How do you make your house smell nice?

[GymSloth]

Just that really. I know that airing it lots helps, but it's winter and we have a muddy, hairy dog! Ok, so we do wash the dog and air the house every day, but I'm still conscious the house smells of dog!

So what do you do? I dislike artificial scents and I'm conscious that some scented candles are bad for humans and animals. But if I buy the natural ones, are they good? Or is there another solution?

@HappyBumbleBee zoflora is toxic to animals. Be careful where you're spraying it.

Stop with the Zoflora!!

So dangerous :(

When it is very wet and muddy our dog wears a suit like the one below. Then we just have to wash her paws when we get back. I just put the suit straight in the washing machine.
www.equafleece.co.uk/dogs/fleece/dog-suit

I also vacuum and mop every day and have throws that are regularly washed and changed on the sofas.

I’m a dog groomer and hosing down a dirty dog will not clean them. You are just wetting dirty hair.

Well it does if you do it properly. I assume by hosing down people mean actually hosing the mud off, not just getting the dog wet. We use a mud daddy with a drop of shampoo in it then dry the dog.

OP do you brush your dog regularly? That really helps to keep your dog smelling fresh.

I was about to give some tips, but you don't have much chance of a nice smelling home with a dog.

I don't think even washinng a dog helps- and very regular baithig with shampoo is not good for dog's skin.
There will always be smelly bits of a dog- ears always stink, and have you ever smelled between a dog's paws? That takes smelly feet to a whole new level.

I have one smallish dog and am very aware that we not be able to tell if the house smells doggy. I wash his bedding regularly, use essential oils in an electric diffuser and have windows open to air out - even for a little while when weather is cold

@yearinyearout
Yes, exactly, I do mean getting rid of the mud! I keep looking at the mud daddy, but have read mixed reviews. Do you recommend it? I like the idea that you can add shampoo and scrub with the brush. We do groom, but probably not enough. I'll have to start doing it more.

I'm going to look into the soy candles that have been recommended and essential oils.

Light candles
Spray with freshner
Spray furniture with fabric conditioner and water

You’re bound to get one saying “just open windows, I never use candles” blah blah blah, but in many houses, that alone does not work.

I do like the idea of putting her in a fleece, but she's such a hairy, hot sort of dog I don't think it would be fair. I'll have to get a towelling robe thing for after the walks instead I think.

I have two short haired dogs, but one is very short so gets soaking wet and muddy. I don't bath them very often unless they've rolled in fox poo.
I have vet bed lining their bed, and it dries and cleans them, almost polishes them, they were never as shiney before I used it.

We have electric wax warmers and a sort of reed diffuser in the bathrooms.

The wax we warm is food grade and safe for pets.

Never been bothered about home fragrance in the past but this year now we're home more I'm enjoying the house smelling lovely!

Burn incense sticks every day and walk them round the house. Open the windows every morning for a half hour blast. Keep the house fairly clean. I don't have a dog though.

I often visit people’s homes for work. I think a good clean helps! Often the houses that don’t smell nice have lots of finger marks on doors and walls and carpets that don’t look like they’ve been vacuumed in weeks or grubby worktops in the kitchen. There’s usually a cat litter tray in a room which the residents haven’t realised needs cleaning out and makes the whole house smell.

Essential oil natural candles here

Eucalyptus or mandarin essential oil
Astonish do a lovely smelling orange cleaner
Sorry but hosing down a dog doesn't clean it. It just makes it worse as you're wetting it. Dry it with a hairdryer.
Wash dog stuff with antibacterial cleaner.

You can get pet friendly Zoflora but tbh I do t like it’s smell.

I think if you have pets they are always going to leave a smell, I don’t care now. My house is cleaned, I light smelly candles etc but I don’t sweat it.

Evict all male members of the household, open all the windows, wash and change bedding and throws. Hoover and dust. House smells lovely. Occasionally light a diptyque candle too.

@Hyperfish101 You can get pet friendly Zoflora
That's good to know.

I have a poor sense of smell and very hairy dog so am paranoid about this! Here’s what I do:

1. Brush dog daily (literally 5 mins, then a thorough brush weekly)
2. Hoover daily with robot vac, more through vac of bits robot vac misses, stairs and soft furnishings twice per week
3. Wool throws where dog lays on sofa and chairs
4. I know it is generally disliked on here, but I like scentsy wax melts and use use the citrusy ones for an hour or so a day and have one of their ‘scent paks’ usually in orange or one of their washing powder type scents hanging in our porch where our boots and coats live.

Visitors do sometimes say my house smells nice, so I hope it works!

@speakout

I don't think even washinng a dog helps- and very regular baithig with shampoo is not good for dog's skin. There will always be smelly bits of a dog- ears always stink, and have you ever smelled between a dog's paws? That takes smelly feet to a whole new level.

I love the smell of my dogs paws - they smell like biscuits to me.

Have the dog live with my exh, house smells amazing without a canine!

Do you have a carpet washer, like a vax or something? We do a quick shampoo of the downstairs carpets every few months or so and that helps a lot (we have 3 cats). Apparently my house always smells of washing powder (so my friend tells me!) so use a good smelling fabric softener on blankets, towels etc might help if you all have ok skin for that. I do hoover downstairs everyday as well so that keeps cat hair at bay.

www.thewhitecompany.com/uk/Electronic-Diffuser/p/ARDED

This is a game changer. It's an electric diffuser. Smells divine and looks fab too. Cheaper version at M&S.