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.

If you can run to it, there's really no substitute for getting your carpets and upholstery professionally cleaned. That gives you a basis to work from. If you tell them that pet odour is an issue, they'll include a shampoo additive that destroys the bacteria that produce it.

It doesn't matter how often you change the litter tray, or you putting a blanket on the sofa now, if the historical odour producing stuff is still around. And of course the car who's weeing on your sons clothes is likely to have sprinkled on the flooring/bedding/furniture that the clothes are on, and cat wee is close to impossible to remove 100%. I've been there. And if there's even a trace of the smell left, the cat will continue to wee in that place.

So yes, get a carpet and upholstery cleaner in, and then start with all the other actions that people have suggested.

I don't agree that your cats need a cat-flap.

Litter trays shouldn't smell really, remove any waste instantly or ASAP and anti-bac them completely every week or so.

Cats will pee and poop elsewhere if their tray isn't clean, this is stressful for them.

There should be at least 1 tray per cat and ideally more.

Cat litter trays make a house smell. I am a cat lover but hate litter trays for that reason. Do you open windows?

Maybe treat the dogs like dogs not family members and keep them off the soft furnishings?? Urgh frankly.

Also keep the car trays in the bathroom/downstairs toilet and change them VERY regularly if you don't want them to stink. Like every other day.

Indoor pets stink, that's just a fact. Which is one reason among many I don't have them and my heart sinks when I enter someone else's and the stink of dog breath/cat piss hits me in the face and I know im going to spend the whole visit gagging. It's not your hallway!!

We had this problem ( 2dogs) it was a million times better when we stopped letting them on the couch.
We also put their bed outside everday to freshen it up.

Yes blankets is a good shout. Although I do try but everyone just moves them.

tuck them into the sofa and tell everyone to leave them on the cushions - get other blankets they can move to pop over them

I use https://www.littlehouseoffragrance.co.uk/products/silhouette-electric-wax-melt-burner-tree-of-life?variant=40407463887057&currency=GBP&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gclid=CjwKCAjwxaanBhBQEiwA84TVXNDq3jMi-2uUmfZEh1UmUt1rZA2JSzw5QxvaKyfTqcQjFCfxx-sTahoCN0sQAvD_BwE this but not sure if you can with cats and dogs

As an alternative is to put a little essential oil on your radiator each evening when you start turning them on to heat the rooms, the aroma from the essential oil will warm up and smell really pleasant.

How on earth do you manage that?

To be honest, I want my dog on the sofa. It's the reason I got one - he's very comforting.

But if he could resign himself to one part of the sofa, that would help.

Agree with @Tahitiansummer

All cats smell - it's very noticeable to non-cat owners

My child minder used to allow her cat to nap in the buggy she used for children & so if DS ever had a nap in the buggy I used to have to wash his coat or jumper as it had a really strong smell. Her house was clean and didn't smell at all. But just the scent of cat was strong. I think maybe cat owners don't notice it.

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

You need to clean regularly though. Doing a 'big clean up' once in a blue moon won't cut it! I do a big clean once a fortnight (hoover stairs, scrub bathrooms top to bottom, polish, dust blinds/doors etc) however I hoover every day, and I dust (with a feather duster) every second/third day. I have a dog, so I have throws on my couches which I change (I've got loads of throws so I can alternate) every second day - and the throws come off and straight into the machine, regardless if I've just changed them, when friends are visiting.

We have many cats and people are surprised that our house does not smell catty. It takes effort but it can be done.

Why not fleece ones? Ignore my user name. I'm not a fleece freak, just ran out of inspiration and happened to be wearing camping pyjamas when I name changed.

Op, it sounds like you have been through the wringer. I understand why you have adopted your son's cats but it doesn't sound like any of you are 'cat people' and you wouldn't have had them in your home under other circumstances. I wonder if it might be worthwhile to consider re-homing them now?

