Keep in mind Dad now 104 will spray the entire contents like a two year old and I am supersensitive to scents. NO ONE say Febreeze, thanks in advance. Anyone try this microban stuff? Mom's latest stunt is to not wear ANY kind of pants...from undies outward and so I guess the good news is there is no soiled clothing if she loses it, but with her poor hygiene...there is a developing aroma. We're working on getting hospice but someone with MD after their name has to sign off and her MD's have not seen her in 2-3 years as she has been stable and in physically good health.
Still on the hunt for a good air clearer. The last sets were for allergies but you still can see dust on some furniture.
Other than cleaning the offendeing surfaces, you are just masking one smell with another until you have layers of stank.
Vinegar works really well--esp once the vinegar has dissapated. I use bleach, straight (in a well ventilated room!) and let it soak in the grout and then wash the whole room down.
If it's a PERSON who smells--just encourage them to shower more frequently and esp get the undercarriage done. Even if they don't shower, there are many large 'wipes' they can use for that. Should be used EVERY time they use the bathroom and NOT FLUSHED. A separate garbage that goes out each day could be put in the bathroom.
Now the weather is warmer, when I visit mom I insist on opening windows for the duration of my visit. That helps, and if she'd leave them open all day, or at least most of it, she'd have a much fresher smelling place.
Mother prefers the 'timed' air fresheners that spritz out a noxious scent every 10 minutes. She has 600 sf and 5(!) of these going 24/7. They're horrible.
BTW--your mom refuses to wear appropriate underwear IS a cause to see the doc. No elder should go 2-3 years w/o a simply physical.
You can also make room sprays usings vodka, dries quicker than water, and essential oils like citrus and rosemary to kill the bacteria.
Look in the pet section for unscented pet odor sprays, they absorb the odor and are not highly perfumed.
Best of luck, this is a deal breaker situation for many.
He didn't use sprays (when he returned to bring the trailer home for good), but he did set out newspapers plus containers of coffee and baking soda. They worked extremely well to eliminate the smell of rotted food.
There are plants that are air cleaners/purifiers as well.
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/air-purifying-house-plants-184825984.html (based on NASA experience)
and another recommendation based on NASA experience:
https://www.healthline.com/health/air-purifying-plants
BTW, I would NEVER use Febreeze either; the reviews I've read address the toxicity of the chemicals it contains (and the same for dryer sheets).
I just looked it up and there are many types of room deodorizers. Even solid ones.