7 Reasons Why Your Dog is Having Urine Accidents

Have you started noticing a heavy increase in the ‘accidents’ your dog is having inside the home? Accident, after accident, you have finally hit your limit – what is going on with Fido, and why are his accidents happening?

When your dog starts having a number of accidents inside your indoor environment it can start to play a drastic role in the overall smell within this area and can potentially ruin surfaces and furniture as well. Sometimes these accidents can be caused by external factors that are taking place within the animals’ environment, while other factors are caused by internal issues that the dog is plagued with such as illness, old age, and even side effects from medication.

How can you determine the reason why your dog is having urine accidents and what can you do to remedy this growing issue? Find out by reading more down below!

Is Your Housebroken Dog Urinating in the House

House soiling is a fairly common problem among dogs, particularly during their puppy stage where they are learning all different types of new practices to help them develop into a good dog. One of the main practices that are taught to new puppies is the concept of peeing and pooping outside, and overtime this becomes a known concept for your ‘newly housebroken dog’.

Although your dog may be ‘housebroken’ there are some occasions where accidents will happen. Maybe you left them alone for a little too long or they just couldn’t hold it, these types of accidents in the house are understandable. However, what do you do when these few and far between accidents start getting a little more regular?

Why is My Dog Peeing in the House

There can be several reasons as to why your dog has taken up peeing inside your home. However, often times getting to the actual root cause of these accidents is easier said than done. From a change in their home dynamic, to a change in their environment, or even a potential medical issue that is taking your dog by storm – there are several factors to consider when your dog starts peeing in the house.

The 7 reasons why your dog is probably having urine accidents in the home is caused by the following:

1.) Changes within the Home

For dogs their family is everything, and when there is a disruption in the family such as a kid moving away, a new addition to the family, or even a death this can trigger the animal to start ‘acting out’. A dog will go through distress during this period which can cause them to begin having accidents throughout the home. If you recognize that this is the reason your dog is having urine accidents, be sure to stay on-top of taking them out to the bathroom, even more regularly than you are used to taking them.

2.) Home Renovations / New House

Has your home undergone a huge renovation project or even a new move has occurred? These can both impact a dog and their increase in urine accidents. When you are remodeling a home, it can be very stressful for your dog, who is watching multiple people entering and exiting the home multiple times a day to work on this project. Also, if you have moved into a new house where the smells are in overdrive for your pet, such as new carpeting can lead them to mark their ‘new territory’. Ultimately, if you dog begins to experience severe stress from these situations it will lead to house training problems, i.e. accidents.

3.) Change in Daily Routine

Dogs are creatures of habit, and any deviation from their daily routine can lead to a disruption within the animal that can lead to issues such as accidents. If your dog is used to being taken outside to go potty at a certain time and they are not taken at this time they may relieve themselves inside your home. When you need to make an adjustment to your dog’s regular routine, be sure to do it very slowly to allow the dog time to adjust to this new routine.

4.) Behavioral: Stress or Excitement

Have you ever experienced the excited pee that your dog may secrete when he gets super-duper excited? Some dogs will leak small amounts of urine when overly excited, fearful, or stressed – this is called submissive urination. Although this is mostly common in younger dogs and puppies, some adult dogs will also struggle with these unintentional urine accidents.

5.) Incontinences Condition

Urinary incontinence occurs when a house-trained dog loses control of his/her bladder. This condition usually occurs in spayed, middle-aged or senior female dogs who are undergoing a lack of estrogen in their body. Estrogen is there to help maintain muscle tone of the urethral sphincter, which will lead to a leaky bladder.

6.) Old Age

When a dog gets into the older stages of its life, certain age-related diseases can cause your dog to lose control of their bladder or leave them disoriented and unaware of the fact that they are having an accident inside the home. Many older dogs will experience kidney disease, cognitive dysfunction syndrome and/or other conditions that will affect their control over their bladder.

7.) Health Problems / Medication Side Effects

Infections, tumors, spinal injuries, kidney disease, and other health problems can lead to bladder issues for your dog. Diseases that cause increased drinking, such as diabetes can lead to an increase in urination and accidents. When your dog is struggling with certain health issues, sometimes your vet will prescribe different medications to help with these ailments. However, some drugs can cause the dog to relieve himself more often and trigger house-training accidents. Therefore, be sure to read and ask your dog’s vet about the side effects before you give it to your dog.

How to Stop a Dog from Peeing Inside the Home

If, and when your dog starts having accidents inside your home it is essential to use the proper cleaning products to deodorize the urine odor completely to help keep your canine offenders away from these spots again! Many cleaning products do a great job of using fragrances and masking agents to hide the smell of urine from the surface, rather than removing the actual urine odor. This can lead your dog right back to the scene of the crime and leave them primed to come back and urinate again in this area as they still smell their urine scent.

