My GSD is most definitely allergic to plug in type air fresheners, thank goodness it's something so easy to rectify!!

However my house smells very 'doggy' with no air fresheners about the place, I personally don't mind the smell but did notice my non-dog owning friend wrinkling up her nose a bit when she visited this morning

Anyone have any alternative air freshening ideas?!

Thanks :-)

I have a couple of those automatic timed ones about the place.

Quite pricey but they are worth it... You can set them to go off at regular intervals.

I burn Nag Champa - joss sticks. :) 

I use the ones that look like liquids with reed things in from Sainsbury's.  Plus I do use reed diffusers at Christmas from Body Shop really nice usually orange in tyhe lounge and vanilla in bedrooms. The Sainsbury's ones are Air WicK Aqua Essencess (try writing that with a lisp) last about 4 - 6 weeks pine and ocean fresh.

hmmm, I was going to suggest something more 'natural' than plug-in or other man-made fragrances.

Not sure that they're as effective, but what about some natural / essential oils in the jars with stick diffusers? 
They could be quite easily home made and relatively cheap too.

ETA ooh Whistler you just beat me to it!  (Reed diffusers, not 'stick' as I have put!!  lol)

I use a JML Globe http://www.jmldirect.com/Fresh-Air-Globe-PF2550/ and put a couple of bodyshop lavendar oil drops in it, it's smells lovely and everybody always comments when they come in.

I think what you suggest is a very good idea can you buy them in the shops.

open the windows????
ive never unserstood thos smelly plug in things seen on tv ads...they smell awful and artificial. Just open a few windows.

When im home I burn a Yankee Candle. Even if I did not have a dog I would burn one they are gorgeous and come in many different fragrances. I am going to light one right now that I have mentioned them.

funny,nag champa are my favourite joss sticks too!

Must be a Collie thing! :)

You old hippies :-)

Yep! :)  Patchwork trousers as well! :)

> I use a JML Globe [url=http://www.jmldirect.com/Fresh-Air-Globe-PF2550/" rel=nofollow]http://www.jmldirect.com/Fresh-Air-Globe-PF2550/[/url] and put a couple of bodyshop lavendar oil drops in it, it's smells lovely and everybody always comments when they come in.

Thats what I want! :-) They are ment to be really good, a few different people have told me about them.

We have them and they are brilliant.
I buy the glade plug ins when on special offer and then take the wick out and
add a few drops of the essence to the air globe and it smells lovely
plus I normally get 3 great smells for about £3.

Well im an addict of how clean is your house, a tip they use a lot to remove doggy odours from carpets etc is to sprinkle bicarb over them (like you would shake n vac) this apparently neutralises odours unlike some products which just mask them and can actually make the smell worse, i havent actually tried it my self but what i was thinking was if you could get rid of the doggy smell then you could use something nice and subtle to give a nice scent.
My SIL's house stinks of animals (mixture of cats and dogs) and she will insist on havings loads of ambi pures on the go what she doesn't seem to realise is that mixed with the animal smells is revolting it almost makes you want to gag.

Thanks for replies everyone :-)

I have ordered a JML globe so hopefully there will be a fresher aroma around the house!

Just a word of warning about the jml there is a recall notice on the ones with this serial number on the mains adapter FJ22400850A2 apparently they are potentially dangerous, aslong as they dont have this number they are fine.
just thought id mention it as i saw the notice when i went to buy one.

Yes thanks for the warning I saw that too :-)

Just checked mine, mine is YBS2400850A2, so hopefully it's ok.  Haven't had any problems with it, in fact I'm thinking of buying another I'm that impressed with it....and no I don't work for JML....lol.

> I burn Nag Champa - joss sticks

Ho, that takes me back, I used to burn Nag Champa - lovely smell and wipes out every other smell :)
Don't know why I stopped really - might get some again.

lovely smell and wipes out every other smell

Yep!  Cheap and smells so much more natural than the chemical stuff and I don't like inhaling artificial stuff either.:(  Otherwise I burn essential oils. :) 

some dogs are allergic to some products you can put around the house. One of mine was off colour and I had aheadache for days eventually worked it out it was the glade plug in, got rid of it and we both recovered no problem. Shake N Vac has long been suspected of causing allergic reations in some dogs. Good old fashioned pot pourri seems to work as well.

oh daisysmum, i bought one yankee candle from ebay, then someone told me it might of been a fake and not bought another, since then i burn ikea candles and i must say for the scent and value they are great - what scent in yankee candle do you find the best - there is a card shop local to me and they sell the original yankee candle and was thinking of going for it and paying full price for one in the hope that the scent is lovely - i have 2 dogs and even though i dont think the house has the doggie smell i do get a little paranoid so like a candle to hand to light

Why not just open a few windows and get the house smelling of fresh air rather than fake scent?

I must admit I open all the windows in the morning close them up at Lunchtime (in Winter) and never a problem...
   I'm slightly asthmatic and find 'Air fresheners' in any form make me really wheezey :-(
I Have Basil and Rosemary plants in the kitchen and this always provides a pleasant waft throughout the lower floors of the house.
   I do have a slight indulgence in Jo Malone candles (The Basil range with Verbenna, Casis and Gingerlily, or Black Vetiver) and Diptyque. Horrendously expensive but last forever and use only essential oils, the only candles I've found that don't make me wheeze or the dogs sneeze.

that was exactly what i suggested earlier JG! But I was ignored :)

Perhaps it's not the modern way of thinking?  It's the way it always used to be done. :)

Perhaps it's why so many more children are asthmatic?

My favourite is baby powder and the christmassy ones. Ebay has had fake ones being sold.

Best thing ever to use (I think anyway) is plain old bicarbinate of soda.  Just put a small amount in a saucer or small pot in every room requiring 'freshening' and the powder absorbs the smells.  You only need to change every 3 months or so.  Occasionally stir bicarb to reactivate it.  It's good for so many things.  Only tonight I have put some down bath plug hole, followed by some white vinegar and put plug in.  It eats through all the soap and hair grime in bath pipes.  Also great in fridge.  I could go on forever.  I hate chemical sprays of any sort and the artificial smells of air freshener.  Give bicarb a go and you won't look back.