What is the best way to make my house smell nice?

Question

I have cats and dogs and a couple litter boxes for my cats. I keep them very clean and bath my dog often. I clean my house all the time! when I come in it doesn't smell as nice as I would like. What is the best way. Candles, warmers, air fresheners, spray, incense i hate!, suggestions from personal use please.

Answer 1

Plug in Ambi-pur 3volution thats the one with 3 little bottles which turn on alternately-oriental dreams is really nice.

Answer 2

Opening the windows to get fresh air in helps a lot...you probably need to buy a carpet cleaner...that looks like a vaccum but actually uses soap and water to deep clean the carpet or rugs throughout your home....

Also try to Febreze....it is really great with pets in the house. Another thing to do is wash the toys and beds of all the animals in the house on a regular basis.

The smell of pets sink into the fabric and can't be vaccumed up. But vaccuming should be a quick fix in the middle of the week.

Stay away from candles...pets can tip them over and incense is sooo strong and will just cover it up not illiminate the smell.

Cleaning the house more regularly and trying to stream clean carpet and bedding more often is the only thing that seems to work in our household.

Also try to keep the pets off the furniture as much as possible...you will see and smell the difference =)

Good luck!

Answer 3

I know this sounds weird but my friends moved into an old house and they have dogs, the smell was very strong. What she did was cut up an onion, put it in water and put it in the kitchen, after a few days the smell was totally gone. It didn't smell like onions either.  another natural way is to get some small bowls of vinegar (apple cider is fine) and put them in the corners through out the house, it will draw out the Oder and your pets wont drink it.  You can also get a few boxes of baking soda and put them in places where they wont be seen, like under the bed or on top of the fridge etc. good luck!

Answer 4

Have cats myself. Nothing like opening windows on nice days and letting some fresh air come in. I'm not big on candles of freshners or anything chemical in the air! Even with candles or freshners, it's the bad uncircurlated air ya gotta get rid of! Good Luck!

Answer 5

Candles, when blown out, smell like wax, not a nice odor.

Maybe it is possible for you to open some windows on a breezy day?  Nothing nicer than the smell of fresh air.  

There are those automatic sprayers.  My husband will spray some nice smelling air freshener into the air intake of our central air system and when the AC turns on, it pulls the scent through the ducts to all the rooms.  It's nice.

Oh yeah, get a big box of cheap baking soda, line the bottom of the litter box with a little bit, then on top of the litter, sprinkle a little more.  It will help absorb the odors.

Answer 6

Try using silicone cat litter.  It is pretty much odor free compared to clay litter or clumping litter.  It is more expensive but well worth it.  All you have to do is remove the p**p and stir the litter.

Try an electric warmer that you plug into a wall.  Don't use the commercial ones.  I have found them at Claire Burke.  They have subtle natural blended oil scents of different types.  And one scent bottle will last around two months.  They also double as a night light.

Answer 7

I guess you have tried frabreeze spray...that seems to work well...I would suggest simmering some nice mix of spices like cinnamon, nutmeg on the stove top ...It works well for me when I don't want the sweet smell of candle scent..It smells like you have been baking all day...

Maybe try that new cat litter that they have now..I don't know the name of it , but my mom started using it and her house used to smell bad before she did from the cat smells.Good Luck!

Answer 8

Try to increase the ventilation. I think it's the stale air that probably causes this. If you can afford to do some modifications you should try to accomadate a good exhaust fan.

Answer 9

bake cookies that'll make ur house smell nice

Answer 10

I clean a house that the owners have 3 dogs.  The smell was overwhelming... First you need to open the windows and let the fresh air in whenever possible....

Next nothing smells like a clean house better than a clean house... Baking soda is really good at absorbing odors... It's CHEAP and not harmful for pets... You can sprinkle it in the kitties litterboxes and keep the litter neat/clean at all times...

Then- you want to vacuum/wash your soft surfaces.... That is your couches, chairs, loveseats and curtains... Anything soft.. If you can launder your couch cushions do so....

*Check the cushions for zippers... If they zip off then you can launder them inside out on gentle cycle with WOOLITE detergent.... Hang to dry or tumble until slightly damp... Put back on furniture... If you can't launder vacuum every week...

Sprinkle the carpets with baking soda and leave on overnight.. Vacuum the next day... Dirt/odors will be gone...!  Wipe down windows and furniture.. Vinegar/water work really well..... Use a slightly damp microfiber cloth and wipe down furniture... *Febreze is nice but, won't entirely eliminate stubborn deep down odors....

*I tuck heavily scented dryer sheets into furniture in heater vents, drawers anywhere I need a "pick me up"  It's cheap/easy and lasts awhile....

Groom your animals regularly to prevent lingering odors... Wash their beds and othe places they lay....

Good luck

Answer 11

What's always a nice way to get your house smelling fresh quickly is by placing a cut lemon into your microwave and putting it on or a few seconds; the smell is gorgeous!

Also, you could buy a spray from your supermarket which "gets rid" of odours, instead of just covers it up :)

You could also place lots of flowers around the house and put some nice insense sticks out, if anyone is coming round =]

Hope this helps

Answer 12

Opening your windows in the morning cooler air will help to freshen up the house is about 20 minutes. Just open every window in the house for about 20 minutes. It creates a sort of vacuum that will drag the funky air out and replace it with fresh air. ANother option in addition, you can buy the pet fresh carpet powder and mix it half and half with baking soda ( I get the 5 lb box from the laundry Dept) and sprinkle lightly over the carpets. It is too overpowering by itself. Just let it sit in the carpet for the day and vacuum it when you come home or feel like it. When I don't want that smell in the house, I put on a pot of 2 quarts water with 1 lemon sliced thinly, 1 grapefruit or orange sliced thinly, 1/2 cup cloves (I buy in bulk to keep that cost down) and 2 cinnamon sticks (I buy those in bulk too to cut costs waaaaaay down). Allow to simmer with the lid off for about  1/2 hours and your house will smell divine.

Answer 13

1. Clean the house. Not the usual picking up, but a deep clean. Scrub the floors, steam clean the carpets, wash the walls, deep clean the upholstery. Use a strong cleaner and don't be afraid to get on your hands and knees to do some scrubbing. Keep them outside while you do this, so the chemicals don't get them sick.

2. Clean the animals bedding, and do this regularly. Clean the litter boxes daily, and change up the gravel in there for something that has baking soda.

3. Open the windows and doors. Nothing beats fresh air. It will air it out and circulate air in the house.

4. Have the animals professionally groomed. While you say you bath them often, sometimes they need a pro. While your there, see about getting the stuff they spray on after. Bush them regularly, as this will keep the shedding down to a minimum.

5. Keep the animals off the furniture and bedding. Nothing absorbs the smell of animals like fabric.

6. After its clean, try fabreeze, or spray that eliminates the smell, not just covers it up. Candles, warmers and air fresheners just mask the smell and/or adds to it, it doesn't eliminate it.

7. Keep the litter boxes away from high traffic areas, like bathrooms, kitchen, entrance ways. That way people don't get a big whiff when they come in.

Answer 14

you probly have too many animals in youre house!!! probly a small house with too many cats pissing everywhere gross and discusting,,, HAVE LESS ANIMALS

and put cuburd doors in youre kitchen

Answer 15

CHEAP and EFFECTIVE..........get a small saucepan and fill half full of water, add 1/2 cup of pure Vanilla, some cloves and cinnamon..........simmer, add water as needed. Much cheaper and way more effective than commercial products, within a day your house will smell GREAT, that initial saucepan should last days if not a week, then just clean and repeat. Do not leave it on the stove while you are away, j ust turn it on when you are home.