How do you keep your house smelling nice?

[ChrizJen]

When we lived in an apartment, it was somewhat close quarters, and with several cats, 2 litterboxes, and the normal everyday stuff, we generally had to use air fresheners. We had a couple of those plug-in type with the bottle of oil. And then in the litterbox area, we had one of those automatic "misting" type air fresheners.
When we moved into our house, we were able to start keeping the litterboxes in the basement, so we didn't really feel a huge need for air fresheners. Well now that we've been in the house a while, and have the added smell of dirty diapers, I've noticed that no matter how clean I try to keep the house, there's still a lingering "odor".
So what do you use? We don't like overpowering scents, but would like to have something that eliminates the bad odors. We want something that you can spray and it lasts a long time, or something that's automatic and we don't even have to think about it until it's time to replace or refill it.
I guess we could go back to using the old stuff we used to use. But I'm looking to see if there are any new, wonderful products out there that you just can't live without? Thanks!!

 

[Angelhalo]

We have plug-ins in every room with light scents. Everytime people come over they comment about how nice our house smells.

 

[DisneyBlonde]

I have a candle burning almost all the time. I should own stock in Yankee Candle.

 

[All American]

One of my biggest fears is having a house that smells like a dog lives here. I always worry about that. I have used candles in the past which always helps but recently discovered something called Scentsy. Here's a link;
http://www.scentsy.net/

Basically, you put the wax on the container and the bulb heats it and makes eveything smell really good. The best parts about it is that that the wax doesn't get too hot if you touch it (but the container will) and you can leave it on during the day. I love not having to remember whether or not I blew out the candles. There are tons of scents to choose from, and my house doesn't smell like dog.

The down side is that I think this particular brand is way too expensive (I have seen some on ebay). Luckily, I was able to find a couple of different brands (for the container) at WalMart and various home-type stores. So, I use those and use whatever scented wax I can find (I think the Yankee tarts would would just fine too).

Anywho, I love this type of thing and have found it to be very effective. Good luck in your search.

 

[raysnkaysmom]

I've read that if you spray a little furniture polish at your doorway, it gives the appearance (and smell) of a clean house.

It does smell nice

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

My daughter got diagnosed with a dust allergy, so we bought the portable air filters. I noticed that helped remove the stinkies of 4 kitties a lot better than not having it at all.

I cannot stand scents as I have sensitivities, but there are some deoderizers that you can put in the kitty litter that are not so bad.

Today I went ahead and burned a few candles b/c it is sometimes nice to have a pleasant smell.

Those who own cats become used to the smell and I don't think our house will ever smell as fresh as a home that doesn't have pets that poop indoors.

I think Febreeze is the worst invention. I can smell the stink it alleges to cover. I feel it gets used to much plus it stinks (sensitive nose here!) So I get trying to smell nice but it's still stinky covering stinky.

If we have an odor problem due to some odd reason--oust or some other equivilant tends to work.

But a HEPA air filter from walmart that is appropriate for the size of the room that it is filtering--works wonders!

 

[Kath2003]

I let my cat outside and open the windows.

Voila - no stinky cat litter smell

At the moment we have a kitten so sadly for the next four months it's Yankee Candles and Oust all the time. Scoop the tray twice a day and change twice a week.

 

[ChrizJen]

I let my cat outside and open the windows.

Voila - no stinky cat litter smell

At the moment we have a kitten so sadly for the next four months it's Yankee Candles and Oust all the time. Scoop the tray twice a day and change twice a week.

Unfortunately I live in a busy urban area, so letting the cats out is not an option.

 

[AKL_Megs]

I keep my place CLEAN, first of all. Secondly, I make sure the trash is taken out on a regular basis (for you, you might want to make sure the litter is cleaned on a regular basis). Third, I have a reed diffuser at the front door, candles burning often, and home fragrance oil that I burn.

 

[ChrizJen]

I keep my place CLEAN, first of all. Secondly, I make sure the trash is taken out on a regular basis (for you, you might want to make sure the litter is cleaned on a regular basis). Third, I have a reed diffuser at the front door, candles burning often, and home fragrance oil that I burn.

We do keep the house clean. I don't want to make it sound as if I'm trying to mask the fact that I'm a lousy housekeeper! And we scoop the litterboxes once in the morning before work and once in the evening. We're gone most of the time during the week with work. So burning candles and things that need to be tended to are mostly out of the question.

Thanks for the suggestions, guys! I'll probably just go back to having a couple of the plug in type oil difusers, then maybe one of the automatic spray diffusers in the stairway to the basement where the litterboxes are. Thanks!

