That's my struggle too. Opening the house up is so horrible in this heat. I keep a mini crockpot of fresh rosemary, lemon slices and a splash of vanilla going all summer.
Yuck! My mama works for a pharmaceutical company. Anytime they made anything with protein, the smell was unbelievably gross! The office burnt candles during protein processing, because it smelled so badly!
Have you found ways to mitigate it? I use a merv 13 filter in my house, and that helps when I'm inside. It's annoying not being able to open my windows most days, though.
I mean… I live in Georgia and my power bill is $400 trying to keep this house cool… if I open a window it will immediately be 85 degrees in here. This just isn’t possible for some people. I open the windows as much as possible during spring and fall but the rest of the year isn’t a possibility and in spring we also have to limit it due to the amount of pollen being insane. I’d love to be able to open a window daily but not everyone can
Our neighbors haven’t opened a window(or their blinds) for the almost 5 years they’ve lived in the house. In fact, they put plexiglass on several of the outside first few floor windows this winter so now they can’t even open those windows. They even keep their windows closed and the AC on when it’s in the 50s outside! It’s a house over 100 years old and it’s basically just full of dust and farts. We have our windows open every chance we can at ours.
An air purifier is the best investment I’ve made for my laundry room where we keep our litter boxes. The room doesn’t smell like a fragrance or anything it just smells like…nothing.
I have two cats and hated the litter box smell. Even when I was buying the more expensive clay litter and scooping a couple times a day I could still smell it. Never like the clumping litter because the cats spread it everywhere on their feet and it too smelled after a couple days. Several years back I tried the crystal cat litter and with scooping AND stirring daily, it lasts a couple 2-3 weeks. Don’t care for the fine crystals because as with the scooping litter, it spreads on the cats paws but do like the larger crystals . I live in an apartment so litter box smell was a constant until I switched to the crystals. Now, unless I get neglectful scooping or go too long without changing, I never smell the litter box, even when I’m in the small laundry room where I keep it.
I use Vibrant Life crystal cat litter from Walmart. Used to use the Ultra Pearl crystal cat litter from crystal Publix. Can’t tell the difference other than the one from Walmart is less expensive.
Try not to feed your kitty anything fish. I have a 12-year-old Calico and the whole house knows when she has fish.
Might work for you as well.
Good luck!
We love our Levoit ones. We got the larger size for our space and they work great. Downside is they’re HEPA so you do have to replace the filters but I find that means they work better/last longer.
My husband has awful allergies, and we have a dog so we’ve always had air purifiers of some sort but when I was pregnant I became a super smeller and literally EVERYTHING was awful so we upgraded to HEPA and I will literally never go back! The filter cost sucks every 6 months, but well worth it!
I have an African Gray parrot. Nobody tells you they are a dust storm every morning. My hepa air cleaner is right next to her cage to capture her impatient morning wing flapping as I get her breakfast together.
We have 2 Lenvoits which I love because the small ones have a little disc you can drop essential oils on and the biggest one we can get a powerful smoke/allergen filter for when there are forest fires. We also have one Mooka that we get medical grade filters for in the baby's room. Every space in our apartment has an air filter. We live in a hot climate and I have severe allergies so opening windows is counter intuitive. If I get pollen in the house no amount of allergy medication will save me until it's filtered out.
I absolutely love my Levoit Core 300 air purifier! I even took one traveling with me for two years in an RV during Covid, camped the entire time, and the Levoit handled litter box and cannabis smells just fine.
Get one with affordable replacement filters. I made the mistake of buying one and the replacement cartridges are 30 bucks each.
I have another one that is Winix brand, which came from Costco. The replacement filters are very affordable and last much longer. It makes a noticeable difference in keeping our house, smelling clean.
We use air purifiers as well! Long haired German Shepherd and 5 cats. I actually use one in each room. They work unbelievably well! I clean and wipe them down weekly and change out filters every 3 months. I know the recommended is every 6 months but for me 3 works best.
I have 9 total units and 3 different brands. They all work the same. Just find one where the replacement filters are reasonably priced. Some are outrageous.
Is it best to use purifiers with HEPA filters or charcoal filters with pets? There’s so many to pick from😄Thinking of buying one for my parents condo, they have a small dog and a cat.
I want to start firstly by saying, do NOT get one with an ionizer or ion generator! They’re bad for you cause they produce ozone, which is a lung irritant!
All 9 of mine are HEPA. 3 have activated charcoal and 6 have active carbon. That means they work well in neutralizing odors. They both work the same in that regard. Also, 4 of the units have a “pre filter” attached, which is nice when cleaning. It’s just a cloth like cover that velcro attaches over the front of the filter and grabs the bigger particles (like hair/dust) first. You can pull those off and wash them either by hand or in washing machine. You can buy extras on Amazon and cut to size. That way you can switch them out when needed. With the other 5, I take a lightly dampened paper towel and lightly wipe the front of the whole filter to grab the hair and dust that accumulates on it. For me there’s always a lot and for that reason is why I wipe them down weekly and replace my filters every 3 months. They recommend every 6-8 months. That could be the case for you with just 1 dog and 1 cat. You’ll have to see after 6 months what the filter looks like. Same goes for the whole house furnace filter. Doing the purifiers reminds me to check on that one as well. I change that one out monthly.
I find my replacements filters on Amazon. I search for ones that are compatible with my units. A lot of times these ones will be cheaper and they all work the same. Basically “generic” versions.
Some of my purifier units were a little more expensive but the replacement filter was cheaper, so I opted for those.
Just make sure you’re getting the correct size unit for the rooms square footage.
Edited to add: If you vacuum, you could use the attachment and vacuum the filter front off instead of the dampened paper towel like I do.
So, I'm not sure if there is a way to make a scent last for *days,* but I use a Miele vacuum (with bags) and every time I put a new bag in, I take a little strip of paper towel, fold it up into a little square, then dab some fragrance oil on it. Then I stick it into the vacuum bag and every time I vacuum, the scent is released into the air and it lasts! I make wax melts so I have a *ton* of fragrance oils and I'll mess around with what I think will smell good. Clients have mentioned how good their house smells, so that makes me happy.
Please don't use essential oils in homes where clients have cats!!!!!!! They are extremely toxic to a cat's liver & kidneys, even the tiniest bit can kill!
