Ah, smell.  I LOVE this topic because I have OCD as well as allergies.
Lol.  Okay if you go to my site below my name and scroll down to the
index, there are two pages about this.  One is about smell and the other
is about allergies.  There are tons of tips on there.  But I can give
you a start before you even go there.
 
First, the hardest thing, is to gut out everything and spring clean
things.  This is tons of work, and is extensive, but once you do it all
that is needed is upkeep.  I have found that once smell permiates the
house, just doing a spot cleaning or just doing the ferrets does not
help for long.
 
Start with going through every ferret blanket, hammock, beanie baby,
fabric toy that there is and washing them with extra rinse cycles.
I don't recommend adding fabric softner because I dont know how that
affects ferrets and their respirtory systems, etc.  But I will admit to
doing that when my house gets ovewhelmed with the smell a couple times
a year.  Then clean you cages and your liter pans with either the new
Windex with Vinagar or mild bleach water.  Next look at your ferret
liter.  If its clay cat liter, that does not absorb odors very well.
Putting baking soda on the bottom of the liter pan before your pine
pellet litter or whatever you use helps a little.
 
Next do the ferret room if you have one.  Use a sponge mop and wipe the
walls with mild cleaner and water.  Clean the floors as much as you can.
Wipe everything out.  You can't do too much in this area.
 
Let's see, oh the ferrets... do the ferrets next.  Clean out their ears
first.  SO much odor comes from them.  Good cleaners to try are the Vets
Best Ear Wash and the Marshalls Ear Wash as they go beyond the very
outer ear.  Bath your pets with ferret shampoo that is mild first.  I
have a ferret rinse, that helps with odors, softens their fur and most
importantly really reduces scratchign adn dander.  Can you use a
childresn conditioner?  I dont know. :)  I did my whole horse once in
Short and Sassy conditioner (three whole bottles) when I was a child.
Bhaha.  Mom didn't appreciate it and neither did the horse who battled
the flys who also loved it that day.  lol.
 
Now we're getting somewhere!  But don't stop!  Ferret fur will absorb
dust and odors from the air all around them.  They seem to be magnets
from this and even concentrate it.  So.... on that note, attack the
house.  Shampoo and/or steam clean your carpets.  Try using Natures
Miracle on areas that they have had accidents.  Try steam cleaning or
shampooing furniture.  Dust everything.  Use pledge on wood.
 
Upkeep: Wash laundry 1-2x a week.  Scoop 2x a day.  Clean out the liter
pans totally as much as you can.  Clean the cage 1x a week.  Get Marshall
Farms "Ferret Off".  This seems to neutralize and keep odors away better
than anything I've ever tried.  I spray it on things that the ferrets
come in contact with and their hammies.  Get a nice conditioning spray
for the ferrets that you nose likes.  Something like PPP conditioning
sprays, one of the Marshalls sprays.  But don't over use them.  There
should be no need for them really if you do everything else.  Bath the
ferrets a few times a year.  Clean their ears weekly.  Vacuum, vacuum,
vacuum.  lol.  If you have liter pans about your house, try having run
runners or vinyl under them so that if they miss it doen'st ruin the
rug.  Unfortunately if there have been tons of mistakes on your rug...
you really can never get rid of the urine becasue it sinks down to the
padding and all that you can not really clean.  But shampooing, steam
cleaning, and using Natures Miracle can really reduce it.  Then you can
just work on prevention.
 
Check out my site for more specific advice.  For those who don't like
overwhelming ferret smell, and for those who have allergies, or for
those who have company that it can bother, I hope I've helped.
 
Wolfy
 
Wolfy's site has MOVED to:
http://wolfysluv.jacksnet.com/
[Posted in FML issue 4145]