"Ill person" smell - how to get rid of it?

[IQuitUponAStar]

My mum has been staying with me for the past few weeks. She's been really unwell with a chest infection on top of COPD and has had a lymphedema flare up. She's on the mend and heading back home but she's been sleeping in the front room downstairs and it smells of "sick person".

I don't know how to describe it other than that, sorry! I've got the windows open as much as possible, but it's not really helping. The chair she's been using is cloth and is holding the smell too, and she had an accident so the laminate flooring has a faint wee smell too. It's just unpleasant and I really want to get rid of it!

Have tried

-bowls of bicarb
-windows open
-fabreeze spray
-mopping with bleach, washing up liquid and floor cleaner (individually, on different days, not mixed!)
-a reed defuser

It still has that sick room smell - please help!

Steam clean the chair, curtains, floors, skirting boards,

Your poor Mum, I hope she gets better soon.

Some of what you’re doing (febreeze, reed diffuser) is just masking the smell. You need to wash everything that’s holding the smell, so the chair and the curtains etc.

Probably though if she’s still there it’s going to be difficult to get out, I’d wait until she’s gone.

Thank you! She's a lot better than she has been for a while! She's had me worried sick, honestly!

I also want my nice fresh smelling house back though too.

bleach?
or something similar

she is heading back home? or she has gone home?
scented candles? flowers?
thorough clean?

I've tried bleach and giving the room a good clean. It's like the smell has sunk in. Probably not helped by her not wanting to shower regularly because she's been so poorly (NOT blaming or judging that, just sharing it as a fact)

She's home now.

Simple solution spray from pet shops. It deals with all things biological- urine, sweat, vomit, poo etc. I used it all the time when the Dc were wee and boaked everywhere. Its magic stuff.

Look for pet smell removers. Fabulosa do some, plus foam freshener spray for the chair. Try B&M to find it

Apparently coffee grounds work well to remove smells, bit like bicarb.

I'd try Dettol laundry sanitiser on a sponge.

Then let the chair dry outside if you can get it through a door or near a window if not.

I find it really good for washing clothes that are stinky I see no reason why it couldn't work on a chair or washing the floor

Burn incense. Works a treat.

You need Simple Solution stain and odor remover.You can get it from pet shops.

I was a family carer for almost 20 years and spent my life removing this smell.

there are companies who wash upholstery furniture.
wash anything that can go into the washer (pillows, curtains, sofa covers).
for the flooring you can use odour eleminatong stuff from the pet section. but if wee has seeped unto the laminate underlay that will need to be taken up and replaced.

I hope your mum is a lit better.

For the wee smell try a pet wee cleaner spray, tescos and Pets at home sell them

Thank you!

Popping to the shops so will try all of these things. I've just had a close look at the laminate where she's been sitting and I think the entire floor may need to be replaced because it's raised/warped and smells really strongly up close! Not sure if it was more than one accident or if something had been spilled (or both!) but I think that's the main source of the smell. It's a bloody big job too unfortunately, cause the front room is 24x28ft. And I'd have to make up a reason so it doesn't upset her or make her feel guilty. ☹️

I would use a solution of cheap biological washing liquid in warm water in a spray bottle and give the fabric a light mist and leave to air dry. Same solution with a capful of bleach for the laminate floor and mop. Windows wide open front and back for a through breeze and see if it makes a difference.

We have artificial grass* in our small north facing garden, and the solution above works to eliminate any dog wee smells.

• Disclaimer- Fully aware that artificial grass is a Mumsnet sin but real grass would never take to the back corners of the garden and ended up dry and dusty in summer and a mud pit in winter, not fun with a dog that loves zoomies and off white floor tiles!

Have you wiped down the woodwork with any of the solutions mentioned.
also windows
wipe down light switches and light bulbs.

wash curtains

That's a shame about the floor. Bicarb left on it, hoovered, more bicarb repeated a few times might help in the mean time. Fans on with windows open for air circulation too

Yeah laminate tends to be fucked once it's got wet if it isn't dried and cleaned immediately.

Make sure you replace the underlay too as that will hold smell. For the chair try Dr Beckmans upholstery cleaner. I used it on the car seats a few times when the kids have spilt stuff back there and it's really good.

Replacing with vinyl flooring is cheaper and more washable.

If it is only a small section of flooring that is damaged you might be able to just lift and replace the damaged section. If the exact flooring isn't available you could take some from an area that isn't really seen (like under a sofa) and replace this with the closest match that you can get.

Washed the woodwork and sofa (leather) with both fairy liquid and flash all purpose cleaner (NOT mixed, on different days!)

Have ordered a bottle of the simple solution spray and will try that.

I don't think the laminate would go back down if I lifted it. It's been down for a while (5+ years) so isn't brand new and unfortunately the area is big enough that I don't have enough spare under the sofa and such to cover it. Might try my house insurance but I'm not sure if it would be covered. Vinyl like lino? The stuff on the roll? I think it's have to be joined because of the size of the room!

Zoflora and some disinfectant

For the floor and the wee smell. get a couple of cans of cheap shaving foam, tesco do one for 70p a can and before you go to bed, cover the area in shaving foam and leave overnight, be very generous with it and then wipe away in the morning and let the room air out,

Dont smell the shaving foam as you wipe it up. Ive made this mistake before so you don't have to. It will smell strongly. Repeat for several nights until it absorbs all the smell..