YOU'D think being a tech-savvy digital editor who spends her days on social media, I’d never fall victim to being influenced. In fact, I think most people are normally fools for even letting it happen.
But one celebrity recently got me in her grasp with her ‘timeless’ At Home collection - Stacey Solomon. And the result left me, sadly, raging and begging for #CleanTok community for help.
Ever since getting my hallway redecorated in April I’ve been eyeing up numerous pieces to buy, including Stacey’s £45 scalloped jute runner from George at ASDA. So when Ideal Home also clocked it, saying it’s ‘timeless elegance’ was on their radar too, I was sold.
£50 (which included delivery costs) and a week or so later said runner arrived.
I was excited to get it open, considering how much deliberating I’d done over it, but as soon as my scissors sliced the first plastic wrapping, I gagged.
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It absolutely stank like an old tent that’d been p****ed on and abandoned at Glastonbury in the ‘90s. And this was before I’d even pierced the second and THIRD bag.
Three plastic coverings should have been a huge red flag, I know!
Still, I persevered, laid it out in my Victorian hallway and smiled through the stench because, the people out there were right... it looked so nice.
But, two hours later I could smell it everywhere - in the kitchen and even two floors up in my son’s room. THROUGH HIS FIRE DOOR!
This is when I knew my only option was to beg the wonderful #CleanTok community of TikTok for help.
"Rats must’ve got to it in the warehouse," one said after I uploaded a video on TikTok. Urgh, the horror!
“Stop buying her stuff,” another yelled. While one follower kindly informed me, “I stopped buying soft furnishings from ASDA when it came with free bugs”.
This was a million miles away from the rave reviews that Stacey’s At Home range had previously received.
Did I pay £50 to have my home stink like an old working men's club carpet? No!
Lydia Major
“Bought this lovely rug for my kitchen, looks fabulous and expensive, brilliant value for money,” one happy ASDA shopper wrote.
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While another added: “I was going to pay a lot more for the same thing a couple of months back, and I’m so glad I didn’t! I bought this to go in my kitchen and it is beautiful - so happy with it!”
While I did agree with them, and it did look perfect, did I pay £50 to have my home stink like an old working men's club sticky carpet? No.
Luckily the expert #CleanTok community quickly gave me four hacks to de-whiff my neutral home from onions to good, old-fashioned sunshine.
So, I tested them all and gave them a rating out of 5. It saved me having to battle with return costs & will hopefully save any other stinky-home owners out there too…
1. The ‘discreet’ half an onion
The advice: Cut an onion in half and place it in a discreet place to absorb the smell.
The test: Luckily, I had half an onion sitting in my fridge so I plopped it into an empty candle holder on my hallway bookcase to see.
I clearly have a sensitive nose as everytime I walked into my kitchen I caught a whiff of it so that idea was soon scrapped.
But it was so easy and involved no effort whatsoever.
Result: 1 stars
2. Febreze
The advice: Spray it
The test: This required zero effort too but cost £3 from my local Sainsbury’s and I had to drive to get it at such short notice.
I always feel a bit gross masking a smell with another smell - it’s not killing whatever is reeking.
Also something felt wrong about adding moisture to an already damp-smelling rug.
It did make it more pleasant for a few hours but by the next morning - the whiff had returned.
Result: 3 stars
3. Barcarb and a good vacuum
The advice: Sprinkle bicarbonate of soda. Leave it. Shake it and vacuum.
The test: Luckily I had a pot hiding in my cupboard so I gave it a go.
Left it for two hours, shook it - which made me look like I’d had a serious setting-powder-fail - then hoovered it.
Most of it came up easily but, due to the large weave and the natural jute fibres, some of it needed going over loads.
What I would say is the smell definitely died down. I gave it a spritz of essential lavender oil for good measure too.
Result: 4 stars
4. Sunshine and fresh air
The advice: Put it outside on a sunny day to air
The test: This was only possible when it stopped blummin’ raining in Sussex.
But when the sun did arrive - the rug was out there soaking up the rays like Something About Mary’s Magda.
I left it for a full day, ensuring it was in before it was dark and it was a success.
No whiffs while I was watching Bridgeton that evening and zero effort.
Result: 5 Stars