The OdorKlenz Pet Urine Eliminator is your number one source for safe and effective urine and pet odor removal. Most urine odor eliminating products are primarily designed to focus on one aspect or chemistry of the urine odor problem, often just masking the urine odor with perfumes and fragrances. OdorKlenz Pet, however, uses a patented technology that actually attacks odors at the source, allowing the product to work via multiple pathways to achieve complete odor neutralization. If you start to notice your dog going to one specific area inside your home to pee, break out the OdorKlenz Pet Urine Eliminator to break this cycle.

The Surprising Truth on How Often You Should Wash Your Sheets

Everyone knows the extraordinary feeling of sleeping on freshly cleaned sheets – there is nothing quite like it! Washing and cleaning bed sheets is an important thing to do regularly and even though it leaves people feeling good after they clean their sheets, many people are not consistent with washing their sheets on a regular basis. It may be surprising to learn that the average person changes their sheets roughly every 24 days – according to a survey of 1,000 Americans. The longer you go without washing your sheets you leave your bed open and vulnerable to dust mites, dead skin accumulation, dirt, and eventually odors.

Dust mites are a commonly found allergen in bed linens that are so small that they are not visible to the human eye. These critters are attracted to your bed sheets as they thrive on dead skin which has collected within your linens. The average human sheds 1.5 grams of skin a day – which can feed nearly 1 million dust mites. Therefore, cleaning your sheets regularly is important to removing dust mites and fighting off other odor-causing allergen/debris.

How Often Should I Wash My Sheets

The reality is that most people do not wash their sheets enough. As we mentioned the average American washes their sheets every 24 days, but is that often enough? According to a report by CNN, ideally you should be washing your sheets once a week in a hot water cycle to properly clean and disinfect your sheets. Also, you must take into consideration the different circumstances that could affect the condition of your sheets such as if you sweat at night or if you have a pet that lays on your bed with you.

Another consideration you must take into account is if you are sick or recovering from an illness – if it is something contagious you will want to strip the sheets and wash them in hot water to kill any bacteria or germs that have accumulated in your sheets. If your washing machine has a sanitize option, you will want to select that option for cleaning your sheets after becoming sick.

Washing your sheets every week can also be helpful for those who suffer from allergies. As we discussed earlier, dust mites are a commonly found allergen inside bed linens, and they can wreak havoc on your allergies. That is why the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America recommends you wash your bedding at least once a week to eliminate the potential allergen source that is gathering inside your bed sheets.

How Often Should You Wash Your Comforter

Do you sleep with your bulky comforter or duvet every night? If you do, this may mean that you need to ramp up your washing of these bulkier items. The typical rule of thumb is that you should wash these items 2 to 3 times per year. However, if you frequently use this item than you will want to increase the number of washes you perform on this linen.

Also, if your comforter is not covered and is the linen most exposed when your bed is made this will mean you will need to regularly wash your comforter along with your bed sheets. You may have to perform multiple washes in order to wash both your comforter and bed sheets – and it is suggested to wash your comforter in its own washing cycle.

How Often Should You Buy New Sheets

The sheets that you sleep on every night can become worn or ragged overtime when it undergoes more and more washes. This can leave your sheets in need of replacement sooner than you may have expected. However, sometimes, if you take really good care of your sheets, they can last your for forever! Although it may sound like a good economical decision to keep your old sheets, the quality of your sheets can wear and leave you needing to swap out these sheets for some new replacements. It is recommended that you replace your bed sheets ever 2 to 3 years.

Should You Wash New Sheets

When you purchase new bed sheets a big question that many people have is whether or not you need to or should wash these sheets. Some new linen packaging will indicate if you should wash the sheets before use, while others may not. But regardless, with any new sheets it is a good idea to wash them in hot water before you use them. This is mainly due to the fact that chemical treatments may be used on these items during the manufacturing process – and to properly remove these chemicals you will need to wash the sheets with detergent and a laundry chemical remover additive.

How to Wash Linen Sheets

Caring for your linens will be important in preserving the quality of the fabric. Often times, we do not consider that the way we wash our fabrics can ultimately impact the quality of the material. Therefore, we have constructed some helpful tips that will aid you in maintaining the quality of your linens when washing the fabric.

• Follow the manufactures care instructions when washing and drying the fabric. These instructions are carefully crafted to help preserve the life of your linens.
• Never use bleaches or detergents with color brighteners, this can lead to discoloration and will weaken the material of the fabric.
• Hand or machine wash with other like colors, using a mild detergent and a laundry additive like OdorKlenz Laundry Additive to help fight off odor-causing sources from the linens.
• Do not overload your washing machine when washing your linen sheets. The more water in the cycle the better.
• To minimize wrinkling, line hang the material to dry or tumble dry on a low temperature setting.

Why Do My Clothes Smell After Washing?

