A good household air freshener / deoderant

[Bob-tx]

With the cold in the winter, the house doesn't get opened much and household odors accumulate; cooking odors, doggie odors, bathroom odors, etc. I'm looking for some good suggestions for room deodorizers, air fresheners, deodorants, candles, or whatever. We have tried some of the grocery store stuff without being very satisfied. Some put out rather strong and nearly objectionable odors, almost making things worse.

I'm not saying we stink (smile), we just like a fresh clean smelling house like one gets in the springtime when doors and windows are open. I know that's probably not completely possible, but you see what I'm talking about.

Thanks in advance for any good ideas.

Bob-tx

[Pete C.]

Search "Heat recovery ventilator".

[Sjouke Burry]

Try to get a heat-exchanger, and improve your ventilation.

[JoeSpareBedroom]

1) Is your stove located on an outside wall? Plan on installing a through-wall fan to the outside when the weather's good for making large holes in the house. 2) Get rid of the dog. In more highly developed countries, they think we're weird for keeping outdoor animals in the house. They're right.

[Dean Hoffman]

There is a website called Wacky Uses. One of their suggestions is a bar of Irish Spring soap. Another old trick is baking soda. Then there is stuff like this:

[JIMMIE]

OZONE GENERATOR. follow directions on device

Jimmie

[Red]

A simmering pot of water with orange peels, whole cloves, and a few cinnamon sticks. Re-add water as necessary. Real spices smell much better than artificial scents.

[The Daring Dufas]

Ace odor neutralizer is sold by HVAC supply houses including Johnstone Supply if there is a branch in your area. The product is in what is like a small paint can that you pry the lid off. The open can is placed in the return air of your HVAC system where is helps neutralize odors.

I've had good luck with the product in situations where a customer has foul smelling air from the HVAC system.

TDD

[Ed Pawlowski]

There is a spray called "What Odor?" available mail order, Amazon, etc. It really eliminates the odor, not just cover it up. It does have an odor of its own for a few minutes, then all odor is gone.

Next would be to consider a dietary change. Less cabbage, beans.

[Molly Brown]

If you just want to cove-up an odor then the best deodorizer is bamboo.

Don=92t let anyone tell you it=92s something, else they don=92t know what they=92re talking about.

[HeyBub]

Second that. We have an Ozone generator over the cat boxes. House continues to smell like the fresh air after a thunderstorm.

On a related matter, why are my cats turning white?

[ransley]

Anybody that recomends O3 generators has not spent any time learning of 03s serious dangers, why dont you do some googling, 03 is even exposure rated by at least 8 US gov agencies. Any self induced exposure to extra 03 is dumb for you health. It messed me up.

[Jeff Thies]

Get an air cleaner (or several) that has an activated carbon filter.

Something like this:

Not all air cleaners remove odors, only the ones with carbon.

Jeff

[Tony Miklos]

I use fresh air from outside. Air fresheners are basically air polluters spewing all kinds of chemicals into your air to trick your nose and brain into thinking it smells nice. Like others said, use ventilation/heat exchangers. I have already gone around the house squeezing orange peels to release their oils. I like the smell of oranges.

[Tony Miklos]

I second that.

[aemeijers]

Agreed. Short of major alterations to the HVAC system, best and safest answer is to man up and ventilate the place manually. Turn the furnace off, open front and rear doors, and place a box fan pointing out in an open window on the other side of the house. Half an hour will do it. Dog won't care, do it while the wife is out shopping. As long as you don't leave the furnace off long enough for the stuff the house is built out of to freeze, furnace will replace the cold air with warm air in a few minute once you close things back up and turn furnace on.

We did this routinely when I was a kid when cooking or smoking odors got too bad to stand, or the house got a musty smell from being closed up during trips.

Oh, and if you can't bear to put the dog outside to live, give it a bath. That alone makes a big difference. At the risk of annoying dog lovers, I consider them livestock. I like dogs just fine, but they do stink. I'd never own one unless I could give it suitable separate weather-proof living quarters, somebody to talk to during the day, and had enough time to socialize with it outside on a daily basis. I agree that people who have just the one dog and leave it outside 24/7 are being cruel- they are very social animals, and need interaction with a 4 and/or 2 legged pack, to not go crazy.

[Joe]

[JoeSpareBedroom]

That's rude. But correct. :-)

[Red]

Neighbor has several dogs that love to roll in anything smelly; well dead animals, cow crap, rotten veggies, etc. Guess they think it smells better than human odor. Their house dog once rolled in pig shit, they let it inside, smelled the odor, tried to catch the dog to throw it back outside, the dog thought they were playing and jumped on all the furniture and ran through the whole house before it was evicted. I liked to have died laughing!

[JoeSpareBedroom]

Neighbor has several dogs that love to roll in anything smelly; well dead animals, cow crap, rotten veggies, etc. Guess they think it smells better than human odor. Their house dog once rolled in pig shit, they let it inside, smelled the odor, tried to catch the dog to throw it back outside, the dog thought they were playing and jumped on all the furniture and ran through the whole house before it was evicted. I liked to have died laughing!

=====================

If this happened to the vast majority of dog owners, they would learn NOTHING from it, and might even procure ANOTHER dog to double the odds of this mishap recurring.

That's how dog owners are: Confused.