 

[RadioNate]

I hate to be part of the cleaning club but yeah, I do that. Our litter box is in a room with a door. We installed a small cat door so the cats can go in and out. The box is scooped daily and changed 2x a week. We do keep an old style 'stick em' type air freshener in that room.

We also have a diaper aged child. When poopy diapers are removed we dump and flush the poop. The diaper is then put in the lidded trash can. If the overwhelming amount of poop couldn't be flushed the diaper is bagged in a plastic grocery bag and taken directly to the outside trash.

I hate the smell of air fresheners. I'd have a 24/7 migraine if I put plug ins or burned candles all day long. We have 2 reed diffusers, one in the downstairs living area and the other in the loft where the kids play.

No one has ever told me our house smells. And believe me, some one like my mother would say something to me!

 

[AKL_Megs]

We do keep the house clean. I don't want to make it sound as if I'm trying to mask the fact that I'm a lousy housekeeper! And we scoop the litterboxes once in the morning before work and once in the evening.

Perhaps then, the stink could be coming from one of your neighbors apartments?

We used to live in an apartment where our downstairs neighbor cooked curry CONSTANTLY and our next door neighbor smoked.

Most days our apartment smelled like curry and cigarettes.
Nothing we could do about it at all.

 

[Angelhalo]

We do keep the house clean. I don't want to make it sound as if I'm trying to mask the fact that I'm a lousy housekeeper! And we scoop the litterboxes once in the morning before work and once in the evening. We're gone most of the time during the week with work. So burning candles and things that need to be tended to are mostly out of the question.

Thanks for the suggestions, guys! I'll probably just go back to having a couple of the plug in type oil difusers, then maybe one of the automatic spray diffusers in the stairway to the basement where the litterboxes are. Thanks!

LOL I was thinking the same thing, like WOW, just because there are odors that come from things doesn't mean you are automatically a dirty home. We have smells. Our cat litter is in its own closet with a cat door and it is scooped daily and emptied weekly but I can still smell it from time to time. The trash is emptied all the time, the sink is always clean and I run disposal tablets through the garbage disposal but no matter how on top of things you are, there will still be odors occassionally. Thats why I just put a nice clean light scented plug in in each room. I LOVE the smell of air fresheners and candles etc, but I do try to keep the scent light so its not overwhelming and we never get anything but complimetns on how fresh and nice our home smells. Frankly I'm kind of surprised that people would just assume that you don't clean well enough.

 

[dismom2]

A Diaper Genie is a great invention. You put the diapers in it and, if I remember correctly, you twist the top, so it 'seals' in the odors in plastic. It's a really long plastic bag, so when you empty it, it looks like a string of sausages. This really helps keep the odor under control. I don't remember if there is room, but maybe you can stick one of those stick-on type air fresheners just under the lid...or maybe it comes with something like that, I can't remember (my kids are out of diapers now).

I can smell a house that has cats right away. My only suggestion would be to clean the litter box constantly. If the cat has urinated in the house, or on the furniture at all (maybe when you weren't aware?) it's very hard to get rid of cat urine smell. You can try cleaning your carpets with a pet odor remover type cleaner. As for air fresheners..I like the automatic mist ones the best. They also make odor neutralizing ones (and sprays and oils). I would think those would be stronger.

 

[suejai]

Just wanted to mention that air fresheners, especially Febreeze, are just neuro toxins that shut down the smell receptors in your brain. I just cannot believe that a constant exposure to these chemicals is healthy.

Do you have your windows open to allow a breeze to flow through? Mine are usually open all summer and in the winter I open them almost everyday for a few minutes and then once a week for about 15 to 20 minutes for a good blow through, depending on the temperature of course. I don't have babies in diapers or cats but I do have two smelly dogs and no one ever said my house smelled of dog... I asked.

One other thought is if you have a lot of carpeting in your house maybe the smells are trapped in the fibres.

 

[Muffin]

All-American,
Those wax burning things look like a great idea. What is the brand of the one you found at Walmart? Is it in the candle section or the air freshener section?

Thanks!

 

[disneyfam]

Keep my husband out.

Srsly. BIG yankee candle fan. They really are potent.

 

[Meriweather]

Our house is for sale so I want it to smell good all the time.
I use the plug in fresheners....almost every room has one.
It smells great in there, no cat littler odor (or anything else nasty smelling).
Just replace every 6-8 weeks and all is good.

 

[TanyaLovesPooh]

I have a candle burning almost all the time. I should own stock in Yankee Candle.

Me too.

 

[dwdreamer]

try leaving a bowl of vinegar out, it is supposed to absorb odors.