Comments on: Housekeeping: Advice I’m not qualified to give

By: Mrs.Brandon

Mrs.Brandon — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 02:52:42 +0000

I love the honesty. I currently have five cats, a big dog, two toddlers (in diapers), and a big smelly construction worker as a husband. Needless to say my inlaws have a problem with the smell of my house. which of course is my fault because technically the cats are mine and the house-work is my job (you know, since i have breasts). My litter boxes, both of them, get cleaned twice a day. It still smells. I love my cats, but i have learned that some people view animals as disposable. I view them as part of my family and family members are not disposable. If, perchance, I did have to get rid of one of them for any reason I would be heartbroken. Their view on the other hand is that they are a burden and keeping them is stupid. Some people just dont get it. My cat never makes me feel like I’m not good enough. She never tells me my two year old should have a hat on, or that my garden needs to be weeded. She gives me love without conditions. That is worth so much more to me than a fresh smelling house. I guess we arent all so privilaged as to have that unconditional love from the people who are supposed to give it to us.

By: L Saldana

L Saldana — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 07:02:17 +0000

I met a very nice man a few month’s ago, went out to eat with him, then to visit him awhile.
The minute I walked into his house, I liked to fall flat on my face, when the dog pee smell hit me! I was there aboujt 30 to 45 minute’s, and my eye’s were watering so bad from the smell, I couldn’t stand it anymore, so excused myself and said I had to leave….he had 6 dog’s (some were outside dog’s) that stay in the house all the time, infact they sleep with him in his bed…..he said he has met other women friend’s but was told it ‘s either them or the dog’s…he said he will not get rid of his dog’s…. I walked into his kitchen and there was dog hair all over the counter, on the dish scrubber, in the sink and everywhere else, how disgusting. I made up an excuse to leave, and honestly won’t ever go back.
I feel bad about this because he IS a very nice guy, very easy to get along with…but I could never live in a home that smell’s this bad. (he want’s a serious relationship, but I’m
not that eager to live with someone in a house that’s has wood floor’s penatrated with dog pee. These dog’s are not housebroken, they pee everywhere and he mop’s it up, without lysol or something to take the smell away, and to top it off he doesn’t even rinse the mop…
I’m not the cleanest woman in the world, but I’m Not dirty either. I love a home that smell’s clean…and a clean home. My daughter has 2 small dog’s in the house, but they don’t smell like dog’s, she keep’s them smelling good all the time, their inside dog’s, and have never smelled like pee, much less my daughter’s home. I don’t want to hurt his feeling, but I can not have a serious relationship with this man, infact I think I would have never taken a woman to my home with it smelling this bad! On my way home, I had trouble with my eye’s watering so bad, from the strong smelling pee, and ended up with a bad headache that lasted hour’s.
Should I tell him something, or should I stay quite?
L. Saldana

By: Kristy B

Kristy B — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:48:16 +0000

I am a terrible housekeeper. I also subscribe to the better things to do than worry about fur/funk catergory (and cannot afford a housekeeper). That being said I scoop the ferrets litter boxes eveyday (which is the largest source for funk in our house). We have 2 dogs, 2 ferrets, and 1 lovebird. Hair is a fact of life, and I know my place smells like animals, (and garlic/spices since we adore strong flavored food :) ). What 700 sq ft house with that many animals wouldn’t? The worst place in our house is the one area that still has carpet the back hall where our dogs have learned to run and vomit. (No one is advised to come in that door barefoot.) I have hardwood floors and throw rugs and sweep 2 times a week, mop 3-4 times a month and vaccum once a week (it is fruitless to do daily since even with daily vaccuming the place looks just as hairy in one as it does in seven). I would never tell anyone about animal smells in their house. It is a fact of life if you have animals. People who don’t like it are not welcome. I find it exceptionally odd that people feel free to comment on a funky animal smell in my house but I cannot comment about the sticky, grahm cracker and sour milk, mixed with dirty diaper smell most houses with kids smell like. All what you are used to eh?

By: kb

kb — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 02:32:00 +0000

As a real estate agent I have to tell people when their house stinks. Most people don’t realize it. Maybe it’s taken well because it’s part of the overall professional comments on what to do to sell. I’m still amazed by the number of people who don’t scoop litter boxes daily.
My sister and I have promised to tell each other if our houses stink. The Roomba helps me keep up with the fur, which drives me crazy but has to be expected with most pets.
But I haven’t told the neighbor I don’t pet her dogs because they absolutely reek.

By: Colorado Transplant

Colorado Transplant — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:48:14 +0000

Just sayin’, the rare times I stay at a hotel, we ask for a non-smokin’ room.

As to my housekeeping skills, wasn’t born with any and develop few of them.

However, I do change the kitty litters practically at every wetting and scoop out the heavier stuff at the first sighting of said solid matter. (I am afraid of germs multiplying and causing a trip to the vet.)

Said to say, though, the cats are scratching all my nice upholstery, making my house look like I bought used furniture when in fact I bought it all new. In fact, they are making my house look like a beggar lived here. (I was not born with disciplining skills, either.) :)

By: Gina Spadafori

Gina Spadafori — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:12:19 +0000

Oh … and it probably should be noted that I suspect I don’t have a very good sense of smell overall!

By: Gina Spadafori

Gina Spadafori — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:10:59 +0000

Smoking is so uncommon here is California that it’s actually a surprise sometimes to run into cigarette smoke.

When I was living in North Fla/South Georgia, though, smoking was (and I’m assuming still is) a lot more common. I actually got used to it and the smell didn’t bother me much. (The smoke didn’t do much for my asthma, however.)

Had to rent a room in Tallahassee for me and a dog once, though, and they gave me a room that smelled of a VERY strong combination of cleaning solutions and cigarette smoke. They refused to give me another room (this was a Red Roof Inn) because they said that the pet rooms and the smokers’ rooms were the same, by policy. (“Why should we have TWO sets of ruined rooms,” the manager informed me.)

I checked out and went to another hotel.

By: Marie

Marie — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 22:41:33 +0000

It just occured to me that statisticly the chances are high that some of you might be smokers. I meant no offense. It is just a smell I don’t tolerate well.

By: Marie

Marie — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 22:38:37 +0000

I’ll take the smell of ANY pets in a filthy house over a pristine house that stinks of cigarrette smoke anyday. From anal glands to intact male cat pee it is no contest. I grew up with smokers and let me tell you I ALWAYS hated the smell and never adjusted. Bleck!

By: Janeen

Janeen — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 21:39:01 +0000

We’ve got a leather (actually nubuck) couch, chair and ottoman in our living room. Twelve years of dogs and they still look great.

Scratches rub out of nubuck, and if it has a distressed finish like ours does, what doesn’t come out fits right in. It is also remarkably stain resistant and cleanable. A neighbor’s child once completed a detailed piece of artwork on the top of the ottoman - in blue ink pen. Once I could breathe again - I used some ink cleaner I had on it and was pleasantly suprised to see that it came out.

They’ve been drooled on and had coffee and wine spilled on them and are none the worse for wear. Worth every bit of the spendy price tag.

While on the subject *if* you can afford one a very tightly knotted wool Persian rug is also bombproof. We’ve got a large, old bijar (known as the ‘cast iron rug of Persia’) in the living room. Liquids initially bead when spilled (or peed) on it. Its decades old and looks good as new. Every other year or so we send it out for professional hand cleanining, otherwise just clean up spills as they happen. I suspect it will outlive me by a century or more.