Smelly clothes are a constant battle that we are left dealing with each and every day. The majority of people regularly do laundry almost every single day with stinky fabrics piling up consistently. This is especially true for larger household that house more people (both adults and kids) that are contributing to this endless buildup of laundry. But what do you do when you notice that all your laundry efforts are for nothing? Nothing seems to be happening when you wash your clothing and linens other than more odors collecting onto these items – leaving them with a worse odor than before you threw them into the washing machine. Sometimes this will happen, your clothes will smell after washing and this can be incredibly frustrating! This can mean either wearing smelly clothes or starting the washing process all over again.

How can you avoid smelly clothes after washing them and what is the reason behind your washing machine clothing odors? Find out by reading below! 

My Clean Laundry Smells Bad After Washing!

Have you ever gone through the whole laundry process, washed the clothing & dried them, only to realize while you are folding the clothing that they still reek? Talk about frustrating! Sometimes the foul smell shows up right away, while other times it appears only when the item is placed on your body. Odors have a clever way of hiding within the fabric of your clothing hidden behind fragrances and other masking agents that we use in our laundry care routine. So just imagine how embarrassing it would be to walk around smelling like a mix of floral fragrances and B.O.

That fresh laundry smell that is advertised by laundry detergent companies is really a trick to make you think the product works, but in reality, it isn’t washing away the odor – rather it is actually making your odor problem much worse!

The Reasons Your Clothes Are Not Smelling Fresh After Washing

There are several factors that can play a role in the way your clothes come out of the washer smelling. Some of these factors you may have never thought about and some you may know is your major laundry problem. The laundry detergent you use, the level of maintenance you’ve performed on your washing machine, and how long you leave your clothing in the washer for are all potential players in your laundry odor issues. What are the effects of each of these factors and how can you eliminate these issues from your laundry care routine? We are going to discuss what you should do below!

Laundry Detergent

The key ingredient to our washing machine process, laundry detergent is believed to be the magical liquid/powder for your laundry odors. However, what if you found that your laundry detergent was actually doing more harm to your clothes than good? As we discussed earlier, fragranced detergents will actually do a good job of masking the odors and dirt on your clothes rather than removing them. Over time this will lead to a massive build-up of bacteria, odors, and dirt on your fabrics that will need to be removed – and chances are you will need to use something other than your detergent to accomplish this.

What is the Best Smelling Laundry Detergent?

When consumers are purchasing a laundry detergent, they look for the best smelling detergent that they can find, so they can spread the wonderful scent onto their clothing. However, the best smelling laundry detergent are the ones that don’t smell at all! Rather than using a detergent that smells like lilacs or ocean breeze, you may prefer the simple smell of clean. The introduction of ‘free & clear’ laundry detergent has given the option of a fragrance-free laundry detergent for those who are sensitive to smells or even those who rather their clothes smell clean rather than scented!

Washer Stinks

It may seem counterproductive that you need to wash an item that actually ‘washes’ your clothing, but according to consumer reports it is important that you regularly clean and maintain your washing machine. Washing machines are known for holding moisture which can conversely lead to potential mildew and mold growth within your machine. When mildew and mold develop it will result in both fungal and bacterial growth, as well as an odor that will contaminate the whole environment. This is one of the major reasons why you need to perform regular cleanings of your washing machine – especially in front load washing machines where mildew/mold and bacteria will gather inside the lip of the machine that will cause a putrid odor that will travel onto your clean clothing.

How to Clean & Deodorize Washing Machine

When your washing machine develops a foul odor or even if you want to give your washing machine a monthly clean-out, there are a couple things you can do to clean and deodorize the machine. Many people will turn to vinegar as a solution for cleaning their machines, and although this is a natural cleaner that is typically useful for deodorization it can be somewhat damaging inside your washing machine. Vinegar is corrosive and can break down the rubber hosing of your washing machine if you use an excess amount of the cleaner.

Instead, you may want to use a noncorrosive & earth-friendly washing machine deodorizer inside your washer to clean it. The OdorKlenz Washing Machine Deodorizer uses a patented earth mineral technology that is highly reactive against many odors and chemicals to completely break-down the odor. Simply place ½ a cup of the OdorKlenz Washing Machine Deodorizer into your washing machine on an empty cycle with hot water and your machine will be completely cleaned & deodorized.

Leaving Clothes in Washer Overnight

We all know the struggle of remembering to move our wet clothes from the washing machine to the dryer. I have been guilty of leaving clothes in the washers for days after I washed them, which means I have to do the whole laundry process over again. However, this is really not good for your clothing – as bacteria and mold can grow on these fabrics while waiting wet inside your washing machine. In order to make sure that you don’t forget to switch your wet clothes from out of the washing machine and into the dryer, try setting an alarm to remind yourself.

How to Make Laundry Smell Good

If your laundry still smells after correcting these simple laundry mistakes above, then chances are you may not be doing anything wrong! Well, where does this leave you then? This leaves you with smelly clothes that won’t be removed from the fabric of the apparel and will require a more effective odor neutralization method to expel the remaining smells on your clothes.