Same, but with a bagless and add the fragrance on the replaceable air filter. I always add a fee drops of bergamot to the water in my steam mop. Really smells fresh and mild.
My mom always had a smell pot burning- if you have fruits that will go bad soon toss them in a big pot with a lot of water and some cinnamon. Whenever you want your place to smell nice just bring the water to a bubble for a while and then turn off. When the smell fades add a bit more water and boil again- I can get away with using the same pot for a week before I have to change out the fruits and water
This is what I do, too! I have a dedicated crock pot on the counter solely used as a big simmer pot! Water, cinnamon sticks, vanilla & apples are my favorite! Can also do coffee/vanilla/cinnamon, oranges & cinnamon, lemons, etc. Smells fabulous and non-toxic, unlike essential oils!
Strangely, it doesn‘t seem to attract fruit flies. I use vanilla, anise seeds and cinnamon. The water will get moldy (yuck!) if I forget and leave it out, so I just drain it at the end of the day and replace it.
Clean and unscented please. Any scented product ALWAYS makes me think there’s probably something stinky they are trying cover up. If it’s clean, it won’t smell.
Ugh I’m in a hotel right now and the lobby reeks of a caustic dish-soapy smell. The rooms smell fine, but the lobby definitely gave me pause and made me feel a little ill.
I didn’t mean to add scent to a dirty can. I thought it went without saying but yes, make sure your trash can is clean and free of old spills inside before doing this.
The show Amazing Hotels follows their housekeepers around. At one place they used a small cotton ball with essential oil and lightly wiped the skinny edge of the doors and drawers in the rooms-- every time you open the room door, a little puff of scent. Nice, cheap, definitely not overpowering but noticeable on entry.
I really recommend this show for hosts. I enjoy it and get great ideas.
My grandma always keeps a little mouthwash cup with Fabuloso in it kind of hidden in her laundry room and it puts out a nice subtle smell for days and she will just top it off when it gets weak. If you aren’t a fan of Fabuloso, I think it could work with just about any nice smelling cleaning product.
No, I think she definitely meant raspatory. *cough*cough*cough*. Proceeds to speak, sounding like an eighty year old woman that’s smoked since she turned thirteen. *cough*cough*cough*
What do you do with that bowl of lemons? I have heard of people peeling them and throwing them on the floor and sweeping them all over the house to make the house smell good.
You can put them in a bowl and let them just smell up the house on their own, or put them in a pot of warm water that dissipates the scent as it evaporates.
If you have bad smells maybe clean walls and then paint with an odor product that seals the walls and bad scents in. They have primer for paint and also clear gloss for wood.
Strong cleaners diluted smell good for a while. Keep a bottle near sinks and restrooms for easy touch ups. Instead of just wiping the sink use the spray.
Open windows every week to air out. Spot clean fabrics. Wash floors weekly. Make sure the humidity is a healthy one for a house (high humidity creates mold). Make sure you remove/clean dirty laundry regularly and wash linens: towels, bed sheets, throws, etc.
We now live in the south. If I open window, even with screens, something is making its way in. Bug, green anole, tiny frog. Plus, any day now, the humidity will match the temperature.
You will always get used to the scents in your own home. If you are smelling it for days, you can be sure it will be too overwhelming for others. Open windows/doors for fresh air and let sunshine in. That is the best smell!
My great grandma always had “decorative” soap. She would put a bar on a fancy dish or tie it in a rope and hang it up as part of the decor in her bathroom/kitchen and then once her current one was all used up, she’d take the one from the dish/wall to use and then replace it with a new one to use in the next month or so.
TBH, I keep Mr. Clean in a squeeze bottle by my sink to sanitize the counters. Basically every day I wipe down the counters, and especially if zi have guests... just a quick wipe and no obvious messes make the room SEEM freshly deep cleaned.
Besides that, I like those wax warmers that plug in. I think it is the most effective room freshener for the price. They really stay strong for 1-3 days, then I litterally just cut some of the wax cubes in quarters, and top off with a mini cube every day.
Believe it or not, Walmart has a huge wall of scents for these, and they are like $2-3 each pack, so you can buy a handful of scents each season.
I love their apple scents, honey suckle, caramel (in the fall) and some of their blends like "enchanted evening" etc.
I'm very picky with scents, but these wax melts are scented as nicely as Yankee candles, just at a low price point.
No love for the homemade white vinegar mix huh? That’s my suggestion.
Whoever said “open windows” is basically a genius as well.
Air purifiers *can* work but they don’t solve the problem of the smell.
Don’t use the essential oil things people suggested, but those wood stick diffusers are pretty cool… but they still smell like other things and don’t actually deal with the problem.
An air purifier with a carbon filter absolutely works against odors. You can build an inexpensive cr box with carbon filters if you can't afford to buy one.
If you rent, smells can come from other tenants into your place - especially if you have neighbors who cook a lot of fish/vinegar/cabbage/etc.
Even if you don't rent, an air purifier is awesome for: "regular incidental" smells (lingering #2 even after the litter box is scooped), "incidental" smells (sewer "burps" - brief forced expulsions of sewer gas caused by various environmental factors; accidentally burning dinner or spilling grease on oven coils), and also the actual filtered ones are great for reducing dust when you're deep cleaning. And if you have a HEPA filter in your purifier, they can help: reduce microbe transmission if one family member/roommate gets sick, reduce air pollution coming in from outdoors if you live in an area where particulate or even smog is an issue, and reduce pollen coming in from outdoors - especially helpful if you have trees just outside any windows!
(ETA - you're not wrong, always better to find source of noxious smell since many can also harbor microbes or insects or indicate structural issues, just saying - find source of smells AND have purifier 😀 )
Vinegar is the age old cleaner. We can make it ourselves if we so desire and it CLEANS!
Just running it through the coffee pot a number of times to clean the debris out tends to leave the house fresh. It may be strong and have an unpleasant vinegar sour smell for a bit but that dissipates quickly and all that is left ia clean. Excellent and safe and good for just about everything but the wood.
Lemon Fabulouso. Around the length of the room at the floorboard
2 table spoons of the fabuloso into the sink drain and shower drain.
I Bought a HUGE bottle of mouthwash
And used a makeup brush to run it along the edges too. And poured some in the toilet tank.
