(Closed) How to NOT smell like that house full of animals?

• mamadingdong
• 6 years ago

• Wedding: May 2018

@MrsNerdy:  keep your dogs smelling fresh!

• KinkyOrange
• 6 years ago

• Wedding: July 2013 - UK

Yeah, PP has it in a nutshell… bathe the dogs!

Apart from that, have you tried using baking soda? Nothing else, just plain baking soda.

• shaka
• 6 years ago

Frequent bathing is rough on a dog’s skin and coat, but regular brushing (or vacuuming, if the dog tolerates it) will tackle a good deal of the fur, dander, and dirt before it settles into every inch of the home.

Dog beds can become stinky, so the more often you can wash it, the better. I like dog beds that are “duvet” style so that I can remove the exterior and wash weekly. Molly Mutt has really cute beds, and they offer stuff sacks to hold the filling, and even a waterproof liner that keeps the filling from becoming dirty.

Furthermore, I limit the places in my home where my dog rests by encouraging her to go to her bed when she lays down. That doesn’t mean she’s banished to the bed all day, but if she’s going to be nesting and shedding all over something, I would like for her to do it there.

Absolutely not letting the dog on any furniture is a huge time (and sanity) saver when it comes to cleaning and odor control.

I trained my dog to only poo and pee on a well-draining gravel area along the side of the house rather than the lawn. The reason for this is not only for the health of the lawn, but it also keeps the lawn mess-free so she can run and play there without getting her own waste on her paws. Additionally, the gravel is a small, contained area for me to scoop poop, which I do at least twice a week to keep her toilet area clean and manage the outdoor odors.

Replacing the air filters in the home frequently helps. When the weather is nice, opening windows for a few hours here and there also helps.

And the part that no one wants to hear: I clean daily at least 10 minutes. Each day I will either sweep/mop the hard floors, wipe down hard furniture and other surfaces, or vacuum rugs/carpet and soft furniture. This is in addition to regular deep cleaning. I probably would not clean daily if I had no pets.

If I ever have a multi-story house, the dogs will only be allowed on the main level, and that’s entirely to contain the pet-related cleaning. My friends think I’m the most terrible person ever for having anything off-limits to my beloved animals, but I promise you, it doesn’t hurt the dog’s feelings to have boundaries!

• kestane
• 6 years ago

• Wedding: August 2014

@shaka:  These are really good suggestions- bookmarking for when we finally get our pet! The duvet style beds look awesome, I didn’t even know they had this stuff 🙂

• allyfally
• 6 years ago

• Wedding: April 2014

@MrsNerdy:  I spray this “dry” shampoo on my dogs when I brush them. I dont know why its called dry shampoo, as its actually wet. It smells like blueberry muffins, and it makes them really soft. I think it keeps their doggy odor to a minimum. Plus, since its wet, when you spray it on before you brush them it keeps the hair from flying everywhere.

• beeintraining
• 6 years ago

@shaka:  +1

Hit it right on the head.

Keeping up with the Problem: We have a dog that sheds like mad, and a dog that doesnt’ shed much at all. Both dogs get done over with a Zoom Groom (grooming tool that doesn’t strip the undercoat like the Furminator can) once a week outside no matter what time of year — and we’re talking short coat dogs like corgis. PP is right, that frequent bathing can strip essential oils and cause more problems than it solves. 

I swiffer the areas of the house that don’t have carpet daily and do a deeper clean once a week. The dog that sheds has a super oily (and therefore often smelly) coat and so I have some dry shampoo spray for her and she wears a Dublin Dogs collar which doesn’t carry any smell. 

Training and Boundaries: Our dogs are not allowed upstairs in the bedrooms.  None of their hair or smell gets into the beds, sheets, or carpet which helps a lot. They both have beds in the living room, and know the command ‘Place’ which means go to your spot and stay there until further notice. They’re allowed on the leather furniture in the family room because it’s easy to wipe down and doesn’t carry odors like cloth funiture can. 

• SomedaymrsWDS
• 6 years ago

Hardwood floors. Pats and carpet don’t mix well. I can’t even have throw rugs. And he can’t come upstairs, just the first floor where we spend most of our time anyway. 

• Laurengrapes
• 6 years ago

• Wedding: December 2013

I have yankee candles on all the time! I hoover daily, and I have a steam cleaner which I can use on carpets. And I wash their beds every other day!

• atreyu547
• 6 years ago

• Wedding: April 2013 - A court...

Haha same problem ;-( . I fantasize about having a hard wood floor home! Aaand we have that wax melt thing it helps a bit! Also my mom has two dogs as well though she doesn’t have carpet, but she has those plug ins at various locations in the house it smells sooo good! Like baked goods ha ha, I need some plug ins. Also I have a crappy vacuum that sucks (cause it doesnt suck lol) it doesn’t pick up anything except for the carpet piwder so I only use it for that.

• graygodess20
• 6 years ago

• Wedding: May 2013

I shampoo the carpets maybe every 2 monthis with just water simple green combo, I also vacuum and mop floors every week. the dogs get a bath maybe once a month, but if really stiinky from daycare, then they get one ASAP. I have a scientsy plug in warmer by the front door, and even though it’s not always on it still gives a light fresh smell, also have a standard size on the second floor where the most time is spent.  Third floor is just bedrooms and bathrooms so they are only up there to sleep so it doesn’t get bad up there. 

Also!! The couches get stinky so I wash the seat covers every now and again.