curious to know what everyone does to keep pet odours down during the winter months. with so many pets here...i'm always concerned that my house will smell like a barn.
my cats have full run of the house. the dogs have full run of the un finished basement when we're not home, they have their beds and toys down there that i wash once a week. the litter is cleaned daily. but you know their smells have got to be around especially during the winter months when the windows aren't opened. it seems i'm constantly sweeping up dog hair, there just seems no end to it.
so, is febreze every pet owners best friend???
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Strangely, I am a HUGE fan of Febreze. I also like Arm & Hammer carpet powder (I call it shake n' bake for carpets). That being said, nothing beats regular baths and opening the windows, even if it's for 5 minutes.
I find that bathing them every 6 weeks gets rid of most of the doggy smell. I also sprinkle baking soda on all the mats/ area rugs and let it sit overnight, then vacuum it up helps freshen the place. I have hardwood so just a few area rugs to do. Febreeze just masks the smell for awhile. Add a little white vineagr to the dog bedding when you rinse it too. :)
NO fabreeze here (can't take the smell of it). I think the only thing you didn'tmention that I do is bath the dog. With both dogs I've had there are those times when they seem to get a doogy smell and only a bath takes care of it. It usually surprises me how much dirt comes rolling off even in the winter especially with my Ebony. She is not a dog who rolls in grass or snow, she doesn't like getting wet or dirty but somehow she still needs a bath every 6 weeks or so and that first rinse of water isn't clear. Itmust be a build up of body oils.
On the other hand, I can't say I've noticed a lot of pet smell in homes where litter is cleaned and their beds are laundered which leads me to believe normal vacuuming and all takes care of a lot of it.
as long as you're cleaning on a regular basis there isn't much mor eyou can do. I do open my window when it is a little nicer out even on winter days just to get fresh air. I also burn candles when I think it may be getting smelly. I don't use frebreeze.