Hoover makes tablets to put in the bag when you are putting in a fresh one. They help somewhat. I found them on Amazon.

when we had a vacumm I would put fabreeze on a couple of cotton balls and suck them up. worked for me and the room smelled like fabreeze. the tip i read said to use perfume but I didn't like that and fabreeze worked better.

add a little baking soda in the bag

I wonder if the baking soda would come through the bag and deposit itself all over the house? Otherwise, it is a great idea. I also like the dryer sheet idea! They smell so nice now.

Have always used dryer sheets.....also put one under my car seat.

I don't know if this helps, but I am also allergic to all kind of things, including pet hair, yet have 4 indoor cats. There is a huge amount of hair inside my house, yet I need a good vacuum cleaner. I now use a bagless vacuum cleaner, so I won't have to clean the bag after cleaning all my house. There are plenty good bagless vacuum cleaners on the market. I have never though about dryer sheets, but will try in the future with another vacuum cleaner.

Also, do you have a vacuum with HEPA filter to get rid of odor while cleaning? Here are some good vacuums with HEPA filters.

@auntlucy what do you mean about tablets to put in the bag (at Hoover?). Thanks!