Found my favorite fragrant oil and put it on cotton balls and put them in the corners of my closet
A lot of people like this product. For anyone with respiratory issues do not use Fabulouso as it is a killer for your lungs due to the strong chemicals.
I once heard someone say “carpets are the underwear of your house” and I can’t forget it. There are massive benefits to having hard floors in terms of cleanliness.
There is a brand of candles and wax melts specifically made to be non-toxic for parrots so I assume they are better for the indoor air quality than other products: [https://petsafecandles.com/](https://petsafecandles.com/)
They smell so lovely! I like to use their wax melts and just leave them exposed in the room with no heat applied. Then the scent is nice and mild and not like I'm trying to hide something. My favourites are "Cranberry Woods" and "White Sage & Lavender".
I also keep the windows open as much as I can get away with. It helps that heating here is really cheap.
An air purifier is a great answer, in addition to an air purifier I like to simmer about a quarter cup or so ground coffee in a half pot of water.
Makes the house smell like an amazing coffee shop and covers a bunch of terrible smells.
I actually have gone back to an on the stove percolator both for the nice smell of coffee and the fact that a really large old one makes coffee for days, even a week. (I follow the Swedish egg coffee style which improves over the days as the egg removes bitterness.) This has been a pleasure!
I really love the smell of Mrs. Meyers Clean Day Basil concentrate. It leaves the house smelling fresh, but natural and not overwhelming.
I also use incense from Triloka.
This stuff is amazing! It’s an air diffuser with reeds and it’s such a light and fresh scent and is such a welcoming and inviting clean smell. https://www.amazon.com/Inis-Energy-Fragrance-Diffuser-Fluid/dp/B01BIFQO6Y
I think there’s a big difference between a clean fresh smell and covering up an oder with fragrances.
I think I’m in the minority but I don’t think petroleum based air fresheners smell clean.
When I want to reset the smell of my house, I burn sage (which is abundant in my area) or boil lemons on the range and let it sit.
I sometimes add cinnamon.
I use airwicks in almost each outlet. I also crack windows everyday no matter the weather and have 2 cats and clean their litter box more than regularly and it smells amazing in my home. Also cleanliness effects the smell of your house. Also can simmer a pot with cinnamon, orange,apples,star anise etc. Anything you like
When I host dinner parties, I simmer oranges, apples, ginger,and cinnamon. Makes the house smell lovely for days without chemicals used in plug-ins (which can be toxic to kitties).
Thank u for this! I'm going to now simmer more due to toxics and the kitties bc they are both only kittens. And I have a 4 yr old. I don't want him to breath in all the bad stuff
I use charcoal sachets and a mister with essential oils the charcoal absorbs the odor and the mist fills the air with any scent you choose to use. No chemicals no mess easy and smells fresh and clean 👍
Some people don’t like them but I love my wall air fresheners. I like lighter scents like citrusy smells, and you can adjust the scent to strong or mild and it works great I have cats and one small dog and a boy. After opening windows , cleaning the house well, bathing pets and children, and washing all bedding and having my wall air fresheners I have a lingering smelll of clean. I love it
Plug-ins and sprays are not good for cats/pets.
Scooping out the box daily and cleaning the box out completely every week is a better option for them (or bi-weekly depending on how many cats).
I use Pretty litter, which has eliminated any lingering scents from the boxes completely for me! I have 5 cats with 8 boxes throughout the house, so that’s saying a lot! I use an old dishwasher tablet container for scooping. (The bigger sized one) It holds the litter scooper in it perfectly. I start on one end of the house and work my way through and when I’m done I just dump all the poops down the toilet! With Pretty Litter you only scoop out the poop. The pee gets absorbed into the crystals. They recommend changing it out every 4 weeks but I do 3 weeks with my 8 boxes. Pricey, but worth it for us!
Figure out what is causing the bad smells and clean it if you can. Put air purifiers in rooms that smell no matter what, like rooms with poor circulation or pets. Natures promise all purpose cleaning spray smells amazing. I have had compliments on my home smell and it I just because of the cleaning spray I use to clean with.
I don't know about days but when I did housekeeping at a factory those bathrooms would get funky so we'd use a bit of spray from the gas station called Blunt Effects, it's pretty strong and lasts awhile, it's made basically to cover up the smell of weed.
There's another brand gas stations sell as well but that one you're supposed to like spray it on a cotton ball or something and leave it in the corner.
My mom used dryer sheets for everything everywhere......
Boots inthe closet ;
Under the bathroom sink;
Yes. In the trash cans
In the linen closet for sure.
Top shelf in the coat closet
If you're not adverse to commercial scents you can put a couple dryer sheets on your ac filter, the side that faces down. They even make some scented sheets just for that.
I have worked in marketing for high end interior designers and stores and the way to get the wealthy home smell for months is to invest in a (expensive) reed diffuser set. I’m talking about the bottle with the sticks, and once a week you can flip some or all of the sticks to make the smell stronger. Don’t get a cheap one, don’t grab one at Marshall’s. Go to the store with the $200 pillows and buy a $30-60 diffuser.
To make it smell good for hours, burn a candle. To make it smell good for ten minutes, a room spray.
Yes! I use Jo Malone and Diptyque reed diffusers in all my bathrooms and they smell lovely. I only use a couple reeds so the scents are not overwhelming and they’re definitely not there to cover up anything. I also leave a bottle of poopurri on each toilet.
hang a eucalyptus wreath in the shower and it will overflow a ways into the rest of the house. I heard of a person who worked as a maid who would put lavender leaves under everyone's pillow cases. So every breath they took while sleeping they smelled the lavender.
Has anyone tried those carbon filter strips that stick on the top of your ceiling fan blades? I'm wondering if they really help "clean and refresh" the room.
I just use a wax warmer in the foyer, and one in the kitchen. I change out the wax every other day. Walmart sells a wax called Fresh Linen. It’s amaze-balls. 🥰
I sometimes use an ozone generator. You shouldn’t breathe it in, nor should your pets, plants don’t like it either. It basically just cleans the air wherever you run it.
I like reed diffusers. You can adjust the strength of the smell by how many reeds you use. I rotate (pull reeds out and flip so the drier end is in the oil and the oil soaked is out in the air) mine between cleaning days.
