If I were an X-men, or a Hero, or some kind of mutant with a specially evolved super power I'm certain my skill would be something involving my olfactory sense. Unfortunately it isn't as glamorous as a cheerleader who can heal herself or a phoenix with telepathic abilities, but we all make do with what we have. And I have a very heightened sense of smell.

I have never told anyone this, mostly because it's kind of embarrassing, but I feel like it properly illustrates my power of sniff. I once lived in an apartment that had a bit of a cockroach problem. Every so often, one of the monsters would make it's way to my bathroom via the bathtub drain. Gross? Yes, but even more terrible: I could smell the roaches before I would see them. My nose would detect a distinct earthy smell and a few seconds later a cockroach would crawl into my sight line. It was an occurrence that I dreaded every morning when getting ready for work.

Basically, I can smell everything.

Like the cat pee in my new kitchen. I don't know at what point a feline lived in my house, but I do know that its owner didn't have time to properly train it to use a litter box. Now I'm left to deal with that specific musty smell every time it's humid. And Kansas City in the middle of July? It's always humid.

"I might not have signed the lease if I knew about the cat-pee smell," I complained to my mom. Her answer: "Murphy's oil soap once a week."

Is Murphy's a miracle? Maybe not, but it is quite the product, and so unassuming. The formula is about 100 years old, vegetable based, biodegradable and it's a soap, not a detergent, so it isn't caustic or harsh. Plus it smells amazing. And, if used once a week on a cat-peed floor, it will begin to lift the scent out of the floorboards. It's affordable too - Murphy's can be found at any neighborhood grocery for about $6/ 32 oz.