The OdorKlenz Laundry Additive is an odor-eliminating laundry additive that you can use alongside your regular detergent to help fight off and destroy pesky odors. OdorKlenz utilizes a patented earth mineral technology that is able to effectively break-down and neutralize a broad spectrum of noxious and chemical odors from the surface of your clothing. Simply add in the suggested amount of OdorKlenz Laundry Additive into your washing machine with detergent and run the cycle on a warm water spin, and you will be flabbergasted by the capabilities of the additive to remove stubborn laundry odors. Therefore, if you want good smelling laundry finally, use a laundry additive to complete the job!

Why to Avoid Using Fabric Softener on Workout Clothes

Before you wash your fabrics, do you ever take the time to read the washing instructions from the manufacturer on the tag of your shirt? I will admit, I am guilty of not reading these instructions beforehand when washing my fabrics – as I just throw the fabrics into the washing cycle with my normal laundry care products hoping for the best! However, depending on the specific type of material used within your apparel, it may require the use and/or removal of certain products such as fabric softener, detergent, bleach, etc.

Synthetic fabrics or polyester is a very difficult fabric to keep clean and even worse to keep the odors away from – as one wrong laundry care product used on these fabrics can increase or trap the existing odors on the fabric. Fabric Softener, in particular, is a laundry care product that does not mix well with workout clothes’ polyester material.

Below we are going to discuss what exactly is fabric softener and why you should never use it on your polyester or synthetic workout clothing!

Is Fabric Softener Bad for Clothes

Fabric softeners are a highly used, popular laundry care product that many people use in their laundry care routine. Fabric softener was designed to reduce static cling and help fabrics feel softer. They work by coating the fabric in a waxy film – yes, you heard right, a waxy film! When you use traditional fabric softeners a residue is left behind on the linens which will give it that soft fresh smell, but in reality, it is really dirty. This coating that is left behind by the fabric softener on your fabrics also does a great job of trapping grime and stink, especially on workout clothing.

Should I Use Fabric Softener

Did you know that fabric softener can affect the performance of your performance wear gym clothes? Today, most gym clothes use a moisture-wicking material (polyester or a blend of synthetic fabrics) that shields off sweat, while still keeping you cool during your workout. However, when you utilize fabric softener in your workout clothes washing cycle it will essentially block the wicking power of the fabric, which will leave you with stinky, ineffective clothes for your gym apparel.

It is a safe-bet to avoid the use of fabric softener on your moisture-wicking workout clothing. By avoiding fabric softener in your workout clothes wash load you will help maintain the integrity of the fabric of your gym apparel to ensure that it can still rightfully perform its tasks of repelling sweat and keeping your body cool during an exercise.

Fabric Softener vs Detergent

Detergent and fabric softener are not interchangeable laundry care products that can be substituted for the other. Both detergent and fabric softener each contain different properties that perform different functions in your washing machine and on your fabrics.

Detergent is there for the dirty work that your apparel gets put through, particularly workout clothing. During the average day, clothing can pick up sweat, skin cells, food particles, dirt, and more. That’s why we have laundry detergent, to help remove all of this dirt and grime on our fabrics – just like shampoo cleans your hair, detergent does the heavy lifting when it comes to cleaning the fabrics of your clothing.

Whereas fabric softener protects your clothing – similar to how conditioner protects your hair. Fabric softener works by strengthening the fabrics and helping to reduce friction during the laundry process. This ultimately helps clothes keep their original shape, reduce pilling and fuzz, and reduce color fading.

When Should You Use Fabric Softener

Determining when you should use fabric softener and when not to use fabric softener is important to up-keeping the quality and effectiveness of your fabrics. We have learned of the negative effects that fabric softener has on your synthetic, polyester workout clothing – but when should you apply fabric softener to your wash load? There are a few instances in which you should bust out your fabric softener for your wash load, these situations include the following:

• Maintaining the Appearance of New Fabrics: The material and fibers of your new clothing can become worn and tired looking over time as you wash the fabrics more and more. By using fabric softener on your new clothes, you can help make these fibers more elastic, and therefore leaving the clothes looking newer for a longer period of time.
• If You Live in a Hard Water Area: Specific regions and areas where the mineral content of water is high, fabric softener can be essential. When using fabric softener, it will help to eliminate the effects of hard water on your clothing to make fabrics feel soft and revived again.
• Apply to Bed Linens: The feeling of freshly cleaned bed linens can be accomplished by the use of fabric softener. It will leave your bed feeling soft and smelling good.

How to Wash Polyester Workout Clothes

The process of washing your polyester workout clothes can be intimating for many, as it requires just the right touch of laundry care products and tips to successfully wash and deodorize these clothing items. We are going to go step-by-step on what you need to do to wash smelly workout clothing effectively, so that there is no more odor left harbored within the fabric of these garments.