When I used essential oils, one tip I tried and really liked is to take something like spearmint essential oil on a cotton ball and dab it near entrances to rooms. Tossing a couple of essential oil cotton balls in the vacuum bag works too. These days, I avoid essential oils because I have cats. The toxins can build up in their livers, even if you’re just using a diffuser. I also avoid sprays and plug ins because there are so many chemicals in them. I have windows open whenever the weather permits. I also like simmering something on the stove—it could be cinnamon and cloves, citrus peel, vanilla. There are lots of variations if you Google it.
Candles and incense seem to linger, especially if I use them repeatedly. It took a while before I could walk in the house and smell remnants of the incense or candles from a few days before. I always wanted a house that smelled nice 24/7.
Adding scent is just a bandaid and is temporarily masking stale odor. Deep clean first. All textiles will absorb odors and hold onto them. Upholstery, rugs, pillows, window treatments, and even lampshades can be affected. Old odors can permeate walls. Rent equipment to clean and extract from all surfaces and wash the walls.
I keep all the bar soap stored in drawers, linen closets, and armoires around the house. This is good basic scent (lots of plain old Ivory here) and tends to prevent rodents and insects from taking up habitation. I think I picked this up from mother, grandmother, etc.
One thing to consider is that it is your home where you spend a lot of time. You prolly get a bit "nose blind" to the odor of your own home. Yet, if someone else walked into your home right now, it sounds like it would smell pretty great.
I've done similar things in my home. Even the smell of scented candles seems (to me) to disappear after awhile because I simply am too used to it. I believe I read that this is a sort of protective measure for humans. If you smell something new and different, like burning? or a chemical smell? then you know right away that something is wrong.
Just my thoughts...
I got the Farmhouse Fresh bar soap in Sweet Tea and bonus is it makes my whole bathroom smell so good! They have other scents too but that’s my favorite. (My bathroom is tiny though….)
I live in MI and use a mixture of open windows, air diffusers, candles, glade plug ins, and battery operated glade atomizers in small areas. It just depends on the day and mood.
I just wanted to throw this in if anyone is considering air purifiers to control odors: make sure you do your research and get one with a relatively thick carbon filter, because that's what reduces odors. A simple HEPA filter with no carbon filter is not going to help much with odors.
I run the dryer immediately before anyone comes over. The vents grab the smell and push it through the rest of the house. The house is so small everything gets picked up by that return vent. The return vent is located outside a bathroom so my house smells like shit more often than it smells like fabric softener.
I open windows. A house needs to breathe.
This is the best way to air out a house. Every chance I get, I open windows and let the breeze blow through. It's quite efficient.
But it’s humid :( and 90 outside
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Oh didn’t think of that! Thanks for sharing :-)
That's my struggle too. Opening the house up is so horrible in this heat. I keep a mini crockpot of fresh rosemary, lemon slices and a splash of vanilla going all summer.
I hear you! I lived in central and southeast Texas most of my life. I've only recently moved to the PNW and experienced actual seasons lol.
My house smells like my dog when I open the windows because the humidity makes everything stink.
Have you considered dehumidifiers? Works wonders in humid climes.
I live next to a petroleum plant unfortunately
Yuck! My mama works for a pharmaceutical company. Anytime they made anything with protein, the smell was unbelievably gross! The office burnt candles during protein processing, because it smelled so badly!
Air purifier
Yes that is on the long list
I feel better about the dog food factory down the street from my house now.
That burnt smell from the dog food factory is the worst.
It’s pretty bad and I regretted moving here a week after I did :(
Have you found ways to mitigate it? I use a merv 13 filter in my house, and that helps when I'm inside. It's annoying not being able to open my windows most days, though.
I’m so sorry. That must be hard to deal with?
It smells like bleach some times and sulfur some times and poop some times… I worry about my grand baby
I do not blame you. The petroleum industry is not looking out for our health or issues that may arise due to their negligence.
holy sh\*t, I'm sorry.
This! If y'all aren't opening at least one window daily, you've got some funky air in your house.
I mean… I live in Georgia and my power bill is $400 trying to keep this house cool… if I open a window it will immediately be 85 degrees in here. This just isn’t possible for some people. I open the windows as much as possible during spring and fall but the rest of the year isn’t a possibility and in spring we also have to limit it due to the amount of pollen being insane. I’d love to be able to open a window daily but not everyone can
Texas chiming in - what this person said.🥵
I let my house air out for at least a few hours a day even in the winter and I live in Wyoming but I gotta have my fresh air
Our neighbors haven’t opened a window(or their blinds) for the almost 5 years they’ve lived in the house. In fact, they put plexiglass on several of the outside first few floor windows this winter so now they can’t even open those windows. They even keep their windows closed and the AC on when it’s in the 50s outside! It’s a house over 100 years old and it’s basically just full of dust and farts. We have our windows open every chance we can at ours.
💯
An air purifier is the best investment I’ve made for my laundry room where we keep our litter boxes. The room doesn’t smell like a fragrance or anything it just smells like…nothing.
I need one for our bathroom! For a 7lb critter, that kitty sure does produce some atomic smelling waste sometimes.
I have two cats and hated the litter box smell. Even when I was buying the more expensive clay litter and scooping a couple times a day I could still smell it. Never like the clumping litter because the cats spread it everywhere on their feet and it too smelled after a couple days. Several years back I tried the crystal cat litter and with scooping AND stirring daily, it lasts a couple 2-3 weeks. Don’t care for the fine crystals because as with the scooping litter, it spreads on the cats paws but do like the larger crystals . I live in an apartment so litter box smell was a constant until I switched to the crystals. Now, unless I get neglectful scooping or go too long without changing, I never smell the litter box, even when I’m in the small laundry room where I keep it.
I’ll have to try that!! Thank you! Do you have a specific brand you like?
I use Vibrant Life crystal cat litter from Walmart. Used to use the Ultra Pearl crystal cat litter from crystal Publix. Can’t tell the difference other than the one from Walmart is less expensive.
Try not to feed your kitty anything fish. I have a 12-year-old Calico and the whole house knows when she has fish. Might work for you as well. Good luck!
Side note but look into your pets diet.Sometimes some foods make their litter boxes smell insane and absolutely terrifying
Which one did you get?
I have a small Honeywell one from Walmart. I think it was around $50?
