Make A Homemade Spray To Eliminate Bad Odors
Did you know that baking soda is one of the most effective ingredients to neutralize ugly odors? We already told you about it in our post on how to remove dog poop stains from the carpet, and here we repeat it: you should always have baking soda at home. It will help you keep your home cleaner and shinier.
So easy, you will have a powerful odor eliminator that you can spray throughout your yard, or only in the affected areas. It is so efficient that you will be surprised!
If you want to incorporate a rich aroma, you can add a tablespoon of dish soap. If it is natural and ecological, much better! Another option? A couple of drops of lavender essential oil.
Note: if you add one of the last 2 ingredients, you will not be able to apply the spray on grass. This last option is suitable for floors.
OK. Here is my general rule for dealing with other people when it comes to stuff that doesn’t really matter in this life. I call it “My General Rule for Dealing with Other People When It Comes to Stuff That Doesn’t Really Matter in This Life.” If you can live with something, then live with it and don’t say anything. We all do stupid, annoying things and if we’re tolerant of the people we deal with, perhaps they (and the universe!) will be tolerant of our little foibles in return. If, however, you can’t live with a thing (and sometimes you just can’t), then say something. Say it kindly, but yeah. Use your words so that you don’t store up petty resentments that can come burbling out like hot lava when you’re arguing about an issue that’s much more important.
Dear Avenues Neighbor • Your letter made me walk outside to see if I needed to pick up the dog poop in my backyard. I did! So, I picked it up. IMMEDIATELY! Thank you! (My Avenues neighbors send their thanks, too.)
Dear Ann Cannon • Our neighbors don’t pick up their dog poop! They have two large dogs, two small children and one large yard. We like them and have mentioned the dog poop before (last year), which sparked a huge fight between the two parents. The smell is atrocious. I would like to just leave them a note.
— Avenues Neighbor (P.S. I probably just need to bite the bullet and go tell them…)
Dear Ann Cannon • I have a mother-in-law who hates me. To be honest, I don’t like her very much either. She keeps begging for a grandchild and I don’t know how to tell her to stop. I’ve tried to tell her to stop asking, and she will then email, text and only talk to my husband. What she doesn’t know is that we are infertile and trying to figure out what our next steps are. Constantly hearing her beg for a grandchild does not make the situation better.
How To Eliminate the Dog Poop Odor From Your Yard
One of the most efficient ways to deal with your neighbor’s dog’s poop smell is addressing the problem face to face.
Talking to your neighbor about this sensitive subject can be tricky. If you don’t approach the conversation sensibly, you may provoke a defensive reaction and eliminate any chances of resolving the matter peacefully.
The factors you should consider when confronting your neighbor about their dog’s poop odor include:
One of the most important factors to consider is timing. If you start the conversation on your way to the store or when your neighbor comes home from work tired, it may not go too well. You should wait and talk to them on the weekend or at any time your neighbor is relaxed and has enough patience to listen.
Try not to sound accusatory or judgemental when talking to your neighbor. However inconsiderate you think they are, your goal is that they react positively to your complaint and correct their behavior. If you start yelling or threatening them, you will not get the desired results but only provoke them to continue bothering you out of spite.
If the neighbor seems receptive to your tone, you should try offering them suggestions on how to fix the problem. You can advise your neighbor to:
- Vinegar
- Baking soda
- Citrus peels
Once you finish the conversation, thank your neighbor for listening to you and taking your complaint seriously. Such politeness will prompt any neighbor with a conscience to change their behavior.
Dog & Cat Tips : How to Repel Dogs
How do I ask a neighbor to pick up the dog poo from their yard more often because it is smelling up my yard (front and back) real bad? Do I go straight to 311 or do it face-to-face or is there a better suggestion? I’d like to cause the least amount of embarrassment/awkwardness/ill-will while still getting the shit taken care of. Flies, man, already and super-humid Baltimore summer coming …
Well, this is toughie because, if you can smell their yard, they are no doubt already very aware of them problem yet haven’t taken care of it. However, if you report them straight away without giving them the chance to remedy the smell, you could very well cause some neighborly awkwardness (I’m guessing they only have two direct neighbors so there won’t be much anonymity).
I’d suggest a casual face-to-face. Don’t stage an ambush and march over and right their doorbell. Instead, try to catch them sometime while you’re both outside and act like it just came up naturally (rather than like you’ve been secretly seething about it for weeks). Adopt a light tone and ask them — as a favor to you — to be a little more diligent about cleaning up their dog’s mess since summer is coming and you’re planning to “spend a lot more time outside this year!”
See where that gets you first. They may just need a little push to do something they know they need to do but have been putting off. If they respond negatively or fail to comply, then yes, call in the big government guns.