1. Turn Gym Apparel Inside Out: When we workout or secrete sweat it gets absorbed in the fabric near our skin, which means the inside of our shirts and apparel. Turning your workout clothing inside out before washing will allow for water and detergent to better access the source of the sweat odors and leave your clothing cleaner after the wash cycle.
2. Use the Right Amount of Detergent: A big mistake that many people make when washing clothes is adding to much detergent in their cycle. Using more detergent won’t make your clothes cleaner, it will instead buildup soap residue that traps odors in the clothing.
3. Boost Laundry with Sport Odor Eliminator Additive: Boosters are used in laundry in addition to regular detergent to accomplish a capability that is not achievable by standard detergent. Utilizing a sport odor eliminating additive like the OdorKlenz Sport Laundry Additive is revolutionary for fighting off harsh sweat odors without the use of chemicals or masking agents.
4. Avoid Heat: Elastic clothing like workout apparel does not like being exposed to high heats. The heat will actually work at making the odors in the fabric more pronounced, which is why you should avoid placing gym apparel in the dryer, and rather air these fabrics out to dry.

6 Ways to Deodorize Pet Smell When Selling Home

You are ready for your home to hit MLS and for new prospective buyers to enter your home in hopes that it fits their every want and need. However, you have one major concern, the dreaded stench of pet that you keep getting a whiff of no matter how hard you try to make it vanish from your home’s air. Pet odors are one of the toughest odors to remove from the surfaces and air in your home – most pets (like mine!) have no limits when it comes to where they can roam and explore in the home, which means that odors will spread and travel throughout the whole environment.

What can you do to refresh your home’s air and kick the pet stench out the door of your newly listed home? Find out below the key steps to implement to deodorize pet smell when selling your home.

Does Your Newly Listed House Smell Like Dog?

Have you ever wondered what exactly the smell of ‘dog’ is and why it is so pungent throughout your home? Dogs, unlike humans, do not sweat – but they do perspire from their paws and emit a light perspiration from their hair follicles that will have a chemical scent that is individual to the dog. They also produce oil, which is a critical part of healthy skin and hair, and this oil has its own scent marker. All of these components will impact the overall smell of your dog – which can and most likely will be spread into the home.

Not to mention, dogs also have a way of getting into every little (or big) mess that they find. Whether it is rolling in poop outside in the grass, jumping in a mud puddle, or even wrestling with another dog outside. The odors will brew and fester on your dog – whose first instinct when they get home is to cover this scent all over the surfaces of your house.

When you begin to smell that distinct odor of ‘dog’ in your home, it will be time to take action and expel the odor – especially when your home is on the market!

How to Keep Your House That’s for Sale from Smelling Like Pet

Dog smell and other pet odors can really affect the smell of your home – and not in a good way! A recent study conducted by North Carolina State University researchers found that those homes with dogs or any pets is more susceptible to bacteria in their homes (and a variety of bacteria to boot!), opposed to homes without dogs or pets. When bacteria builds-up inside an environment the bacteria will create and release a pungent odor that can take over inside the area.

If you have started to notice that a collection of pet odors has gathered inside your home than it is time to apply some methods to expel the pet odor before your house begins to get flooded with potential new occupants.

Here are the top 6 ways to deodorize pet smell when selling your home.

1.) Control Urine Odors:

Pet urine, for many pet owners, is a huge problem that they face inside their home. Whether you are training a new puppy, dealing with an older dog with health issues, or even a dog with incontinence issues – urine will taint your home’s surfaces and impact the smell in your home. A go-to solution that pet owners will use when any of these situations are taking place inside their home is to use a good ole’ fashion ‘pee pad’. If your dog uses a pee pad, it is important to be sure that you put down a new pad after each use of the pad. When you leave these contaminated pads laying around inside your home it will wreak havoc on the smell inside this environment.

If you have a cat inside your home, stay regular in replacing the kitty litter daily instead of scooping used litter clumps that require a sweeping up around the litter box after each scoop. Be sure to inconspicuously hide the litter box before each showing – this will help expel some of the odor that is created by your pet’s urine.

2.) Paint or Seal Walls:

Something that we don’t commonly associate with pet smell is the dander that your pet releases from their body that can also contribute to the pet odors swirling inside your home. Pet dander will travel all throughout your home and attach to any and every surface that it can find including walls. When your walls capture this dander, it will hold onto the odor and make the process of removing the pet smell a whole lot harder.

The best way to go about removing this odor is to paint or seal the walls inside your home. The paint and sealer will coat the walls and cover the smell of the odors stuck on the wall and the previous coat of paint.

3.) Clean Flooring Thoroughly:

As you may imagine, your pet spends a big portion of their day on your flooring – walking around, sleeping, or even chewing their new bone or toy. This will all leave an impact on your flooring and furthermore will require an extensive cleaning of this area. Often times, we try to clean our flooring at least every two weeks if not every week, and when you have pets it is important that this is regularly done.

