We don't have awesome ventilation with 18 inch thick solid stone walls-- our cottage is like a tiny fortress and everything just lingers. As a result, we have asked guests not to deep fry, we don't have a toaster as burnt toast lingers for days (but they can use the broiler on the stove), we don't allow smoking inside, etc. When we recently went to turn over, it was clear that the guests had done a lot of frying as the house smelled like grease, but it was probably something like eggs that were not covered by our "no deep frying" rules. Most guests don't have this issue, but whatever they were cooking definitely stuck around. These guests also brought a lot of groceries with them and left behind plastic bags which REEKED for cigarette smoke. They had stashed them in the pantry but again, with 18 inch stone walls and a closed door, my pantry now smells like a smoking lounge. Likewise all of the throw blankets, pillows and bedding smell as though they were rubbed across a sweaty ashtray in certain spots. We had to throw out a couple of things after trying to wash but still having some funk remain.
We have smell eliminating products, candles, air fresheners, etc but the sad reality is that some guests are just smellier than others. Our space is not well situated to move odors along. I have seen several threads with other hosts asking about body odor, so I thought I would see if we could get a "smell and solution" thread going. So for example, the smell is "fried food" and the solution is...? The smell is cigarette smoke and the solution is...? Any tips?