Get Rid of Smells Plaguing Your Home in the Winter

The first snow has already fallen in Ottawa, and it's left a pretty, white blanket behind. It's beautiful and yet I already dread the smells that accompany winter, and I'm definitely not talking about Christmas trees or hot chocolate. I'm talking about smelly boots, damp mittens and hats, ski boots parked in the hallway, and the absolute worst smell of all: wet dog.

Meet Honey. Honey is the world's best dog and my favourite child by far. I like it when Honey is happy, and winter makes Honey happy. We can't get her in a pool in mid-July, but come December 1st she'll sit outside in the snow as though meditating and becoming one with the weather. Zen Doggy. Look at that cute face! I just want to squish her.

But then this happens:

Wet dog syndrome. She's still cute, but now she's too smelly to get close enough to cuddle and when she's totally stinky, I momentarily move her down the list to "least favourite" of my children. Not even a mother can love a wet, smelly dog.

In the past, Honey would be banished to her pillow to dry out and the rest of us would suffer in silence with the unpleasant aroma wafting through the house. Until this week, because things took a dramatic turn when Honey met her match with the Febreze Fresh Air Purifier.

Although still banished to her pillow to dry out, the rest of us didn't have to plug our noses until she was our favourite again.

Placed strategically and discreetly between my kitchen and front entrance, the Febreze Fresh Air Purifier has been working overtime already this year, and it's saved us from a variety of foul smells. Fried fish, wet boots, damp mittens, even a compost bin that wasn't emptied on time are no match for our new air purifier. Considering that windows are closed up tighter than a drum during cold months, it's "refreshing" to know you can have fresh air without freezing us all out.

Here's why this little genius machine works so well:

  Febreze Air Purifiers use a HEPA-type filter to capture 99 per cent of airborne pollutants - This includes pollen, pet hair, dust and smoke. Pollen, pet hair and dust are all things I have in spades in this house, so it's nice knowing that those things are being filtered out when I turn the machine on.

  The Febreze Freshness Scent Control dial allows for scent control intensity and three cleaning levels - I'm a HUGE fan of this because I actually like the smell of...nothing—you know, the smell of fresh air? This air purifier doesn't mask foul odors with an overpowering perfumey smell.

So, this winter, things are going to smell a whole lot better around here. With the holidays approaching and unexpected guests stopping in, I'll be able to swing open my front door with confidence knowing that wet dog smell isn't going to hit them in the face.

Now, if they could only invent a machine that folded and put away my laundry, things would be perfect.