Yall know I love my doggie but sometimes he stinks. He can't help it. He's a dog and he doesn't get bathed daily. To combat his dog stink (or burned bacon stink, or salmon cooking stink, or burned popcorn stink) I do simple stuff.

1. Bowl of vinegar - A bowl of plain white vinegar absorbs odor perfectly. Just sit it in the middle of the room needing to be de-funk-ti-fied and let it sit for a few hours or overnight. (I currently have a bowl of vinegar under the chest of drawers in our room right by his bed.)

2. Spray bottle of vinegar - Keep a spray bottle of vinegar handy for rugs that the dogs frequently lay on. This can also be used on carpets. Don't saturate the rugs and carpet...just spray a light mist over them.

3. Arm & Hammer Baking Soda - I keep 2lb boxes of these on hand. During deep cleaning day I sprinkle all over rugs and carpets and just let it sit while the rest of the house is being cleaned. By the time it's time to vacuum, lingering odors have been absorbed. Ever so often I notice my vacuum has a weird smell so I just dump a 1/2 cup of baking soda on a rug and vacuum it up and let it sit in the vacuum after I've cleaned the filter. Works every time. No more after-vacuum weird smell.

4. Lysol - I walk throughout the house every few days spraying Lysol above my head. I hit every room starting with my bathroom and weaving in and out of rooms until I hit the basement bathroom. I even do the closets. I use the Lysol in the yellow can. Why? Because that's the Lysol my mommy used. LOL! I only have a different fragrance if they didn't have the yellow can at the store. I have to get a new can of Lysol every 3 weeks or so. $5 well worth it. The other sprays don't do it for me. I need to get clinical with it. LOL!

5. When company is coming over, I go for something nice smelling so I use my wax / oil electric warmer by the door and a candle elsewhere.

Fleur-De-Lis Oil Warmer

I love using essential oils in the warmer because you can pretty much create your own scents. I get real creative with it too. Lavender, cedarwood, orange, grapefruit, etc. all mixed up together. All you need is about 15 drops of any combination and you get an awesome smell good going. Do that about 15 minutes before company arrives and they will always walk through the door saying, "Ooooh, it smells good in here!" The only thing that smells better? A slow cooking roast. LOL! If you have a roast in the oven...do nada else. The roast brings all the boys and girls to the yard. LOL! I have had neighbors knock on the door to ask what I'm cooking when a slow cooking roast is in the oven.

6. Mr. Clean wipe down. - At least once a week I put Mr. Clean and hot water in the sink and use it to wipe down the countertops, cabinets, appliances and walls. You have to when you have a pet. Jaru gets on my last nerve with his drool shake and that must be banished even if I don't see it. He brushes up against the walls and scratches and whatnot so yeah...gotta be clean.

7. Vacuum AT LEAST twice a week in the areas Jaru kicks it most. His hair and dander can stack up pretty quickly.

Oh...and that pillow? It's his. All humans who visit know this. It has a removable cover and gets washed often because he posts up on it on the regular! LOL! It is indeed a lot of work but it's worth it for him. Humph.

Do you have a doggie? What do YOU do to keep doggie smells at bay?