It sounds like a lot of work for someone who doesn't get any joy out of it, and all that work is falling to you and the moment you drop the ball it is making your home harder to live in and keep on top of.

Sorry if that sounds heartless. Just chalk it up to a poorly judged attempt at advice if it misses the mark.

The fleece blankets from Asda are great for sofas. They are £6 and dry quickly.

I think the shoes might be a big part of the issue. Ours are kept under the stair and when you open the door it smells musty.

herewegoroundthebastardbush how does it make you feel being so very unpleasant? There is a way to answer a question without being nasty.

direct.asda.com/george/home/throws-blankets/grey-cat-super-soft-throw/051358253,default,pd.html?cgid=D26M01G01C13

Asda blankets.

Mine is in an outside wall. Do your cats go out at all? It’s recommended by vets that cats should be inside after dark as most road injuries happen with cats after dark, so if you do get one then get a lockable one.

I don’t think you need to become a domestic goddess, just up your game a little more and there’s no reason it should all fall on your shoulders.

I reckon it’s the Enzymes in the pets urine.
when cleaning things, use products with BIO in the name.

or special enzyme cleaners. It will break down the enzymes, make a big difference.

Honestly in my circle dogs on furniture is just not a thing. You just train them not to do it. They get up, you take them off and tell them no. If the sofa is upholstered and you let the dog on it it’s going to smell of dog as the smell is ingrained in the upholstery and stuffing. So either dog has it’s own bed on the floor or get a leather sofa which won’t absorb the smell to the same extent.

I don’t think the litter trays are the reason , it’s more likely to be the dog . My sister has indoor cats ( with a catio ) and has 4 litter trays dotted about for 2 cats and unless I walk in exactly at the minute that a cat has pooed I cannot smell the trays . Poo is picked up as soon as it’s done if someone is in , it’s clumping litter ( catsan) and wees are picked out daily , all the litter is changed a couple of times a week in the trays that have been used which is generally 2 of them . Some dogs do stink , especially in small spaces .

@LaffTaff it was more that I would have time to wash everything (coats/sofa covers/throws) etc which will then make it easier to keep on top off.

Our house is clean in terms of hoover/mop/bathrooms regularly cleaned, but i need to be more organised about throw washing/rotation etc. we have a blanket box in the lounge so it would be easy to buy extra throws and keep them in there - but I need to try to be more consistent.

I'm sorry OP I posted before I saw this. So sorry for the loss of your son.

OP sorry for your loss. I didn't see the update before I commented. Understandable that getting DH and DS to use throws has been the last thing on your mind.

I can also smell dogs as soon as I go in a house.

If they're on your sofa and you don't use and regularly wash blankets, then the smell will be ingrained to the sofa cushions. You really need to cover them and wash the covers regularly.

Cat litter should be outside or by the back kitchen door, where you open outer doors and windows regularly, to air the area around. If you have litter upstairs, I imagine there is less fresh air circulating and that contributes to the smell.

We use a super absorbent clumping litter - the Cats Best brand works really well. Scoop wee both in the morning and evening (the wee is easy to scoop because it clumps together in a ball and comes out in one piece), and scoop poop whenever the cat does one.

The only times we get a ‘litter tray’ smell are immediately after the cat poops, and after quick clean up that dissipates fairly quickly.

I don't know why OP keeps talking about the cats, if you use a non-smelly litter tray and regularly clean out the poo and wee it won't smell.
People with dogs very rarely notice how bad their house actually smells. I have two friends with dogs (one dog each), their houses are very clean and tidy, dogs are very well taken care of. But the house stinks of dog, both of them.
The smell of dog isn't pleasant.

Litter trays are rank 🤢

Having trays of animal waste just sitting there in your home?
Foul

We had dogs and cats and never used litter trays.

Sadly, their food bowls can smell really bad, too.

You simply aren't cleaning up after them enough 🤷

I'm sure the chemicals in litter trays aren't good for humans...my brothers house stank to high heaven. Its all you could smell.