Scrub your floors with an effective odor-neutralizing solution to beat those stubborn, hard-to-remove pet odors from the flooring. Be sure to watch out for the different ingredients present in these floor cleaners though, as some cleaners contain harsh chemicals and fragrances that will only cover up and contaminate the surface more than its original state.

4.) Wash Drapes and Upholstery:

Fabrics and upholstery can act like sponges, absorbing anything that comes into contact with the material. Pet odors is no exception to this, as fabrics in your home like drapes and upholstery will trap these pet odors and cling to the smell until it is properly washed. It is recommended to either launder, steam clean, or dry clean all of your fabric drapes, as well as steam cleaning upholstered furniture.

5.) Give Extra TLC to Carpeting:

The carpeting inside your home can take quite the odor beating – especially when pets are involved. When you start to notice this surface stinking up your house, you will need to give it a little TLC, more than you usually do when you do your regular weekly clean.

Utilize a carpet deodorizer that works against pet odors and apply that to your carpeting. Renting a wet vacuum machine at your grocery store or hardware store is the easiest and most effective way to extract the odors from the surface and reviving your home’s carpeting. Plus, it will help to remove stains from the surface to improve the appearance of your carpeting for potential buyers.

6.) Air Out Home:

Pet odors will travel throughout your home’s air and can potentially remain trapped inside this space. Many home’s lack proper ventilation which can lead to a build-up of odors and pet dander inside the environment. There are two things that you can do to try to help alleviate this issue and remove the collected pet odors from your home. First, you will want to open up the doors and windows inside your home to help flush the odors and pet dander from the air. When you allow fresh air inside, you are letting the fresh air come and flush out the contaminated air which can help to improve the indoor air quality and the strong odors within the air. Second, switch your HVAC filter out to a high-efficiency pleated filter with a patented odor eliminating technology. The OdorKlenz HVAC Filter is unlike any other HVAC available, as it provides your filter with the capability to break down and eliminate noxious odors that come into contact with the filter. This filter also lasts for up to 6 months, rather than the average life of a standard pleated filter which is about 1 month. By switching your filter to a higher-grade filter with a patented technology for odor elimination will be helpful in reducing pet odors in your home.

If you find that your house is starting to smell like pet and you want to remove this odor before you put it on the market, try implementing these tips to eradicate the odor for good from your home environment.

How to Determine What the Best Air Filter is for Your Home

During the cold winter months and the hot summer months we turn relentlessly to our air handling system to either provide us with warmth or cool air to get us through the fluctuating and extreme weather conditions present outside our home’s doors. Although our air conditioning/furnace systems are so vital to us during most part of the year, the air filter component of our systems are often neglected and not commonly kept-up with which can play a significant role in the way these systems run and even more importantly the quality of the air inside your indoor environment.

What should you know about your HVAC filter inside your home and what steps do you need to take to maintain both the proper performance of your air handling system and good air quality inside your living space?

Find out important information about your HVAC filter below that will help you to successfully store the best air filter inside your home’s air conditioning/furnace system.

What Does an Air Filter Do in a House

When you are changing your home’s temperature, your heating and air conditioning systems pull in the air from the room and blows the conditioned air through the ducts to the rooms in your home. The air filter in your home is positioned where air is pulled into the system, allowing the heating or cooling process to begin.

The air filter in your home acts as a barrier, trapping airborne particles that get sucked in with the air and shields it from blocking the blower and even clogging up the coils. If a clog occurs inside the coils than it will be impossible to heat or cool the air passing over them and can potentially damage the system. Therefore, the air filter helps not only keep the system doing its job, but it also helps the systems lifespan – by protecting it to last longer and keep it running efficiently.

Do HVAC Air Filters Work?

Do air filters really work inside your home by preventing contaminants from flooding your air and helping to maintain your air handling system? The answer is yes, they really do. According to the EPA, Americans spend 90% of their time indoors, so it is really important to maintain clean indoor air.

By remembering to check to your air filter every month, you will be able to enjoy the following benefits:

• Longer System Lifespan: When you neglect your air handling system it can easily reduce the overall lifespan of the system, sometimes nearly in half. If you want to increase the life of your air system, you will want to schedule annual professional air conditioning maintenance and keep up with filter replacements.
• Less Fixing & Repairs: Clogged air filters within your air handling system can lead to restricted airflow, overheating, and a back-up of dirt in the entire HVAC system. When any of this happens, it can mean repairs & more frequently needed services to the system.
• Increase Energy Savings: As dirt gathers and accumulates on your filter it can slow down the flow of air. This in turn, makes your HVAC system work much harder and longer than it should. When this happens, it will increase the amount of energy used and you will see this increase on your electricity bill. The U.S. Department of Energy even backed this claim saying that clean air filters can save you around 5-15% on your energy bill.
• Improved Indoor Air Quality: The quality of the air inside indoor environments is important as folks spend the majority of their time indoors. To accomplish cleaner indoor air, it is vital to keep up with filter replacements and professional maintenance. In addition to replacing your air filters, you may also want to use an air purifier to help maintain improved indoor air quality.

