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My house smells

3K views 21 replies 14 participants last post by  OwnedbyACDs 
#1 ·
We're new'ish dog owners. We have two potty trained medium size dogs and a very small 2 level home 550sq ft up and 550 sq ft down. My house smells like a barn. I vacuum once a week- but lately twice (to try to get rid of smell). Ripping up the carpet is not an option right now. Any cleaning products you recommend?
 
#2 ·
Vacuum more often and open your curtains/shades to let the sun shine in. Sunshine kills smells.

I have 1 hairy dog, 2 medium haired cats, 3 kids in sports and my husband. I vacuum daily and let the sunshine in because I'm perpetually worried my house is stinky, but my friends and family assure me my house doesn't smell.
 
#5 ·
Have you changed your vacuum bags and filters? I found that I need to change them more often now that we have dogs. Washing bedding, crates, and blankets helps, too.

Probably doesn't apply to your situation, but I thought my younger dog was having accidents or marking. Turned out to be my husband's shoes.
 
#6 ·
Turned out to be my husband's shoes.

EWW! lol. we keep our shoes in the garage. I've actually never changed my vacuum filter. I have a bagless shark. I'll have to read up on it to see where it is and how to do it.

dog person- I actually use baking soda, but i've just sprinkled and then vacuumed up right away. Didn't know i'm supposed to let it sit. so like 10 mins? i think i'll try the ozium stuff too- have you tried it? i'm assuming its pet friendly? i'm gonna go google.
 
#8 ·
Well if its your husbands shoes then a spray like lysoil, odor eaters and or gold bond medicated foot powder works wonders :).

I think leaving baking soda down for 10 minutes would work.

I have used the ozium but not for pet odors. It is used by coroners for dead body odor. I used it for a company car I had that the previous driver was a very heavy smoker and it worked great. I have used it other times but I forget what for.
 
#7 ·
I have 2 dogs and a cat in a 700sq ft townhouse. I'm maybe a little obsessive about my cleaning, but my house doesn't smell like animals.
I vacuum every day and sprinkle deodorizing powder on my rugs (http://www.amazon.com/Febreze-Hawai...gXssCzL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160,160_) - I do let it sit for a few minutes before vacuuming it up. I don't usually use the powder daily. Maybe just a couple times a week.

My dogs aren't allowed on the furniture but once or twice a week I still take a lint roller to the furniture, and spray the fabric with Febreze.

I also wash the dog beds routinely and keep the dogs themselves clean and bathed.
 
#10 ·
I have a jar/with lid, of baking soda that I've added a couple of drops of essential oil to.
My favorite is lemon or citrus. There are a lot of different scents.
I use a really small sifter to sprinkle on the rugs, let it sit for about the time it takes to
have a coffee, and then vacuum.
 
#11 ·
When my downstairs neighbor stinks up my apartment with her cooking (years of burnt crud on the bottom of her oven - smells like charred @ss), I turn my air purifier on full-blast. Also helps with Bella air biscuits...lol I love that purifier!

I also swear by baking soda sprinkled on the carpets. I never thought of adding essential oils to it though Neat idea! :)
 
#12 ·
My bedroom needs to go through this, dog and cat sleep in there at night and the floor smells 100% like a barn full of animals.
What I plan to do is vacuum, followed by steam cleaning the entire carpet, and then leaving the windows open on a sunny day to both air it out and help it dry off.

Tips and tricks though!
Put dryer sheets in your vents and replace them once a week, it just kind of odor eliminates/covers
Always spray your garbage can with febreeze or otherwise when you empty it
Spray shoes when you don't plan to wear them for a bit (I have shoes I wear to work and then other shoes)
Find plants that you like the smell of, are easy upkeep, and aren't toxic to animals. I find they add more of an earthy/flowery scent just naturally.
If you have a dirt basement you can buy oils and mix them in with water and spray your basement walls with them. It helps get rid of the dirt smell that usually gets worse with rain.

Other than that, washing the floors that aren't carpet with a good smelling floor cleaner is an amazing temporary fix. Lasts about at least one full day and it smells amazing.
 
#15 ·
Tips and tricks though!
Put dryer sheets in your vents and replace them once a week, it just kind of odor eliminates/covers
Always spray your garbage can with febreeze or otherwise when you empty it
Spray shoes when you don't plan to wear them for a bit (I have shoes I wear to work and then other shoes)
Find plants that you like the smell of, are easy upkeep, and aren't toxic to animals. I find they add more of an earthy/flowery scent just naturally.
If you have a dirt basement you can buy oils and mix them in with water and spray your basement walls with them. It helps get rid of the dirt smell that usually gets worse with rain.
Oh yea...forgot about dryer sheets! You can also put dryer sheets inside pillow cases and under furniture cushions (may take finish off some wood surfaces, though) I put them inside of Bella's bed, too!

Never heard about the dirt basement idea...I'll have to try that. Even on the 2nd floor, I can smell the mustiness from that scary basement. Bluk.
 
#13 ·
You've gotten some great advice and tips! Don't forget to go over any fabric on your furniture and your curtains or drapes as well :) I've been known to wipe down my dog with baby wipes or a once over with a dryer sheet if I don't have time to give her a bath. Usually on quick trips to Petsmart or just letting her ride along to the gas station.
 
#14 ·
What kind of food are you feeding? Low end dog foods (basically anything you can find at walmart and most grocery stores) can cause a dog to smell. I vacuum and mop every other day and I have two medium sized, fluffy double coated dogs, but my apt is like ... 400 sqft, maybe.
 
#19 · (Edited)
Carpet and dogs - nooo! :( I have 2 dogs and 3 cats who all shed quite a bit and I vaccum, normally, every single day. It sucks but otherwise I get tumbleweeds of hair very quickly. I also mist the drapes, the shower curtain, some furniture, etc with antibacterial anti-odour spray once every 2 or 3 days. I febreze my house (the air freshener - typically antibacterial version) on a daily basis. I do go a bit overboard but one of my cats has a lot of accidents so it can be harder to keep the smell away. I also find that washing stuff like blankets you keep on the couch, chair covers, cushions, comforters frequently helps a lot.

ETA: Seconding keeping crate bedding clean! That can make a huge difference. Also, if something super smelly happens (like last year one of them got skunked and I let her inside directly after before I'd realized what happened) I will set out bowls/plates of baking soda and vinegar (NOT mixed) to absorb smells. I also regularly bleach my floors.
 
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#21 ·
We were able to pull our rug up. It was REALLY old. Since you can't everyone gave some great tips.
I use Frebreeze a lot. You can also do some home made one. Its Fabric softener, water and a little vinegar to help with the odor. Be careful not to much vinegar or that is what you will smell. I use the cheaper but smell FS since I'm not looking for the softness. Use it everyday then.
But yes baking powder is great and yes leave it on for 10 minutes. Also try a flea market for a used carpet cleaner is need be.
 
#22 ·
Nature's miracle is awesome! My home never is without at least a spray bottle of the stuff, but I only have stone and wood floors. You can put it in a carpet cleaning vacuum and use it that way I believe. You can also rent one.

Also, what food you are feeding affects the way a dog smells, if you are feeding a cheap supermarket food, then a lot of dogs will smell. I feed pro pac grain free and my dogs, even when they havent had a bath in a month never smell.
 
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