What works for me is getting rid of all carpets and upholstery. Laundry including bedding done daily in hot water and Persil. Trash with used incontinence products removed at least daily. If mattress is smelly get rid of it and get another. Cover with waterproof case. I use Odoban eucalyptus for cleanups. For me there has been nothing else that works. Also I have to be vigilant in making sure mom wears pullups at all times. I have to accompany her to each toilet visit to make sure she actually backs up and sits on the commode properly. Any drips or misses cleaned up with odoban immediately. Its a lot of work but it's the only solution for me. I doubt if the facility staff would be able to do all these tasks. Mom is at home with me so I have to do it all myself. I dont think I could do it if mom were in a facility.
Praise to you for your commitment to mom. I am fighting my family now because they all want to dump my dad in a home. I worked in these places and in my opinion I will fight til I can't fight anymore to let my daddy die at home with his only baby girl.
My mother lived in Memory Care AL for nearly 3 years. Towards the end of her life, nothing got rid of the urine odor in her room. The staff constantly changed the trash bag in her bathroom and cleaned it up, that wasn't the problem. The problem was this: she wet her recliner chair, she wet her throw, she wet her bedspread, she wet everything, it was all damp with urine. No matter how many times her items were washed, they still reeked. Nobody could wash her recliner fabric, and even though the staff laid down disposable chucks on it, it STILL reeked. I could open the windows in there till the cows came home, and it still smelled awful. This was private pay MC, so that had nothing to do with the price of eggs; her wetting everything in sight DID.
Ask the management what products you can bring in before you do. Then don't get your hopes up if your father is also like my mom, wetting everything that exists in his room. Even if you bring home his laundry and wash it in your machine with all the odor killers available, his room will STILL likely stink b/c the urine is soaked into everything IN there.
It is what it is. I had a hard time dealing with the odors myself in mom's room, but I realized there was nothing to be done about it, really. So I dealt with it.
I had a purse a few years ago that smelled of mildew; I bought some charcoal bags online to put inside the purse b/c charcoal absorbs odors. They did a great job. The bags are scent-free themselves; you can place them around the room w/o offending anyone's allergies etc. Here is a link to these bags on Amazon:
I use OdoBan for my mom’s puddles. You can get the concentrated formula in a gallon jug or diluted formula in a spray bottle. I use the concentrate in the laundry rinse for her clothes and sheets and towels to eliminate the odors. I dilute the concentrate to refill the spray bottle. I spray the floor after I mop up the puddle. I like the eucalyptus scent.
Have you complained to the manager? Who is cleaning his room? I can understand if you want to put a freshener in the room but shouldn't the cleaning of the room be the responsibility of the place he is at? They need to use products to help keep the room smelling fresh.
Not sure if you are saying he has "gas" or "has" incontinence. If he is incontinent then changing his disposable briefs (aka "diaper") EACH time it gets wet in important. If clothes are wet they get changed as well. If bedding gets wet they get changed. Furniture should be cleanable NO cloth recliner, couch, chair... Bathroom should be cleaned daily particularly at the base of the toilet. If the floor is tile the grout will hold urine and will cause odor unless it is cleaned properly. There are products that will get rid of odors. Clorox makes a product called Urine Remover that does a great job. OdorBan is a very good product. Enzyme based it eliminates odors not just covers them. Diluted several different strengths it can be an air freshener all the way to a Sanitizer. If this is an Assisted Living facility this problem should be brought up to management. It is their responsibility to provide a clean and safe environment.