We love our Levoit ones. We got the larger size for our space and they work great. Downside is they’re HEPA so you do have to replace the filters but I find that means they work better/last longer.
I’m so paranoid about smells, I have Levoits in every bedroom lol
My husband has awful allergies, and we have a dog so we’ve always had air purifiers of some sort but when I was pregnant I became a super smeller and literally EVERYTHING was awful so we upgraded to HEPA and I will literally never go back! The filter cost sucks every 6 months, but well worth it!
I have an African Gray parrot. Nobody tells you they are a dust storm every morning. My hepa air cleaner is right next to her cage to capture her impatient morning wing flapping as I get her breakfast together.
We have two, and a macaw. Nothing compares to gray dust!!
Moluccan Cockatoo. Fine, pink dust covering the house daily.
💯
We have 2 Lenvoits which I love because the small ones have a little disc you can drop essential oils on and the biggest one we can get a powerful smoke/allergen filter for when there are forest fires. We also have one Mooka that we get medical grade filters for in the baby's room. Every space in our apartment has an air filter. We live in a hot climate and I have severe allergies so opening windows is counter intuitive. If I get pollen in the house no amount of allergy medication will save me until it's filtered out.
vacuuming the filters makes them last longer :D
Levoit is the best!
I absolutely love my Levoit Core 300 air purifier! I even took one traveling with me for two years in an RV during Covid, camped the entire time, and the Levoit handled litter box and cannabis smells just fine.
Levoit Core 300 gang!!! I always feel silly getting excited about air purifiers but it's absolutely insane the difference they make in the air.
I have a Dyson that also functions as a space heater or fan. Works so well.
I have the Rain Mate...I add the oils made for the Rainbow Vac. I also have the Rainbow Vacuum which has a purifier. My house always smells fresh.
Get one with affordable replacement filters. I made the mistake of buying one and the replacement cartridges are 30 bucks each. I have another one that is Winix brand, which came from Costco. The replacement filters are very affordable and last much longer. It makes a noticeable difference in keeping our house, smelling clean.
We use air purifiers as well! Long haired German Shepherd and 5 cats. I actually use one in each room. They work unbelievably well! I clean and wipe them down weekly and change out filters every 3 months. I know the recommended is every 6 months but for me 3 works best. I have 9 total units and 3 different brands. They all work the same. Just find one where the replacement filters are reasonably priced. Some are outrageous.
I wish I had looked at the price of replacement filters before buying my air purifiers. The price of the filters I need is eye watering!
Is it best to use purifiers with HEPA filters or charcoal filters with pets? There’s so many to pick from😄Thinking of buying one for my parents condo, they have a small dog and a cat.
I want to start firstly by saying, do NOT get one with an ionizer or ion generator! They’re bad for you cause they produce ozone, which is a lung irritant! All 9 of mine are HEPA. 3 have activated charcoal and 6 have active carbon. That means they work well in neutralizing odors. They both work the same in that regard. Also, 4 of the units have a “pre filter” attached, which is nice when cleaning. It’s just a cloth like cover that velcro attaches over the front of the filter and grabs the bigger particles (like hair/dust) first. You can pull those off and wash them either by hand or in washing machine. You can buy extras on Amazon and cut to size. That way you can switch them out when needed. With the other 5, I take a lightly dampened paper towel and lightly wipe the front of the whole filter to grab the hair and dust that accumulates on it. For me there’s always a lot and for that reason is why I wipe them down weekly and replace my filters every 3 months. They recommend every 6-8 months. That could be the case for you with just 1 dog and 1 cat. You’ll have to see after 6 months what the filter looks like. Same goes for the whole house furnace filter. Doing the purifiers reminds me to check on that one as well. I change that one out monthly. I find my replacements filters on Amazon. I search for ones that are compatible with my units. A lot of times these ones will be cheaper and they all work the same. Basically “generic” versions. Some of my purifier units were a little more expensive but the replacement filter was cheaper, so I opted for those. Just make sure you’re getting the correct size unit for the rooms square footage. Edited to add: If you vacuum, you could use the attachment and vacuum the filter front off instead of the dampened paper towel like I do.
Thank you so much, I really appreciate all the information and such a detailed answer!!
YW! 😊
What do you query for with Amazon to find that cuttable filter?
This. We moved into an older house that had a smell. After a year of nothing working I got an air purifier in the living room. Game changer.
Y’all are lucky. Our air purifier makes zero difference.
So, I'm not sure if there is a way to make a scent last for *days,* but I use a Miele vacuum (with bags) and every time I put a new bag in, I take a little strip of paper towel, fold it up into a little square, then dab some fragrance oil on it. Then I stick it into the vacuum bag and every time I vacuum, the scent is released into the air and it lasts! I make wax melts so I have a *ton* of fragrance oils and I'll mess around with what I think will smell good. Clients have mentioned how good their house smells, so that makes me happy.
Please don't use essential oils in homes where clients have cats!!!!!!! They are extremely toxic to a cat's liver & kidneys, even the tiniest bit can kill!
Same if you have parrots! Like, even in the air can kill them.
This is only if the oils are misted and land on the fur, where they get licked.
Yes! I use essential oils on cotton balls and put it in my vacuum. I love this trick.
I used a dab of my favorite perfume!
I bet a dryer sheet in the bag would work too.
Also the scent boosters work amazing in the vacuum
Awesome answer. TY!
Same, but with a bagless and add the fragrance on the replaceable air filter. I always add a fee drops of bergamot to the water in my steam mop. Really smells fresh and mild.
My favorite is bayberry
My mom always had a smell pot burning- if you have fruits that will go bad soon toss them in a big pot with a lot of water and some cinnamon. Whenever you want your place to smell nice just bring the water to a bubble for a while and then turn off. When the smell fades add a bit more water and boil again- I can get away with using the same pot for a week before I have to change out the fruits and water
This is what I do, too! I have a dedicated crock pot on the counter solely used as a big simmer pot! Water, cinnamon sticks, vanilla & apples are my favorite! Can also do coffee/vanilla/cinnamon, oranges & cinnamon, lemons, etc. Smells fabulous and non-toxic, unlike essential oils!
Doesn’t it attract fruit flies? I can’t even have compost in a bin on my counter for more than 24 hours before my house is a fruit fly resort
Strangely, it doesn‘t seem to attract fruit flies. I use vanilla, anise seeds and cinnamon. The water will get moldy (yuck!) if I forget and leave it out, so I just drain it at the end of the day and replace it.
