PLEASE HELP! WE ARE THE SMELLY FAMILY! WHAT CAN I DO??

[debka]

My mum just said that my house, me, DH and DDs have a distinctive and not-entirely-pleasant smell. DD1 is 3 and my mum is worried that she will be The Smelly Girl in school :(

I am horrified at this. I had no idea.

DDs are small and I am a SAHM. I probably don't clean enough- probably a good going over once every 3 weeks a fortnight. Clothes all washed frequently. Girls bathed daily, I shower every other day.

DH, however, is another matter. He has a wash and cleans his teeth every day, but only showers about once a month, if that. Underwear changed daily, t-shirt probably twice a week. I don't notice him smelling, but apparently he does :( I will talk to him about it but I doubt he will do anything. If I get the house and linen etc in tip top sparkly condition will he infect it all with smelliness? :(

Please, any ideas, advice, encouragement very welcome.

is it a feather duvet? then you can wash it at the laundrette (big drum) yourself. costs about 6£ for washing and another 3£ or so for drying.
just make sure to use non bio, as bio would 'eat' the feathers.

Well done Debka. We have 4 cats abd a dog so really have to keep on top of things or it deteriorates very quickly. One thing someone recommended on here for houses with a dog is Tap a Drop. I can't link to it but it comes from the Rat Warehouse ! It's really good at neutralising dog smells. Bicarbonate of soda in a bowl with a few drops of essential oil is also good too.

Also put something that smells nice in the vacuum cleaner and make sure that is regularly emptied otherwise it can waft stale smells around as you go round the house.

We've got Turtle mats by the doors which are great as can be chucked in the washing machine and will dry pretty much overnight on a radiator. Dog bedding if you have any definitely needs regular washing or that builds up dog smell.

But it definitely sounds like DH is the main problem and I would be really firm on regular washing, however much he sulks about it - it's non negotiable.

Very useful thread, I'm off to chuck coats the washing as think I'm guilty of not doing this regularly enough.

Good for you Debka for getting DH on board. Fingers crossed he will keep up the showering.
I agree with everyones good suggestions and I suggest that you check out the flylady web site. It can be a bit extreme but the main thing is you are encouraged to make the system work for you.
For example, I unsigned for the emails pretty quick smart but took on board the thing about "ÿou can do anything for 15 mins". This and the emphasis on routine might help your DH.
Good Luck!

This is turning into such a great thread. Loads of good advice and inspiration for all of us! :) Debka, I hope things are going well.

Can I just recommend Oven Pride as I don't see it mentioned - ovens can stink the kitchen out if they've got lots of old foody bits and grease in them. Oven Pride is really incredible, I thought our oven was beyond help but it came up virtually good as new!

Can anyone tell me more about these two things please?

De-Humidifiers - link upthread didn't work. What are they like and are they really expensive?

Carpet cleaning - what's the best way to do it? We've done the shake and vac thing but it was like fighting a forest fire with a water pistol. There's stains too. It's a really dingy thin carpet but I'd like to give it a lift. Is it better to hire a steam cleaning thing? Or a professional? I'd be worried about paying loads of money and them still not getting it all clean :(

Debka, you rock.

I'm away to air my doggy pit.

www.debenhamsplus.com/DE_Meaco_AirCon_DeHumidifiers_40037531/version.asp?refsource=DEfroogle - cheap dehumidifier.

Thanks for the link.

That's cheap at a hundred quid? Oh dear. Not feasible right now but I'll put that idea on the grease covered back burner :)

You're lovely Deb! Good luck with all this!

fuzz I got mine 2nd hand.I haven't worked out if its expensive to run but I do find it invaluable (damp,mould and condensation problems here) and it really does tackle damp smells.

I would get some quotes for carpet cleaning and compare.I expect a company coming in may get rid of more stains,but if there's no major stains a hire machine will be more than adequete to freshen up.Do you know anyone with a carpet shampooer you can borrow? We have one we share as an extended family,so that could be an option.

Ooh 2nd hand is a good idea. Will have a think. :)

My dehumidifier was less than £50 - think it came from a B&Q sale, so worth having a look around.

Debka I am really impressed by you and your dedication to your cause.

It may have been said already as I have skimmed the last wee bit of this thread, but there is a product called Sports Wash that kills the bacteria in your laundry and makes it smell really fresh.

I bought it for all dh's sports gear as I was worried that a 40 degree wash might not be enough but it smells so good I have started using it on everything. It means there is no lingering sweaty smell when you iron the underarms of shirts etc.

I would also recommend that you get dh Mitchum or a similar deodorant that is a bit stronger and lasts a bit longer if he is shy of the shower.

Well done for facing the issue and looking for solutions.

There's a lot of good stuff here, but I will disagree with the dehumidifier, when opening windows costs nothing.

If the damp is due to wet washing being draped around the house, then the clothes are going to have mould on them, as well as absorbing any cooking, animal or person smells.

If you aren't able to use a washing line, and a tumble drier is too expensive, then at least open the windows (or, better, run an extractor fan) in the room where the wet clothes are hung. Fresh air is better for drying than a hot radiator, and the lack or warmth slows mould growth.

Opening trickle vents or windows throughout the house will make a vast difference to damp and freshness. An airing each morning is a good start.

Not sure how much difference it makes but I always use the extra rinse function on my washing machine.

Some great tips here. Like the sound of the sports wash *carrots - is it the halo one?

< Opens back door to remove lingering smell of bacon >

Yes that is it Halo sports wash - it smells lovely!

Well done Debka
I did have a quick read and may be repeating something but if not mentioned, can I suggest that nappies get taken out straight away. You may not be aware if it but nappy smells can be really strong when someone first walks in.

Can I just reiterate that airing the house is most important. Ever since MIL had her fireplace blocked up she has suffered a damp and mould problem. Mould thrives in places where there is no ventilation. Her house always smells musty and fusty, she also never opens windows. The smell permeates our clothes and when we get back from a visit I have to wash all of our clothes. I like to wash the smell off me as well. When MIL stays with us she brings the smell with her - she and all her clothes smell fusty.

You have had some great advice on here.

Debka, thanks for making me clean the oven! It was like excavating Pompei!

I agree with piglet about the de humidifier, surely £100 would be better spent on a cheap tumble drier if people need to dry laundry? I see lots on MN about them and don't really get it, is it because people don't like the idea of a tumble drier? If I dried my laundry all over the house on racks and radiators my house would be damp too. Or am I missing the point spectacularly?

Btw piglet I always imagine you as Aggie from How Clean is your House

I have a washer drier but it is a bit crap really - never really gets much dry unless it's on for hours and hours. Maybe there's something wrong with it

I actually opened some windows upstairs (can't do downstairs, as we use stormshield film in winter or we freeze!) - actually had to get DH to do our room as the lock was really stiff from underuse

I would sooo love a garden in which to hang out clothes.

They only dry half loads ime fuzz ours was crap.

I wish we had room for a separate drier, I really do. Though if we had space for one more appliance it'd definitely be a dishwasher.

Oh I'd have a drier over a dish washer any day - even though it's a close call