Works For Me Wednesday ~ Stinky House

If you have four puppies, a cat, four kids and a husband who works out in the yard, you are going to have a stinky house!

Although the puppies are now {mostly} potty trained, they still have that doggy smell! They love to play outside, so smell like outdoors when they come in. Then they sleep on the couch, on blankets, etc. The smell lingers.

Then, the kitty has a litter box that has it's own delightful odor, even when it's changed regularly.

The kids play outside and they have that "outside stinky smell" when they come in!

And, Rick works like a dog on the landscaping so has sweaty clothes that sit in laundry baskets until they are washed. Those add to the smell.

Have you noticed that you don't notice how your house smells until you are away for a while and then come home? So that means that anyone who comes to your house, who is not there everyday, smells the real smell of your house. When we have been gone for a weekend, I immediately walk in and say, "Gross!" and start cleaning immediately!

I have tried different things to get rid of the stinky house smells. Other than regular cleaning, and steam cleaning my carpets with vinegar water (to get out the pee pee smells), and dusting with good smelling stuff, I have also tried these things:

Carpet deoderizer. Honestly, the smell of that almost makes me gag!

Febreze Air Effects Wall Plugs. Those are the ones that have two fragrances that change every once in a while. For a while, those worked. But, I don't notice their fragrances at all anymore.

Candles. I love to burn candles! But, Yankee and other name brands are so expensive! And, again, when the same fragrance burns every day, it loses its effect.

So, what's a girl to do? What have I found that works for me?

The good 'ol Glade candles, that's what.


I went and purchased every small Glade candle that Wal-Mart has. They store neatly in a drawer in my kitchen, side by side. Each day, I choose a different one and burn it. I have about six fragrances right now. They are inexpensive (only $2.50 each) and I can really notice them all day! I was even outside on the back porch with the windows open and could smell it out there!

(And, if you're a prude and don't want anyone to know that you are burning a cheap Glade candle, you can peel the label off .. just like on the commercial.)

So, burning a different inexpensive Glade candle every day Works for Me to battle a stinky house.

For other great tips from other great women, go here.