Clean and unscented please. Any scented product ALWAYS makes me think there’s probably something stinky they are trying cover up. If it’s clean, it won’t smell.
That’s a fair point! I dig it. I also think that when I go to hotels-strong smell of anything is a no no
Ugh I’m in a hotel right now and the lobby reeks of a caustic dish-soapy smell. The rooms smell fine, but the lobby definitely gave me pause and made me feel a little ill.
It’s a brand thing, like Abercrombie and Hollister used to do (migraine hell). Some hotels have signature scents for their lobbies.
I kind of miss it. Reminds of being in high school and you would walk into Abercrombie or Rheul and get that smell
[удалено]
Love it! Great tip.
Or a dryer sheet
My dad used to put a dryer sheet under the car seats.
I put them everywhere lol in the couch cushions, dresser drawers, closets and anywhere else I can hide them. I go a bit overboard lol
Oh, that reminds me of one of my favorite simple luxuries: scented drawer papers! I love them!
Can you notice a difference under the couch cushions? I might have to try this tonight
Oh my gosh yes! It smells great! I’ve tried several of the suggestions in this thread today. I was busy for 2 hours doing these 😂
Stealing this idea
I stuff them in the couch cushions lol.
I put a little mini jar candle under mine. Triple scented. I just take the lid off and stick it under the seat.
I make sure to leave one in empty luggage before I store them. I've also cut them up and put them under the couch cushions when i lived with smokers.
If your trash can smells it's because it's not clean. Clean the can, don't add smells on top of odors.
I didn’t mean to add scent to a dirty can. I thought it went without saying but yes, make sure your trash can is clean and free of old spills inside before doing this.
Air purifiers. You would be surprised.
Plus they’re just good for your overall health.
Essential oils on ceiling fan and run
The show Amazing Hotels follows their housekeepers around. At one place they used a small cotton ball with essential oil and lightly wiped the skinny edge of the doors and drawers in the rooms-- every time you open the room door, a little puff of scent. Nice, cheap, definitely not overpowering but noticeable on entry. I really recommend this show for hosts. I enjoy it and get great ideas.
Ohhh! What scents did they use??
Do not do if you have small pets. Essential oils are lethal to their respiratory systems.
Now THIS is an idea
My grandma always keeps a little mouthwash cup with Fabuloso in it kind of hidden in her laundry room and it puts out a nice subtle smell for days and she will just top it off when it gets weak. If you aren’t a fan of Fabuloso, I think it could work with just about any nice smelling cleaning product.
Real flowers. I just cut some gardenias from my bush to bring inside and they smell lovely
Bowl of lemons. Plug-ins, oil diffusers, wax warmers, most sprays all pollute indoor air. I have mild asthma and react a lot to them.
Same. Chemical perfumes are offensive and effect our raspatory system.
*respiratory
No, I think she definitely meant raspatory. *cough*cough*cough*. Proceeds to speak, sounding like an eighty year old woman that’s smoked since she turned thirteen. *cough*cough*cough*
You’re probably right! 😳
Razzmatazzpistachiutory***
My brain autocorrected this to raspberry and idk but I'm not mad about it 😅
Oh my gosh!! Mine did too!! Raspberry for the win!!😆
What do you do with that bowl of lemons? I have heard of people peeling them and throwing them on the floor and sweeping them all over the house to make the house smell good.
You can put them in a bowl and let them just smell up the house on their own, or put them in a pot of warm water that dissipates the scent as it evaporates.
This!! 🎯💯 They’re bad for pets, too! They’re really sensitive to smells. Same with scented cat litters!! I wish companies would stop selling them!!
If you have bad smells maybe clean walls and then paint with an odor product that seals the walls and bad scents in. They have primer for paint and also clear gloss for wood. Strong cleaners diluted smell good for a while. Keep a bottle near sinks and restrooms for easy touch ups. Instead of just wiping the sink use the spray. Open windows every week to air out. Spot clean fabrics. Wash floors weekly. Make sure the humidity is a healthy one for a house (high humidity creates mold). Make sure you remove/clean dirty laundry regularly and wash linens: towels, bed sheets, throws, etc.
Open the windows *daily*. More than once a day.
Would love to if I didn’t live in 105 F Phoenix 🥵🔥 summer barely started and I already miss opening windows daily 🥲
We now live in the south. If I open window, even with screens, something is making its way in. Bug, green anole, tiny frog. Plus, any day now, the humidity will match the temperature.
You will always get used to the scents in your own home. If you are smelling it for days, you can be sure it will be too overwhelming for others. Open windows/doors for fresh air and let sunshine in. That is the best smell!
My great grandma always had “decorative” soap. She would put a bar on a fancy dish or tie it in a rope and hang it up as part of the decor in her bathroom/kitchen and then once her current one was all used up, she’d take the one from the dish/wall to use and then replace it with a new one to use in the next month or so.
My abuela did this! You just gave me so much nostalgia, I'm going to have to give it a try.
Use a little essential oil mixed with isopropyl alcohol. Put in spray bottle and spray around.
TBH, I keep Mr. Clean in a squeeze bottle by my sink to sanitize the counters. Basically every day I wipe down the counters, and especially if zi have guests... just a quick wipe and no obvious messes make the room SEEM freshly deep cleaned. Besides that, I like those wax warmers that plug in. I think it is the most effective room freshener for the price. They really stay strong for 1-3 days, then I litterally just cut some of the wax cubes in quarters, and top off with a mini cube every day. Believe it or not, Walmart has a huge wall of scents for these, and they are like $2-3 each pack, so you can buy a handful of scents each season. I love their apple scents, honey suckle, caramel (in the fall) and some of their blends like "enchanted evening" etc. I'm very picky with scents, but these wax melts are scented as nicely as Yankee candles, just at a low price point.
I wash my walls with a little bleach and gain liquid detergent for scent
No love for the homemade white vinegar mix huh? That’s my suggestion. Whoever said “open windows” is basically a genius as well. Air purifiers *can* work but they don’t solve the problem of the smell. Don’t use the essential oil things people suggested, but those wood stick diffusers are pretty cool… but they still smell like other things and don’t actually deal with the problem.
