First, I want to let you know how wonderful you are for the care you are providing, Tired9. It’s clear, by your user name, you need a bit of support and I hope you can find some here in this forum; I know I do. Now, the smell... I’m new to caring for my mother, who suffers with a traumatic brain injury and dementia (accidents are common), but I’m an old hand at fostering rescued Bulldogs and French Bulldogs with spina bifida and are incontinent for life. The doggie diapers do not work and human diapers are great, but they rarely fit the funky bodies of Bulldogs. So, on a daily basis, there is pee and poo somewhere (often everywhere!) causing that, huh, ‘unique’ smell all through my home. Smell accumulates in fabric, so if I can’t wash it I cover it (Disposable pads can be provided by Medicare). I like reusable & washable pads, they’re made in all shapes & sizes. I also invested in the best commercial washing machine for residential folk. Maytag makes it and it’s about $990, less than many machines that can’t clean. It has a glorious agitator! and is automatically covered for labor & parts!! I use Tide Sport laundry soap and I’m not frugal with the amount used. If there’s carpet in the home, replace it with tile that isn’t slippery. Just wiping up a mess with paper towels doesn’t do it, so get a Swifter mop, not the Swifter duster, but the mop, for $20 at the grocery store. Don’t buy the mop pads to put on the bottom of the mop, instead use old hand towels you can wash and reuse. My house is a little large so I have Swifter mops and stacks of old hand towels strategically placed around my home. I put lemon PineSol, diluted, in spray bottles and use this to clean what I can’t fit into the washing machine. On wood (like room doors, my pretty dresser, book cases, etc.) , I use very hot water wrung out on hand towels followed by a wood treatment spray you can get at the grocery store. Get rid of those stinky drapes and put up blinds that can easily be wiped down (or replaced!). Use with PineSol. sprayer and rag; the cheap plastic blinds work great. In the bedroom, no bed skirts and donate any bulky comforters you can’t wash a couple times a week. Besides fabric, smells like moist areas, as well as, corners. Spray & clean. Mop & clean. I foster six Bulldogs in diapers, plus my own dogs, and visitors walk in my home and will comment how my house doesn’t smell like “dogs”! Sounds like a lot of money and effort to take the steps I’ve taken, but the rug replacing and washer are a onetime cost. Swifter mops & its liquid cleaner, plus PineSol, are cheap. All well worth it when you walk in the front door and not smell... that smell.
I’m new to caring for my mother, who suffers with a traumatic brain injury and dementia (accidents are common), but I’m an old hand at fostering rescued Bulldogs and French Bulldogs with spina bifida and are incontinent for life. The doggie diapers do not work and human diapers are great, but they rarely fit the funky bodies of Bulldogs. So, on a daily basis, there is pee and poo somewhere (often everywhere!) causing that, huh, ‘unique’ smell all through my home. Smell accumulates in fabric, so if I can’t wash it I cover it (Disposable pads can be provided by Medicare). I like reusable & washable pads, they’re made in all shapes & sizes. I also invested in the best commercial washing machine for residential folk. Maytag makes it and it’s about $990, less than many machines that can’t clean. It has a glorious agitator! and is automatically covered for labor & parts!! I use Tide Sport laundry soap and I’m not frugal with the amount used. If there’s carpet in the home, replace it with tile that isn’t slippery. Just wiping up a mess with paper towels doesn’t do it, so get a Swifter mop, not the Swifter duster, but the mop, for $20 at the grocery store. Don’t buy the mop pads to put on the bottom of the mop, instead use old hand towels you can wash and reuse. My house is a little large so I have Swifter mops and stacks of old hand towels strategically placed around my home. I put lemon PineSol, diluted, in spray bottles and use this to clean what I can’t fit into the washing machine. On wood (like room doors, my pretty dresser, book cases, etc.) , I use very hot water wrung out on hand towels followed by a wood treatment spray you can get at the grocery store. Get rid of those stinky drapes and put up blinds that can easily be wiped down (or replaced!). Use with PineSol. sprayer and rag; the cheap plastic blinds work great. In the bedroom, no bed skirts and donate any bulky comforters you can’t wash a couple times a week. Besides fabric, smells like moist areas, as well as, corners. Spray & clean. Mop & clean. I foster six Bulldogs in diapers, plus my own dogs, and visitors walk in my home and will comment how my house doesn’t smell like “dogs”! Sounds like a lot of money and effort to take the steps I’ve taken, but the rug replacing and washer are a onetime cost. Swifter mops & its liquid cleaner, plus PineSol, are cheap. All well worth it when you walk in the front door and not smell... that smell.
I always worry that my house smells like animals.
Another idea, open the windows on those cooler days. Fresh air does make a difference.