DS's friends say our house smells

[fruitstick]

I know it does but I'm mortified. DS's friends are also quite a bit wealthier than us with bigger houses etc but I don't want DS to feel he can't bring people round.

We keep the house clean but have a dog and two cats. The cats have litter trays upstairs which don't help.

I blame our hallway as no fucker puts their shoes away (DS & DH) and there are loads of coats (mainly DH's).

I have the next week off work so was planning on a big clean up anyway.

What do I need to be doing.

I know the dog on the sofa means we need to wash the cushions more regularly than we do. I'm not as religious about cleaning as I could be.

But tell me what I need to be doing.

What kind of smell is it? When we moved into our current home there was an awful smell in the hall and it took me ages to work out that it was a product of a slow leak from a pipe under the stairs

You have a dh problem. He shouldn't be allowing dcs to get embarrassed.

From what you’ve said so far - I think you know the answer -

A hoarded house, with piles of coats and shoes, cat litter trays indoors and upstairs, a dog that isn’t washed regularly, occasional cat wee on clothes and not regular cleaning = a smelly house.

If this is an apt summary you will need to change every single aspect of this.

I agree. I don’t know why cat owners get so defensive about this. All animals have a scent, I can smell cats too, like I said above I can smell a very specific scent when next doors cat comes by. It’s not even a bad smell, in fact it’s quite a nice fluffy smell, but it is something I can smell.

I like animal smells except strong dog smell. I don't see whats wrong with smelling farmy? The smell reminds us of cute animals and fun times, it's a fab smell.

If I walk into someone's house and it smells of Guinea pigs I'm well excited😂😂😂

All of the advice already given. But also, clean the shoes regularly! You'd be surprised how often you tread in crap, then walk it into your house and the shoes sit there giving off an awful stench.
In my house, any shoes worn outside are then left in the hallway, and on Sunday mornings those shoes are washed properly, soles washed with hot soapy water, cleaned and polished and put away. Then start again with whatever shoes worn left in hall for the next week.

Life’s too short for all this cleaning nonsense - get DS to get different mates x

I have a litter tray in the house and it doesn’t smell. I use catsan smart though which is like a disposable nappy where the wees get absorbed by the liner and obviously any poos get taken out immediately. It also has a charcoal filter. That said, she’s an outdoor cat so isn’t constantly using the tray. I also have friends with dogs and their houses don’t smell so pets don’t always mean smells.
I keep windows open as much as possible to let air circulate. Do you have carpets? They can really make smells linger- bicarbonate sprinkled on helps. Also, use neutral sprays with no odour if you want to use them-Febreze just has its own smell. For shoes, I have a metal cabinet in the hall where we fling the trainers-if they’re left out they might smell. A tiny bit of Zoflora in the water to wash floors.

Very sorry to read about your son OP. How heartbreaking.

Re the cat flap, I would suggest you get this done, it will save you a lot of work for you in the long run and will really help the house smell better. I have had cats and adopted two adult cats from a shelter and they found the cat flap v easy to work out.

If I walk into someone's house and it smells of Guinea pigs I'm well excited

I love the smell of guinea pigs...and those adorable whoopy whistle noises. So cute!

There are lots of ways catflaps can be put in. If you have a glass panel door, you can replace the glass part for upvc and have cat flap installed, cheaply. You can have cat flaps through walls etc there will be a solution. I have a cat, when we moved he had issues going out for a few months and we had to revert to a litter tray for a while, we’ve plenty of space and it was in the utility room, but it was still grim. You’ve got your litter trays upstairs, I’m sorry to be unkind but that is utterly revolting. Find a way to get a cat flap installed get the cats acclimatised to being outside (it’s kinder for them it’s not right to keep them trapped in the house) and hopefully in time they will toilet outside. Also you just need to clean more. It’s hard when it all get a on top of you, but it’s not nice going into a smelly house. Well done on wanting to address the problem.

Sounds like the whole family does.

If your husband won't clear out his coats, wash them and bag some up,

Look at proper storage.

