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PNW_Steve's avatar
PNW_Steve
Explorer
Jan 25, 2016

Help with outdoor odor?

Hey Everyone,

I wonder if anyone out there can help us out with an odor issue?

We have a lot where we keep our fifth wheel for the last 5 years. While spending a few weeks a year staying here we have not had any issue with odor from Annie's "potty spot". We police waste promptly and dispose of it in the garbage.

Now that we are staying months at a time the yard is beginning to smell a bit. It is not overwhelming but it is enough to discourage us from sitting for dinner at the outside table.

We are on the Western slopes of the Cascades in Washington and get plenty of rain to wash things away but that does not seem to help.

Is there any kind of reasonable & safe odor treatment for the yard?

I know that we could resolve the issue by having Annie do her business elsewhere. Unfortunately the only "elsewhere" available is my neighbors yards. Not really a good option....

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

S.

9 Replies

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  • rockhillmanor's avatar
    rockhillmanor
    Explorer II
    Feb 09, 2016
    BEFORE you use odoban take a whiff of it first!

    It is a POWERFUL smell that does NOT ever go away. Your RV will smell like the local dog pound. IMHO I would never use that stuff anywhere near or in my home or RV.

    There is all different types of lime but most of them are caustic and should NOT be used around pets.http://homeguides.sfgate.com/hydrated-lime-hurt-animals-87490.html

    I travel with four dogs and there is never any smells. I use a patio mat where they go. It is picked up immediately. And I spray down the mat often with dawn soap and water. No smells.

    In your case the poop, even though you are picking it up, there are still parts of it on the blades of grass and down in the grass and over time that is most likely where the smell is coming from.
  • 3boxerss's avatar
    3boxerss
    Explorer
    Jan 26, 2016
    This is at our home and not camping but we have a small yard and it occasionally has an odor. I sprinkle baking soda all over that area. It takes care of the odor and doesnt bother the dog and the rain washes it all away.
  • magnusfide's avatar
    magnusfide
    Explorer II
    Jan 26, 2016
    Trackrig wrote:
    How about spreading some lime on the area? I'm suggesting lime because I believe people use it on their lawns to improve the grass and they use it down outhouses to improve / control the smell. It certainly shouldn't hurt anything. Try spreading a bag of it over the area when you leave next time and let it work while you're gone.

    Bill

    Double ditto. Wood ash from the fire pit with does the same thing and controls bugs/fleas (make sure there are no active coals).
  • Old-Biscuit's avatar
    Old-Biscuit
    Explorer III
    Jan 25, 2016
    Is it from peeing.....
    Female dogs urine has higher concentration because it is done in one spot vs male spraying it.

    Garden lime sprinkled over spot OR cheap lemon scent dish soap and some white vinegar.....lawn sprayer

    Baking soda solution sprayed on area is also effective
  • Sam_Spade's avatar
    Sam_Spade
    Explorer
    Jan 25, 2016
    YOu aren't continuously draining your "grey water" out onto the ground, are you ?? That can result in a nasty odor over time.
  • toedtoes's avatar
    toedtoes
    Explorer III
    Jan 25, 2016
    What type of odor are you getting and when does it occur?

    If it's poop odor and occurs right after the drop, then you might look into a different food for Annie. My Moose-dog didn't digest chicken & rice well - his poop would smell something awful and the scent would linger even after the poop was removed. I ended up changing him to a lamb & rice food and the smell has minimized greatly.

    If it's pee scent, then you might do some surveillance and see if any other dogs are using the area.

    Also, how big of an area does she use to do her business. The smaller the space, the less "airing out" it will get between uses. Allowing her a larger area might be enough to let the ground recover from the deposits.

    The last thing is what type of ground cover is there? The flatter and more solid the ground, the less chance that bits will get left behind.
  • Elizabeth24's avatar
    Elizabeth24
    Explorer
    Jan 25, 2016
    What I use is Kitty Litter, our dog likes to go out late at night and as it is quite dark, we have trained her to just go under our 5th wheel.. Every month or so, I sprinkle baking soda and a large bag of kitty litter, that takes away the smell and blends in with the sand under our trailer so it does not even show that we have added anything.

    This might work for you also.
  • Trackrig's avatar
    Trackrig
    Explorer II
    Jan 25, 2016
    How about spreading some lime on the area? I'm suggesting lime because I believe people use it on their lawns to improve the grass and they use it down outhouses to improve / control the smell. It certainly shouldn't hurt anything. Try spreading a bag of it over the area when you leave next time and let it work while you're gone.

    Bill

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