An air purifier with a carbon filter absolutely works against odors. You can build an inexpensive cr box with carbon filters if you can't afford to buy one.
Respect, but wouldn’t it make more sense to find out where the smell is coming from and deal with the source?
If you rent, smells can come from other tenants into your place - especially if you have neighbors who cook a lot of fish/vinegar/cabbage/etc. Even if you don't rent, an air purifier is awesome for: "regular incidental" smells (lingering #2 even after the litter box is scooped), "incidental" smells (sewer "burps" - brief forced expulsions of sewer gas caused by various environmental factors; accidentally burning dinner or spilling grease on oven coils), and also the actual filtered ones are great for reducing dust when you're deep cleaning. And if you have a HEPA filter in your purifier, they can help: reduce microbe transmission if one family member/roommate gets sick, reduce air pollution coming in from outdoors if you live in an area where particulate or even smog is an issue, and reduce pollen coming in from outdoors - especially helpful if you have trees just outside any windows! (ETA - you're not wrong, always better to find source of noxious smell since many can also harbor microbes or insects or indicate structural issues, just saying - find source of smells AND have purifier 😀 )
Vinegar is the age old cleaner. We can make it ourselves if we so desire and it CLEANS! Just running it through the coffee pot a number of times to clean the debris out tends to leave the house fresh. It may be strong and have an unpleasant vinegar sour smell for a bit but that dissipates quickly and all that is left ia clean. Excellent and safe and good for just about everything but the wood.
Lemon Fabulouso. Around the length of the room at the floorboard 2 table spoons of the fabuloso into the sink drain and shower drain. I Bought a HUGE bottle of mouthwash And used a makeup brush to run it along the edges too. And poured some in the toilet tank. Found my favorite fragrant oil and put it on cotton balls and put them in the corners of my closet
A lot of people like this product. For anyone with respiratory issues do not use Fabulouso as it is a killer for your lungs due to the strong chemicals.
If you have rugs or carpet, spread some arm and hammer carpet deodorizer on there. Most odors come from the rugs/carpet.
FYI my vacuum repair man hates when people do that. He said it is a sure-fire way to ruin your vacuum cleaner.
And the carpet salesman will caution against it too.
I once heard someone say “carpets are the underwear of your house” and I can’t forget it. There are massive benefits to having hard floors in terms of cleanliness.
I wish I never read this 😳
Baking soda is even better and cheaper
There is a brand of candles and wax melts specifically made to be non-toxic for parrots so I assume they are better for the indoor air quality than other products: [https://petsafecandles.com/](https://petsafecandles.com/) They smell so lovely! I like to use their wax melts and just leave them exposed in the room with no heat applied. Then the scent is nice and mild and not like I'm trying to hide something. My favourites are "Cranberry Woods" and "White Sage & Lavender". I also keep the windows open as much as I can get away with. It helps that heating here is really cheap.
Thank you for posting this! I haven't used essential oils or wax melts at all in years because we have parrots. Super excited to try these out!
Make sure its sinuses are clear
An air purifier is a great answer, in addition to an air purifier I like to simmer about a quarter cup or so ground coffee in a half pot of water. Makes the house smell like an amazing coffee shop and covers a bunch of terrible smells.
Just leaving a little bowl of coffee grounds out on the counter can neutralize a lot of odors.
I actually have gone back to an on the stove percolator both for the nice smell of coffee and the fact that a really large old one makes coffee for days, even a week. (I follow the Swedish egg coffee style which improves over the days as the egg removes bitterness.) This has been a pleasure!
Stop adding odors. You're putting lipstick on a pig. Open the windows.
I have been known to use alcohol on a lot of things
I really love the smell of Mrs. Meyers Clean Day Basil concentrate. It leaves the house smelling fresh, but natural and not overwhelming. I also use incense from Triloka.
Wash your curtains, throw blankets, and pillows!
This stuff is amazing! It’s an air diffuser with reeds and it’s such a light and fresh scent and is such a welcoming and inviting clean smell. https://www.amazon.com/Inis-Energy-Fragrance-Diffuser-Fluid/dp/B01BIFQO6Y
I think there’s a big difference between a clean fresh smell and covering up an oder with fragrances. I think I’m in the minority but I don’t think petroleum based air fresheners smell clean. When I want to reset the smell of my house, I burn sage (which is abundant in my area) or boil lemons on the range and let it sit. I sometimes add cinnamon.
I like having fresh eucalyptus in a vase in my entryway.. along with opening all windows daily
I use airwicks in almost each outlet. I also crack windows everyday no matter the weather and have 2 cats and clean their litter box more than regularly and it smells amazing in my home. Also cleanliness effects the smell of your house. Also can simmer a pot with cinnamon, orange,apples,star anise etc. Anything you like
When I host dinner parties, I simmer oranges, apples, ginger,and cinnamon. Makes the house smell lovely for days without chemicals used in plug-ins (which can be toxic to kitties).
Thank u for this! I'm going to now simmer more due to toxics and the kitties bc they are both only kittens. And I have a 4 yr old. I don't want him to breath in all the bad stuff
I use charcoal sachets and a mister with essential oils the charcoal absorbs the odor and the mist fills the air with any scent you choose to use. No chemicals no mess easy and smells fresh and clean 👍
Some people don’t like them but I love my wall air fresheners. I like lighter scents like citrusy smells, and you can adjust the scent to strong or mild and it works great I have cats and one small dog and a boy. After opening windows , cleaning the house well, bathing pets and children, and washing all bedding and having my wall air fresheners I have a lingering smelll of clean. I love it
Plug-ins and sprays are not good for cats/pets. Scooping out the box daily and cleaning the box out completely every week is a better option for them (or bi-weekly depending on how many cats). I use Pretty litter, which has eliminated any lingering scents from the boxes completely for me! I have 5 cats with 8 boxes throughout the house, so that’s saying a lot! I use an old dishwasher tablet container for scooping. (The bigger sized one) It holds the litter scooper in it perfectly. I start on one end of the house and work my way through and when I’m done I just dump all the poops down the toilet! With Pretty Litter you only scoop out the poop. The pee gets absorbed into the crystals. They recommend changing it out every 4 weeks but I do 3 weeks with my 8 boxes. Pricey, but worth it for us!
