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What do you do if your relative's house has a really bad pet odor?
I'm not sure if the person knows and I think they would probably want to know. Should I say something or just assume they are aware of the odor and keep my mouth shut?
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October 19, 2009 11:13 AM
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I would tell her in a polite and nice way that his house smelt of bad pet odor. By doing this she will be more open to my criticism and because we are relatives, I think she would understand that I meant well by making her aware how her house smells. I would really make it sure that he knows this through me rather than from other people which might cause her some embarrassment in the future.
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• You're right about this, I wouldn't want someone else to say something in maybe a not so nice manner.
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October 19, 2009 04:25 AM
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It should be done tastefully at the time you notice it.
In example... I had recently replaced my couch with one off craigslist and it wreaked of pet so, so did my small home. I cleaned it and its fine, but before I did my mother-in-law visited. She said nothing but later when I suggested I was debating offering short-term baby sitting to make some extra money and have someone for my son to play with.. she said, "Well, I'd think most people would be turned off by the smell." I was really insulted. At first I thought she just meant my home stank. Eventually she explained it smelled of pet and I explained why it had.. but either way her inability to say something at the time (she is very non-confrontational) caused her to later hurt my feelings when the truth came out.
I think it best to always give people the benefit of the doubt, but couple it with the truth.
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In example... I had recently replaced my couch with one off craigslist and it wreaked of pet so, so did my small home. I cleaned it and its fine, but before I did my mother-in-law visited. She said nothing but later when I suggested I was debating offering short-term baby sitting to make some extra money and have someone for my son to play with.. she said, "Well, I'd think most people would be turned off by the smell." I was really insulted. At first I thought she just meant my home stank. Eventually she explained it smelled of pet and I explained why it had.. but either way her inability to say something at the time (she is very non-confrontational) caused her to later hurt my feelings when the truth came out.
I think it best to always give people the benefit of the doubt, but couple it with the truth.
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October 19, 2009 12:30 PM
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Funny I am working on an article about removing dog odor from your home.
I would tell them that there is a problem and if they get all offended, I just wouldn't go back. People get used to odors and you are right they probably don't know it is an issue.
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I would tell them that there is a problem and if they get all offended, I just wouldn't go back. People get used to odors and you are right they probably don't know it is an issue.
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October 19, 2009 05:23 PM
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I have three dogs and I'm sure my house has a dog smell, but I don't usually notice the odor myself unless I've been out for a while. Dogs have a natural odor, but it can be kept under control when the dog is well groomed and the house cleaned once in a while.
Us dog lovers are willing to admit to a bit of doggy smell, but that doesn't mean our homes should be offensive. So I would refrain from making any mention of the odor unless it's truly obnoxious, because an extremely smelly dog could be suffering a treatable medical condition.
You will definitely risk offending the dog owners if you do like my daughter's boyfriend, walk in the door and shout, "This house smells like dogs!" Yes, he actually did that. He's a dork anyway. Don't be a dork, bring the subject up tactfully if you have to. They probably already know their house smells like dogs.
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Us dog lovers are willing to admit to a bit of doggy smell, but that doesn't mean our homes should be offensive. So I would refrain from making any mention of the odor unless it's truly obnoxious, because an extremely smelly dog could be suffering a treatable medical condition.
You will definitely risk offending the dog owners if you do like my daughter's boyfriend, walk in the door and shout, "This house smells like dogs!" Yes, he actually did that. He's a dork anyway. Don't be a dork, bring the subject up tactfully if you have to. They probably already know their house smells like dogs.
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October 19, 2009 05:52 PM
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Realize that you aren't obligated to go anyplace that makes you uncomfortable. If the place always reeks, then stop going there and decline invitations. If your host asks why you refuse, tactfully explain that you find the odor repulsive. On the other hand, it might just have been an isolated incident with a recent pet accident. As a dog owner, I can tell you that we can't always control what our pets do. But for people who just don't maintain a home with cleanliness standards that you'd be comfortable being in, you just have to draw the line when it's below your standards. Maybe politely mention to them that the odor is offensive to you. If it's important to them to have you visit, then it will be important for them to clean up their act.
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