How to Remove Pet Odors from your Home

How to Remove Pet Odors From Your Home

You love your pets but you don’t love the odors and messes that come along with them. Litter boxes, accidents or even the beloved “wet dog” smell can really wreak havoc on our homes.

Here are some strategies to remove pet odors from your home.

If you’re looking for tips on removing human pee smells from your bathroom, check out this post. It’s consistently one of our most popular!

Litter Box

Cats are usually a bit easier to keep smells at bay. They are pretty good at keeping themselves clean and should be using the litter box. If you keep the litter box cleaned out you shouldn’t have too many smells. The problem comes when you let the litter sit for too long and the smells intensify. 

If you notice that there are still smells, regardless of how often you clean out the box, try adding baking soda to the litter. This will help to neutralize the smells and absorb the odor.

Bath Time

Dogs are smellier than their feline counterparts. Their fur tends to hold a bit more smell, but luckily there are ways to combat that.

When you give your dog a bath, you may notice an even stronger smell. A natural way to help neutralize this smell is with vinegar. Simply pour white vinegar and rub it into their fur, then rinse.

If you don’t have time to give them a bath just yet, sprinkle some baking soda onto their fur and brush it through. This should absorb the oil and combat the smell.

If you take them to the groomer or pet store for a bath, make a recurring appointment or set reminders in your phone.

Accidents

If your animal has an accident on the carpet, there are ways to combat it, if you act quickly. The longer the spot sits, the more likely it is to seep down into the padding and eventually hit the concrete below. If this happens it is very difficult to fully remove the smell without replacing the carpet and treating the concrete. 

If you are able to get to it in time, there are a few ways to try to get rid of it.

First off, do NOT get a towel and press it down into the carpet.  While it makes sense that you are trying to force it onto the towel, you are actually forcing it down into the pad more. Instead, lightly press a towel on the area and absorb what you can then sprinkle the area with baking soda and allow that to absorb the liquid. Once dried, vacuum the baking soda and the smells should lessen.  

If the area has already dried, treat it with a solution of equal parts white vinegar and water. Blot the area with paper towels a few minutes later to remove as much liquid as possible. Once dry, sprinkle the area with baking soda and vacuum up after 15-20 minutes.

If the smell still lingers, you may need to wipe down the walls and/or flooring around the accident spot with the vinegar solution.

If you’re unsure exactly where the smell is coming from, use a small handheld black light (Amazon). You may be horrified. But at least you’ll know where to start.

Many of our readers also swear by using an enzymatic cleaner like Nature’s Miracle Urine Destroyer. Helps with odor, stains and residue. If you’re looking for a recommendation on a more general cleaning spray, try OUT! Pet Stain and Odor Remover or SCOE 10X Odor Eliminator.

Surface Cleaning

You can also sprinkle baking soda on any surface your pet frequents. It works well on carpets, upholstery, pet beds or any other cloth surface. Sprinkle and allow to sit for a few minutes. Give the area a good vacuum and you should start to notice the smells lessen.  

Don’t forget to think about any unusual places your pet likes to frequent. Think closets, stairs, under the bed. Make sure to vacuum and deodorize these areas regularly.

If an item or area in your home is tough to wash, either take it outside or try to expose to fresh air and sunlight.

We’d love to hear from you if one of the methods above worked well for you!

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These Pet Odor Eliminator Candles from Specialty Pet Products get weirdly amazing reviews! They contain enzymes that actually help kill odors instead of masking them. Lots of scents available.

Has anyone tried these??

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