And it doesn't smell like old people live there, which was the big turnoff for the first house we looked at.
> ~Mina "houses *rule*" moon

How did you identify that smell? I didn't know old people smelled in a particular way. Antique dealers sometimes notice "that old house smell" when searching for antique furniture. Some dealers even like it because they think it smells like money, but I think it stinks. My guess is that it comes from years of cooking odors, and smoke from heating fires. It seeps into the wood of furniture all over the house. While there may be a little essence of dirty socks in there with it, I don't think it is fair to blame it on the occupants, or their age. Most of us old stinkers discovered soap many years ago, and by now we have confirmed that you don't buy a Speed Stick to make you a fast runner.

My experience is that pot porri only adds to the problem. The best way to get rid of that old house smell is to clean the place up as best you can, using ammonia and water. Then to get rid of the ammonia smell, light sulfur candles in each room for a few hours. To get rid of the surfur smell, I recommend a little bleach* in the mop water, and then all you have to worry about is the bleach smell which can be gotten rid of by using baking soda sprinkled around on the floor. Baking soda has very little odor and can be vacuumed up if it bothers you. If that isn't effective, you can always invite a bunch of old folks in for dinner and cards.

I hope you enjoy your new digs.
Howard

*Never mix ammonia and bleach. They react, releasing deadly chlorine gas which might solve your problem, but in a very unpleasant way.