Reek Havoc helps combat pet smells in an enviro-friendly way.
Sometimes ideas come out of thin air. And sometimes, as is the case with Madison-based candle company Reek Havoc, they come out of stinky air.
Amy Lambright Murphy and Jill Schaefer, co-owners of Reek Havoc, were sharing a bottle of wine one night in 2012 at Lambright Murphy’s house when Otis, her yellow lab, started passing gas nearby. “Otis started gassing us out,” Lambright Murphy laughs. They lit candles to cover the odor and then realized they had a good business concept on their hands.
The two women, who met in 2001 and have worked together for several art companies, hatched a business plan. The first candle they created was called Dog Fart Fixer, which remains their bestselling candle today. Normally, Schaefer says, “candles are spa-like, Zen and serious. We realized we could have some humor.”
Today Reek Havoc offers 10 to15 different kinds of candles, including Litter Box Relief, Dog Breath Buster, Pardon My Frenchie and Dysfunctional Family Fumigator. They’re all meant to help neutralize pet smells or clear the aura of your space. (For the record, there is nothing to prevent the petless from using them, too.)
The candles, which come in tins, are 100 percent natural soy wax sourced from the United States and contain no pesticides, herbicides or genetically modified materials. Lambright Murphy, who has an art degree, makes the candles at her home studio, and Schaefer designs the labels.
Far left: freshly poured sea spray-scented soy candles.
They had never made candles before Reek Havoc, and it took them about a year to come up with their formula. All are available in custom-made scents from pure essential oils. Scents alternate seasonally, but Schaefer says they always make an array of smells ranging from woodsy and spicy to citrusy, floral and herbal. Current scents include sea spray, lavandin lemongrass, rosemary peppermint and fresh-cut grass.
Candles burn for about 30 to 36 hours and retail for $15, with a portion of proceeds from all sales going to Underdog Pet Rescue of Wisconsin, an all-breed companion animal rescue based in Dane County. It was important to both women to also give back to the community.
In the Madison area, Reek Havoc candles are available at Hatch Art House, Booth 121 and Nutzy Mutz & Crazy Catz (both east and west locations). Lambright Murphy and Schaefer also sell their candles at craft and pet shows, including the Bodega at Breese Stevens Field, the monthly pop-up market that kicks off on Sunday, April 30.
Reek Havoc candles are also available online through an Etsy shop. But Lambright Murphy and Schaefer say they love doing shows and meeting customers in person — they invariably end up sharing stories about their pets. “Our booth always turns into a big party,” says Lambright Murphy.
Reek Havoc, Reekhavoc.com, etsy.com/shop/ReekHavocLLC
Editor's note: This story has been edited to correct the name of Underdog Pet Rescue.