NOW if this is a "gas" problem. There are air fresheners that might help. I have also read of charcoal underwear liners that will help absorb odor. Not sure if they work but I guess there is a product for every "problem"
I agree with all that you are saying about urine issues. When it gets into things like chairs, mattresses, and rugs, it soaks into the padding of these items. The number one way to get rid of these odors, unfortunately is to discard the items. Then, beware of what you buy if you replace them. Talk with his caregivers at his retirement residence. They often have ideas to stop the odor from taking over. My mom had such bad incontinence that when we finally moved her into assisted living, we had to strip the room and discard every “soft item in there”. We thought we would have to remove the carpet and pad but the carpet cleaning had something that neutralized the odor and luckily it could be saved. Unfortunately wen we bought her a recliner and mattress for the assisted living place she moved into, the chair was vinyl, and the mattress was enclosed in a plastic mattress bag before any waterproof mattress pads were put onto it. Our family were all in agreement that her furniture would be eventually ruined. The main issue is actually the “source” of the problem. Talk to his doctor and the retirement home staff and seek out any and all advice on how to stop him from “overflowing past his depends”. Even while the thought of a catheter and bag seems to not be a very feasible answer, it is amazing how this can change things for your father. Good luck! I know (firsthand) that this is a very difficult thing to go through with a parent. Your parent and you should be able to spend time together without the concern of odor driving you away. Don’t give up until you find a solution. People always need to talk to doctors, even if they think the problem is inevitable. ALWAYS ask WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO TO IMPROVE THE SITUATION? These are our parents and we always want the very best for them.
Amen to all who suggested Odoban. Have used it for my Dad (aged 94) for a long while and it works great. Just a small amount of the concentrate in the wash cycle each time I wash (along with his regular detergent) and the odor is gone.
Aging92, before using any products, check with the Staff at the retirement home to be sure it is allowed due to any allergies the Staff or other residents may have. The retirement home may have a product that they use.
Popted below. Odoban. Non toxic to humans and pets. Environmentally friendly. Eucalyptus and lavender. Takes urine and fecal smells from my dad's carpeted room!!! Fantastic and non harmful. I add it to laundry. Sooo soft, non cling. Use it for carpet cleaning, stains... Can't say enough good about it. ODOBAN!
Ask the management what products you can bring in before you do. Then don't get your hopes up if your father is also like my mom, wetting everything that exists in his room. Even if you bring home his laundry and wash it in your machine with all the odor killers available, his room will STILL likely stink b/c the urine is soaked into everything IN there.
It is what it is. I had a hard time dealing with the odors myself in mom's room, but I realized there was nothing to be done about it, really. So I dealt with it.
I had a purse a few years ago that smelled of mildew; I bought some charcoal bags online to put inside the purse b/c charcoal absorbs odors. They did a great job. The bags are scent-free themselves; you can place them around the room w/o offending anyone's allergies etc. Here is a link to these bags on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=charcoal+bags+odor+absorber&crid=2EATEWPIC4MJH&sprefix=charcoal+%2Caps%2C853&ref=nb_sb_ss_deep-retrain-0-ops-acceptance_3_9
IDK that they will work to eliminate the odors in dad's room, but it might be worth a try.
Best of luck.
If he is incontinent then changing his disposable briefs (aka "diaper") EACH time it gets wet in important.
If clothes are wet they get changed as well.
If bedding gets wet they get changed.
Furniture should be cleanable NO cloth recliner, couch, chair...
Bathroom should be cleaned daily particularly at the base of the toilet. If the floor is tile the grout will hold urine and will cause odor unless it is cleaned properly.
There are products that will get rid of odors.
Clorox makes a product called Urine Remover that does a great job.
OdorBan is a very good product. Enzyme based it eliminates odors not just covers them. Diluted several different strengths it can be an air freshener all the way to a Sanitizer.
If this is an Assisted Living facility this problem should be brought up to management. It is their responsibility to provide a clean and safe environment.
NOW if this is a "gas" problem. There are air fresheners that might help. I have also read of charcoal underwear liners that will help absorb odor. Not sure if they work but I guess there is a product for every "problem"
Good luck! I know (firsthand) that this is a very difficult thing to go through with a parent. Your parent and you should be able to spend time together without the concern of odor driving you away. Don’t give up until you find a solution. People always need to talk to doctors, even if they think the problem is inevitable. ALWAYS ask WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO TO IMPROVE THE SITUATION? These are our parents and we always want the very best for them.
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