Removing Pet Odors From Your House

Removing pet odors from your house can be easy and you’ll create a healthy environment for you and your family or guests. The key to removing these odors is to first remove the source if you expect the smell to completely disappear and not have it return shortly after you’ve cleaned.

If you have a pet dog (or maybe two) you know exactly what it’s like to live with gobs of hair, a sofa and chairs that smell strange, and the ever so popular urine on your rugs and carpets.

Living with your pet day in and day out, it’s easy to get used to these odors and not even notice that sometimes your house smells like a kennel.

The first thing you’ll need to do is give your dog a bath on a regular basis. This will depend on factors like how long your dog’s coat is, whether it’s strictly an inside dog or whether it always runs around your yard, and whether you let your dog roll about in the dirt or whatever it feels like romping around in. If a dog is dirty it will spread mud or filth all over your house.

You’ll also need to be vigilant in removing excess hair from your dog and not wait until it’s all over your furniture.

Once a week remove any dog hair from your furniture using a standard vacuum cleaner with the side attachment. Just vacuum the furniture until all the hair is gone. You can also use a lint roller to pick up the loose hair.

Your floors should be cleaned at least once a week. Rugs and carpets vacuumed, and wood or tile floors swept clean before mopping. On tile or linoleum floors you can use bleach to be sure all the bacteria is killed.

Replace the air conditioning and furnace filters once a month. Loose dog hair tends to stick to filters.

Disinfecting hard surfaces that your dog comes in daily contact with will help remove any lingering odors, and by using a sanitizer you can kill more than 99% of all germs, including cold and flu viruses that may be clinging to surfaces in your home.

Standard spray air fresheners will only mask the scents in your house and you’ll end up with a dog that smells like a pet covered with flowers. Buy a spray that removes odors instead of covering them up.

You’re going to need a pet stain and odor remover if you want to get rid of all urine odors. An inexpensive and just as effective method for removing these odors is to spray the urine stained areas with a mixture of half vinegar and half water.

You should wash your pet’s bedding at least two times a month, then spray it for a fresh, clean scent.

Removing pet odors from your house doesn’t need to be a time consuming chore that you hate to face every week. Just follow the instructions above and soon your house will be free of unpleasant dog odors.

Does Your Dog Have Trouble:

  • Walking?
  • Standing?
  • Getting up?

 

Cleaning Dog Stains and Odors

Having a four-legged companion is a lifetime commitment, and sometimes that commitment means you’ll find yourself cleaning dog stains and odors from your floors or rugs.

Even housetrained dogs can sometimes have accidents. These accidents may be due to a medical condition or the loss of bladder control due to old age. If your dog repeatedly soils your house make an appointment with your veterinarian as soon as possible as the problem could be a condition that is easily treated. The first step in finding a solution to the problem will be determining why your dog is going in the house.

If your dog does have a mishap indoors, the sooner you start cleaning it up, the easier it will be and the less likely that any stains will set in. If you smell urine odor but can’t find where it’s coming from, you can use a black light to locate the source. Granted, a black light may seem to be a leftover from the 60’s but many people surprisingly still have one stored away. If not, you can find one quite cheaply by doing a Google search for “black light”.

When you have your black light, hold it one to two feet above your rug or carpet in a darkened room, and if there are any urine stains they will show up as a greenish/yellow color.

If your dog has defecated inside, pick up the solid matter and then soak up any liquid with paper towels. If the accident happened on a rug or carpet, use a blotting motion: rubbing can damage the carpet fibers. A small, hand-held carpet spotting machine or wet vacuum can also be used to remove any liquid. Rinse well with water and blot or vacuum again.

You can purchase a cleaner/neutralizer formulated for pet messes at Petco or Petsmart. Some products contain enzymes that actually digest the source of odors and stains. Carefully read and follow the instructions on the label because most enzymatic cleaners need time to absorb the spots.

Sometimes cleaning dog stains and odors entails nothing more than cleaning up mud or dirt tracked into your home and onto your carpet. If you live in an area subject to a lot of rain, this can be a problem every time your dog is allowed outside. An easy way to keep muddy tracks off your rugs and carpet is to use Paw Wipe.

Just hang this soft, absorbent Microfiber Mitt on or near the door and make cleaning dirty paws easy. The amazing Microfiber Mitt holds up to 7 times its weight in dirt, grime and liquid. This means no more muddy tracks on your carpet or floors after your dog returns from outside.

Cleaning dog stains and odors is not a fun job but if you use any of the products mentioned above, your job will become much easier.