Do not buy cheap cat litter. Look online for good prices that can be delivered if you have outside storage

Does your dog go on beds? If so, more throws.

But unless you're scrupulous, I find pet homes ALWAYS smell a bit

@TropicalTrama any chance of a link to the self-cleaning litter tray you have? I would like to get one. What litter do you use with it?

OP, you sound like a lovely person. If my DS was making comments about the smell of another person's home, I'd be the one mortified at not having brought him up with manners.

Move shoes from the hall. Put them in a cupboard away from the entrance to your home. Open windows every day. Get rid of carpets downstairs. Wooden floors or tiles are so much easier to clean. Wash dog beds weekly. Wash sofa throws weekly. Don’t try to mask smells with air freshener. Litter trays indoors are awful. Can they go in an upstairs bathroom? I have dogs and I have a relative who I’ve asked to tell me honestly, if my house ever smells. If your home smells, you take that smell everywhere with you, but are nose-blind to it yourself. Good luck, OP, it’s a lot of work, but worth it.

My feelings exactly!

If your cats are pissing on your DS's clothes, that will reek, surely?

Yes, it made me feel exhausted just reading it.

Anyone whose house needs that much cleaning must be FILTHY!

Can you afford a cleaner? It does sound like you need the help. Even if just a couple of times. If not your DH and DS need to help much more. All of you can take on regular cleaning jobs. Bacteria can build up and cause smells. Lots of cleaning with antibac. Wash all your coats with antibac detergent (like this one https://groceries.asda.com/product/laundry-sanitisers/astonish-protect-care-laundry-cleanser-1-l/1000248910159?&cmpid=ppc--ghs----google---_-dskwid-_dm&s_kwcid=AL!11432!3!!!!x!!&gad=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIgu2s-Pn5gAMVU4BQBh0IdQ49EAQYASABEgI3GvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds) and normal washing powder(if they house smells they likely smell too), might need to do clothes too. If trainers smell I put them in the washing machine with antibac detergent and washing powder. It does shorten their life but I’d throw them out if they stink anyway. If other shoes stink and your DH &DS won’t use shoe spray you throw them out. Once everything’s clean you can add those plug in air fresheners. Also try adding nice smelling fabric softeners to your washes. Open windows regularly to air.

My DM was a hoarder and it was absolutely awful. I can’t tell you the relief when I was old enough to move out. Your DH needs to start looking at ways to improve that situation.

I have no doubt that DS'S friends are rude and shouldn't have said it but there probably is an element of truth to it sadly.

I'm quite sensitive to the smell of musty clothes and if there is ever a smell in my house I always go to the washing machine. I wash at 40 and had some mould growth inside the machine and its taken ages to get back, have had to do multiple washing machine cleans and scrub every mm I can reach and leave the door open everytime it's not washing.

I agree - we’ve recently got kittens and had to move the
litter tray temporarily upstairs and it REEKS! It’s disgusting 🤢

I also think this isn't just the OP's problem

Her kids seem old enough to help and her DH absolutely can

Is he any good at DIY to get storage sorted?

And then he and the kids HAVE to use it

Aw they are so cute. Can't beat a whooping guinea pig darting about 🥰

All houses with animals smell even when people say theirs doesn’t it really does .

• Declutter
• Fleece blanket on sofa for dog & wash weekly & make dog use that part of sofa
• Encourage cats outdoors & clean litter tray daily
• Windows open every day to let fresh air circulate (even in winter)
• Move litter trays from upstairs

I don't think you can get rid of smell of cat urine off clothes so you probably need to replace those ones.

Does the dog get walked regularly? They smell more when they don't get enough exercise.

Sorry to hear about your bereavement.

I am so sorry for your loss, completely understandable that things have gone awry a little.
I think the cat flap in the door will be the best solution and you will save a fortune on litter and time not cleaning them.
you will need to gradually move the litter tray closer to the cat flap then on the other side then get rid altogether.
good luck.