I'm so fed up!  I have 5 cats and 1 dog and between them all, it smells so horrible!

We live in a tri-level duplex and the cat boxes are in the garage/basement.  The garage has no windows, only the garage door.  It's also my husbands workshop and whenever he's down there, he about can't tolerate the smell.  The door leading to the garage is in the basement/playroom and just feet from the door is the stairs (about 6 of them) that lead up to the front door.  It doesn't matter how much we scoop, how much baking soda we pour into the boxes, etc the smell about knocks you off your feet when you open the front door.  It's so embarrassing!!!

We have a plug-in air cleaner by the cat boxes with a filter specific for pet odors and we have 3 lingerie bags full of lump charcoal hanging on walls right above the boxes.  Nothing helps!

We also have an almost 1 year old poodle/bichon that does go to the bathroom outside, but she doesn't notify us when she needs to go.  With 3 little kids, I just don't have the attention span to watch her ever step to see when she needs to go.  I've tried taking her outside regularly, but regularity is about impossible around our house

She is trained to use her puppy pad whenever she doesn't get outside and it's placed at the back door on some ceramic tiles.  Only problem is if she misses, it gets in the grout and it smells to high heaven!  I use enzyme cleaners and they do help, but not completely.

Between the cat boxes and the back door urine odor, I'm about to go mad!  We don't ask anyone to come over because we are embarrassed of the smell.  We don't even want little kids to come over to play with our kids because we don't want them to make fun of our kids for living in a smelly house

I keep an organized and clean house.  Other then the urine smell, the place is great.  Short of getting rid of the pets, I don't know what else to do.  We are on a very strict budget due to my husband being out of  work due to an injury caused by an accident.  So we can't afford vet visits, expensive foods, pet diapers, etc.

Is there anything I'm missing as far as what to try?  I would appreciate ANY help I can get!

Thanks in advance!

Rachel

I dislike basements.  Most of them are crummy to begin with.  I also have litter boxes in the basement.   Here are some suggestions.

Use white vinegar to clean up messes.

Use good litter. 

Consider putting baking soda in the bottom of the boxes.  Check with a vet first, but I do this sometimes.

Wash the boxes weekly OR line them with a soda can box (about 2 inches high) and remove and dump them.

There is a product (large circle) that I believe is made of mothballs.  MOTHBALLS CAN HARM CATS, but if you can hang this deodorizer UP--away from cats--I'd try it.  The lady who lived here before us had this round mothball thing in the basement---and we smelled no musty odor before we moved in.

No windows in basement - consider getting someone to install one for about $200.  CAUTION - WATCH CATS DON'T GET OUT - SCREEN, WINDOW OPEN, ETC. 

Put air fresheners between you and the basement.

Not sure what you mean about the back door, but any air (as long as animals can't get out) will help. 

Boxes should be changed daily, washed every few days, replaced every so often.  Again, maybe those soda can liners would help---boxes that soda cans come in.  Maybe even newspaper would help.  Remove/replace daily.

Covered litter boxes work better than non-covered. 

IT'S DIFFICULT WITH A CRUMMY BASEMENT.

DOG: Maybe you can use some tips from the Dog Whisperer or get into a routine where the dog spends a little time in a crate, then the dog goes right out.  My friend keeps her dogs in crates ALL DAY, but that sounds kind of harsh.  Her dogs would urinate, otherwise.  Maybe some kind of "Okay, doggie, out of the crate means outside" routine would help.  I know you have to stay calm with dogs or they freak and start peeing.  Again--use white vinegar, maybe put a cautionary pee mat there - throw it away every few weeks. 

PS  I know this sounds outrageous, but how about building a SMALL ROOM just for litter boxes?  Your husband sounds like he could do this--and you own your house (?).  Either way, it doesn't take much for some 2x4s, a cheap floor, and a cheap door.  Consider one of those "six months to pay" deals--and pay a little each month.  Put a CAT DOOR on the door to the litter boxes.

Two of my pets are dying, so we have to follow them around and see if they had any accidents.  Again, basements without windows ROT. 

I trained Rio to ring a chime when he wants to go outside.  I hung a windchime next to the door to the backyard, I took Rio to the chimes, rang the chimes with his paw and said "outside".  I then (of course) took him outisde to do his business.  Rio learned this very quickly so your dog should have no problems.  Rio is maltese/bichon.  Good luck!