Now, we all know the best way to keep your kennel smelling great is to keep the stuff that makes it stink picked up. No question about that. Excrement and leftover food are the main culprits, and staying on top of that will reduce odors and insects both.
Last year we tried out Clorox Odor Control in the kennel to help with that as well. It works really well, but it's VERY pricy, like $11 a gallon or so. And when you check the label, guess what? It's hydrogen peroxide!
Hydrogen peroxide bubbles up when in contact with the enzyme catalase, which is in most cells. If you pour it on the floor and it bubbles, you've got stuff that needs to be cleaned up.
So I've ditched the high priced option and started using the traditional skunk formula when I want a deodorizing cleaner for the floors or walls. You know the formula (CAUTION, do NOT mix in advance and do NOT TRY TO STORE):
one quart hydrogen peroxide
1/4 cup baking soda
1 tsp blue Dawn
The proportions aren't critical. I pour some hydrogen peroxide on the floor, add a dribble of Dawn, and then sprinkle some baking soda on it. It bubbles, I mop. Works great.
Outside, I'm a big believer in lime in the kennel area. Our runs are on raised platforms and though I poop scoop before hosing out, there's always some run off to contend with. I buy the pelletized lime from Home Depot or Lowes. It's in the garden section. The powered lime is actually more cost effective in terms of price/coverage, but I think it's harder to handle. The lime helps speed decomposition of organic matter -- that's why you see people in movies putting it on dead bodies they're trying to hide. I usually sprinkle it at night or before a rain so it's got time to sink it. As always, follow package directions in re pet and child exposure.
Try these two methods to get rid of the source of kennel odors and reduce insects, and let me know how it works out!