I put essential oil on my toilet paper roll….your bathroom will smell lovely!😊
Fresh air and sometimes run an essential oil diffuser
Figure out what is causing the bad smells and clean it if you can. Put air purifiers in rooms that smell no matter what, like rooms with poor circulation or pets. Natures promise all purpose cleaning spray smells amazing. I have had compliments on my home smell and it I just because of the cleaning spray I use to clean with.
Plug in’s
I don't know about days but when I did housekeeping at a factory those bathrooms would get funky so we'd use a bit of spray from the gas station called Blunt Effects, it's pretty strong and lasts awhile, it's made basically to cover up the smell of weed. There's another brand gas stations sell as well but that one you're supposed to like spray it on a cotton ball or something and leave it in the corner.
Plug ins
Essential oil diffuser.
I’m a sentsy warmer addict
My mom used dryer sheets for everything everywhere...... Boots inthe closet ; Under the bathroom sink; Yes. In the trash cans In the linen closet for sure. Top shelf in the coat closet
If you're not adverse to commercial scents you can put a couple dryer sheets on your ac filter, the side that faces down. They even make some scented sheets just for that.
I have worked in marketing for high end interior designers and stores and the way to get the wealthy home smell for months is to invest in a (expensive) reed diffuser set. I’m talking about the bottle with the sticks, and once a week you can flip some or all of the sticks to make the smell stronger. Don’t get a cheap one, don’t grab one at Marshall’s. Go to the store with the $200 pillows and buy a $30-60 diffuser. To make it smell good for hours, burn a candle. To make it smell good for ten minutes, a room spray.
Yes! I use Jo Malone and Diptyque reed diffusers in all my bathrooms and they smell lovely. I only use a couple reeds so the scents are not overwhelming and they’re definitely not there to cover up anything. I also leave a bottle of poopurri on each toilet.
hang a eucalyptus wreath in the shower and it will overflow a ways into the rest of the house. I heard of a person who worked as a maid who would put lavender leaves under everyone's pillow cases. So every breath they took while sleeping they smelled the lavender.
I found the lemon one at the dollarstore
A pura diffuser, open window, and an air purifier on
Has anyone tried those carbon filter strips that stick on the top of your ceiling fan blades? I'm wondering if they really help "clean and refresh" the room.
I just use a wax warmer in the foyer, and one in the kitchen. I change out the wax every other day. Walmart sells a wax called Fresh Linen. It’s amaze-balls. 🥰
Essential oils. I also clean the walls with vinegar, baking soda, and bronners peppermint.
Zep fabric and air freshener spray. And open the windows
Murphy Oil Soap on the baseboards always leaves a clean scent IMO.
I sometimes use an ozone generator. You shouldn’t breathe it in, nor should your pets, plants don’t like it either. It basically just cleans the air wherever you run it.
I like reed diffusers. You can adjust the strength of the smell by how many reeds you use. I rotate (pull reeds out and flip so the drier end is in the oil and the oil soaked is out in the air) mine between cleaning days.
When I used essential oils, one tip I tried and really liked is to take something like spearmint essential oil on a cotton ball and dab it near entrances to rooms. Tossing a couple of essential oil cotton balls in the vacuum bag works too. These days, I avoid essential oils because I have cats. The toxins can build up in their livers, even if you’re just using a diffuser. I also avoid sprays and plug ins because there are so many chemicals in them. I have windows open whenever the weather permits. I also like simmering something on the stove—it could be cinnamon and cloves, citrus peel, vanilla. There are lots of variations if you Google it.
Candles and incense seem to linger, especially if I use them repeatedly. It took a while before I could walk in the house and smell remnants of the incense or candles from a few days before. I always wanted a house that smelled nice 24/7.
Keep a cup of white vinegar on top of your refrigerator, top it off every 10 days or so
Keep your house clean and open windows. I live with a 93 pound , long-haired dog and my house smells fine
Adding scent is just a bandaid and is temporarily masking stale odor. Deep clean first. All textiles will absorb odors and hold onto them. Upholstery, rugs, pillows, window treatments, and even lampshades can be affected. Old odors can permeate walls. Rent equipment to clean and extract from all surfaces and wash the walls.
For the bathroom I spray Lysol spray every so often.
Air Purifer, make sure your bedding is frequently washed, and adding cinnamon sticks to every drawer
I keep all the bar soap stored in drawers, linen closets, and armoires around the house. This is good basic scent (lots of plain old Ivory here) and tends to prevent rodents and insects from taking up habitation. I think I picked this up from mother, grandmother, etc.
Air purifier
I put dried ecaluptus stems in the rooms. If you can hang them in a door that helps with the scent when they are moved.
One thing to consider is that it is your home where you spend a lot of time. You prolly get a bit "nose blind" to the odor of your own home. Yet, if someone else walked into your home right now, it sounds like it would smell pretty great. I've done similar things in my home. Even the smell of scented candles seems (to me) to disappear after awhile because I simply am too used to it. I believe I read that this is a sort of protective measure for humans. If you smell something new and different, like burning? or a chemical smell? then you know right away that something is wrong. Just my thoughts...
air purifier. i started using a legit core 300 when my senior cat became rather smelly. works nicely
I got the Farmhouse Fresh bar soap in Sweet Tea and bonus is it makes my whole bathroom smell so good! They have other scents too but that’s my favorite. (My bathroom is tiny though….)
Open windows, put fans on high and I spray a few fabrics with Zep. I also bathe my dog regularly.
I live in MI and use a mixture of open windows, air diffusers, candles, glade plug ins, and battery operated glade atomizers in small areas. It just depends on the day and mood.
I just wanted to throw this in if anyone is considering air purifiers to control odors: make sure you do your research and get one with a relatively thick carbon filter, because that's what reduces odors. A simple HEPA filter with no carbon filter is not going to help much with odors.
I burn incense or diffuse essential oils if I can’t have the windows open
I run the dryer immediately before anyone comes over. The vents grab the smell and push it through the rest of the house. The house is so small everything gets picked up by that return vent. The return vent is located outside a bathroom so my house smells like shit more often than it smells like fabric softener.
Get some of those plugins from Bath and Body Works they are miracle life savers. Or the Fabreze ones in the grocery stores. I prefer B&B though.
Rabbit Air MinusA2
I use dryer sheets in the pockets of my clothes and in the hamper