There can also be problems that you may face when you improperly maintain your HVAC system and the air filter inside this system. As the air filter gets clogged it will increasingly restrict the air flow through the machine and lead to an array of issues.

Here are the top three most common issues you will face when you have dirty, clogged filters in your air handling system:

• Reduced Function: If your air filter is clogged it will mean that air flow will be restricted, and less air will be moving throughout the environment. This can lead to an impairment in function with less warm/cool air flowing from the system- which can mean severe discomfort for those in the indoor area.
• Issues with Fan Motors: The fan motor is designed to turn the blades and push air flow through your home. When the air filter gets clogged it can mean that the air systems fan motor will have to work harder to pull air inside the indoor environment. And even worse, this may lead to a strain on the motor that can cause it to break down.
• Higher Energy Bill: When your home’s air conditioning system has to work harder to pump out cool air into the area, it will result in more energy use. Also, even your air filter can potentially increase your energy consumption, as the filter fills up and is not replaced it will become harder to push air through which will take up more time and work to produce the air into the home. It may become evident of this increase in energy from your home’s energy bill where you will see a spike in the total amount that needs to be paid. 

Types of Air Filters for HVAC

Have you ever stopped to consider the type of HVAC air filter you have in your home’s air handling system? Often times, this is something that we don’t put a lot of time and consideration into, but should we really look into this more in-depth – yes! There are four main types of HVAC air filters that people typically use in their home, these types of filters include the following:

1. Fiberglass Filter: This throwaway (disposable) filter is the most common type of filter found in HVAC systems. The filter is layered with fiberglass fibers that are laid over each other to form the media of the filter. Typically, this is reinforced with a metal grating support that holds the fiberglass up to prevent failure. You will be able to easily purchase this type of filter in a store and it is one of the cheapest options available for HVAC filters. However, it does a poor job of effectively trapping particles, which can lead to poor indoor air quality.
2. HEPA Filter: A top of the line HVAC filter for your air handling system. The HEPA filter actually filters the air passing through them at a very fine scale. These filters can capture up to 97% of all particulate matter and remove nearly all allergens from your home’s air. Unfortunately, there are flaws with this type of air filter, as they are too efficient and block airflow. This can mean you will notice a lack of air in your home and can increase your energy bill substantially.
3. Pleated Filter: A step up from fiberglass filters, but with increased efficiency in trapping dust particles and other airborne contaminants. A pleated filter is a good option for those who need dust particles to be trapped in the filter to prevent allergic reactions. The majority of air handling systems and corresponding filters only focus on particle filtration through the use of this type of filter, however, many pleated filters do not address chemical pollutants and odors. Be sure to look for a pleated filter that works against particulates as well as contains neutralization capabilities for chemical pollutant removal like the EnviroKlenz HVAC Filter.
4. Washable Filter: One of the most economical filters because you don’t have to replace them every month. Washable filters are designed to stop debris from going through the filter, so they work better when they are dirty. This type of filter is very flawed though, as it needs to have a layer of protective dirt on the filter to be effective.

Home Air Filter Replacement

Replacing your home’s air filter is one of the easiest and quickest repairs you can make to your air handling system. However, it is also one of the most important maintenance requirements for your system. When you replace your home’s air filter you are ensuring that your home has a clean air filter that can both help the life of the air handling system and increases the quality of air inside your home. Although this is an important task that is a must with your HVAC system, there are many filters that go unchanged for way too long. We are going to discuss how frequently you should change your air filter and the easiest way to install the air filter into your air handling system.

How Often Should Air Filters Be Changed

The life of your filter depends on several different environmental factors, such as the density of airborne contaminants, the use of airborne contaminants in the environment, an increase in the systems activity, and even the type of filter used. If you use fiberglass filters you will need to change the filter every month. When you have a pleated filter, it can last up to 90 days – and with a more efficient pleated filter it can sustain for up to 6 months. And if you have a washable filter you can change that filter every 5 years but be sure to wash the filter every month. Following these replacement guidelines per filter type will help both your air handling system and your indoor air quality.

How to Install Air Filter

Most modern air handling systems have the filter located close to or right next to the blower unit. Once you have located your air filter, take off the grill or box cover that is holding it in place and remove the dirty filter. Dispose of it properly or clean it thoroughly if it is a washable filter and place a new one into the system with the air flow pointing toward the blower. 

The air filter inside your home is an important component to your air handling system and making sure that you properly upkeep this component is necessary to increasing the overall life of your system and improving the overall air quality throughout your home environment.

How to Keep Clothes Smelling Fresh in Storage

When you have an excess of clothes (like most of us!), you will need to turn to closets and dresser drawers to store your clothing until their next wear. However, let’s be honest, if you have ever stored clothing in these areas than you know there is just something about these small spaces that make scents go off and spread onto your clean, once fresh smelling stored clothing.

