While sharing your home with a dog has its benefits, it also comes with its downfalls - especially if you're house-proud. Dogs can add an extra layer of security to the home as they alert you to people walking up your drive, unfamiliar sounds in the neighbourhood, or movements in the garden late at night.
But they're not known for their hygiene - and can stink up the place after coming in from playing in the garden in the rain. One cleaning guru has taken to Mumsnet to share the 32p item dog owners can use to stop their house from smelling like wet dog.
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Sharing her frustration over the smelly odour her dog leaves behind, one user asked: "The dog herself doesn't smell. She's a greyhound so not loads of damp/wet fur at all.
"She's bathed frequently. Had a good bath only two days ago with Aloe Vera dog shampoo and smells nice.
"However, we have an old carpet in the hall with fairly deep pile and if she lies on it for 10 minutes the carpet smells. I have a bissel thingy so can shampoo the carpet and it then smells OK. Two hours later she's on the carpet again and it smells."
Worried that she'd have to "get rid of her carpets" to stop the smell, the woman asked whether there's anything she could use to help "disguise the smell" because air fresheners haven't helped.
She added: "She's started lying in the dining room now and I'm worried the dining room carpet will start to smell though that is much shorter pile. Wish she would just lie on her bed. Is there anything else I can use to disguise the smell which doesn't involve shampooing the carpet?"
In response, a woman urged her to put white vinegar around the house, claiming she has been doing it for years to keep her house from smelling like dog.
She said: "A tip I got from the Good Housekeeping threads was to put vinegar around the house, in pots, to neutralise the airborne pong you can get."
Seconding this tip, another user added: "For airborne smells, try putting bowls of white vinegar in the offending rooms. I use ramekins and put them in the corner of window sills behind the curtains. It's amazing at freshening the air without using chemical smelling cover ups."
While a third user said: "I think the vinegar as a room freshener is amazing! I'll be interested to hear what others think when they have tried it."
Do you have a dog story to share? Email paige.freshwater@reachplc.com.
