odors, but most don’t attack the source. Instead, they cover a bad odor by substitution with another, more pleasant odor, or they contain chemicals to deaden your sense of smell.

Getting at the source of odors usually means removing organic matter (food for odor causing bacteria), then disinfecting (hydrogen peroxide-based products are often safer than others) the area in ways appropriate to the affected surface. Organic matter includes vomit, urine, feces, mildew, mold, food waste (garbage), and the like. Each gives off molecules while decaying or during metabolism, which are often the source of that unpleasant odor you’ve detected.