Have you ever washed your clothes and placed them in these storage areas, only to pull the article of clothing out the next day to smell that newly acquired musty smell? You may wonder if it is the laundry care products you use that is leaving this musty odor on your clothes or if the culprit of the odor lies within your storage areas. What can you do to remove this musty odor from your clothes, and get to the root cause of the issue to eliminate the nuisance odor all together? Find out below what you can do in an effort to keep your clothes smelling fresh in storage.

Why Does My Closet Smell Musty?

When you open your closet door, do you instantly get hit with the strong, distinct smell of musty/mildew odor? Closets are often times prone to develop this odor, leaving you to wonder why does my closet smell musty? Dampness. Water and moisture present inside your closet are one of the primary causes of mustiness and other mildew odors inside your closet, and even when you think that there are no traces of moisture present in your closet, think again!

The configuration and design of closets often contributes to the musty problem in your closet. They typically are recessed back into the wall and are enclosed off by a door. Both of these features can restrict airflow into this storage area and allow contaminated, humid air in the space which can lead to mildew and mold growth that will lead to the undesirable musty odor.

How to Make Closet Smell Good

Having a fresh smelling closet is important, nobody wants to wear clothes that smell musty and dirty, especially when you take a lot of time to clean and care for your fabrics! If you notice that your closet is smelling less than stellar (and a little musty!) now is the time to take action and work towards making your closet smell good again. Below are some steps that can be taken to expel the stinky odors from your closet and your clothing!

1. Remove Everything: The first step is to remove everything from inside your closet and set it aside. Separate any machine-washable footwear, damp clothing, or outwear and put these articles into the washing machine. These types of garments are known culprits for mold/mildew growth because of the high moisture levels they are exposed to when wearing these items. You also want to wash any clothes that have developed that musty smell on the fabric. Be sure to hang these items to dry outside after washing them, this will help to remove any lingering odors.
2. Closet Deodorizer: Once everything is removed from the closet, clean it thoroughly by vacuuming or sweeping up debris inside the area and wiping down the surfaces. These surfaces should be wiped down using an effective deodorizer to eliminate any unwanted odors. The OdorKlenz Source Odor Treatment is perfect for dealing with musty smells on surfaces, using a patented earth mineral technology the minerals break down and eliminate a broad spectrum of odors including mildew/mold odors.
3. Organize Closet: After you have cleaned your closet, go through your clothes and donate clothes that you don’t wear. When your closet is too packed it can lead to odor issues.

What Causes Clothes to Smell Musty?

Clothing gets put through the ringer, with many odors coming into contact with the fabric and impacting the smell of the fabric. Body oils, grime, and dirt build-up will gather onto clothing leaving a foul-smelling odor on your clothes. These odors can all be undesirable, but when it comes to one odor that you do not want on your clothes, musty smell is at the top of the laundry heap.

Musty smells are a result of mildew in your clothing or in your dresser. Mildew develops spores that accumulate in dark and damp environments, and even if we aren’t able to visibly see them, the smell will give it away. The moisture that triggers musty smells, often find their way into drawers from a damp piece of clothing, a spill, or even from humidity.

How Do I Get Musty Smell Out of Dresser Drawers?

Dressers are a very popular method for storing clothing, but it can also be a stinky one! A dresser is an area that is confined, dark, and has limited airflow making it the perfect environment for mold/mildew to grow and leave a musty smell. How can you remove this smell and restore your dresser to a fresh smelling state? Below are some tips on how to get that musty smell out of your dresser drawers.

• Empty Dresser: Open all your dresser drawers and remove all items inside. Once the dresser is empty leave the drawers open for at least 24 hours to let air circulate within these areas.
• Wipe and Deodorize: Wipe down the inside of the drawer to both clean and eliminate any moisture inside the area. To protect your dresser from developing odors in the future, try placing an odor-eliminating pad inside each drawer. This type of pad is designed to capture and destroy odors from the source, leaving the area protected from noxious odors.

How to Keep Clothes Smelling Fresh in Drawers

The battle of keeping your stored clothes smelling good may seem like an endless one. You probably have tried all the tricks and tips to expelling the less than fresh odor in your clothes – borax, baking soda, vinegar, essential oils, etc. However, your clothes still smell musty and old – with the fresh scent far from present on your fabrics. What can you do? It is time to step up your laundry game or time to add a laundry additive to help you do the job. A laundry additive like the OdorKlenz Laundry Additive is the perfect weapon to use to achieve a fresh smell on your clothing, even the clothes that have been stored away in your dresser for who knows how long. OdorKlenz uses a patented earth mineral technology that allows for odors to be broken down and neutralized at the source of the fabric. It is easy to use, just add it with your unscented detergent in the washing machine and you will smell the difference!