Does your house smell bad due to pet odor? Tried several strategies to remove musty dog smell but to no avail? If you answered “yes” to these questions, this article is for you.
Dealing with pet odors is one of the most challenging responsibilities of dog owners. Yes, you love your pets so much, but you’re probably not thrilled about how they make your house smell. Smelling foul odor as you arrive home can cause stress and prevent you from inviting people over.
Why Do Our Pets Small Bad?
Pets are naturally proud of their smell because it gives them an identity; their odor is their mark on the world. But as for humans, this odor can cause a lot of problems.
Pets smell bad because different parts of their bodies tend to smell. For example, dog hair contains oil that can eventually cause a musty dog smell. Bacteria and yeast present in your cat’s and dog’s teeth can also cause bad breath, which can eventually cause your home to start smelling bad or foul. You can prevent this from happening by prioritizing your pets’ dental hygiene.
The waxy ear build-up in your pets’ ears can also contribute to the stink prevalent in your home. The smell can get worse if your pets have ear infections.
How Can You Eliminate Pet Odor?
Getting rid of pet odor is challenging but not impossible to accomplish. As long as you know which strategies to follow, it won’t be long before your house will smell good again!
Here are twelve effective ways to get rid of pet odors at home:
- Sweep and Mop Your Hard Floors
One of the easiest and most effective ways to get rid of pet odor is to remove any loose debris your cat or dog left on your home. This means removing dog hair and cat fur, as well as pet dander.
Because dander, dust particles, and hair are very light, you need to be careful when trying to get rid of them. Ideally, you should gently sweep the floors while making sure that these things don’t end up in the air and spread to other areas of your home. Sweep them delicately and ferry them directly to your trash bin.
You can also place a paper towel on top of the dust after putting them into a trash can. This is an effective hack to prevent the dust from blowing out the trash can.
Once you’ve swept everything, apply a pet-safe floor cleaner like this one. Aside from effectively removing dirt, grease, and grime on your hard floors, pet-safe floor cleaners can also get rid of any pet messes, dirt, and odor.
- Vacuum Everything Regularly
Pet hair is actually one of the culprits why your house smells bad. Cat and dog hair contain oil that causes a strong odor. The more hairs your pets shed, the smeller your home becomes.
To eliminate pet odors, deep clean your home regularly using a vacuum. We love this cordless vacuum cleaner from Amazon because it offers powerful suction, uses refined filtration technology and can peel off pet hair from any surface. Vacuum cleaners can effectively remove pet hair, dander, and dirt from different surfaces, allowing you to save time in the long run. Make sure to do this routine regularly.
Maximize your vacuum by cleaning every square inch of your home. This means going through carpet fibers, area rugs, floors, and curtains. Don’t forget to regularly change the air filters of the vacuum to maintain its cleaning efficacy!
- Neutralize Smelly Furniture
Cat and dog pee is another reason why your home gives off bad smells. They would probably use your furniture as their own peeing station because it’s stationary. Over time, urine smells can cause a permanent stink that can make your house less desirable and more stressful.
One way to deep clean smelly furniture is to use baking soda. Wash the removable covers of your furniture and then scrub any urine stains with baking soda. You might think dogs are a man’s best friend, but it’s actually baking soda as this product can do wonders removing foul odors at home. Baking soda is odorless and effectively absorbs odors, making it the perfect deodorizer!
If your furniture doesn’t come with removable covers, use a soft-bristled brush to dust hair and dander off and then wipe the surface using a damp cloth. For leather furniture, wipe the surface using a mixture of white vinegar and warm water. Be careful not to use too much as this solution can oversaturate and cause discoloration on the fabric of your furniture. The Human Society also mentioned that using too much vinegar can entice your pet to mark the area.
- Neutralize Everything
If your furniture isn’t the only thing that smells in your home, opt to neutralize everything. This strategy is effective and can be done using homemade cleaning products.
Mix more vinegar and baking soda, and then pour the solution into a spray bottle. Shake and spray on different fabrics, such as carpets, curtains, and your pet’s bed. You can also add a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to your laundry detergent whenever you’re washing your linens, duvets, towels, and slipcovers.
- Steam Clean Your Carpets
Carpet odor is challenging to get rid of, especially if your pets have been peeing on your carpets for months. In this case, merely vacuuming your carpet is not enough – you need to steam clean them.
Use a steam cleaner to remove cat and dog odors trapped in the carpet fibers. If you don’t have your own steam cleaner, pay for professionals to steam clean your carpets. Just make sure that they’re using pet-friendly cleaning products.
As your carpets are being steamed cleaned, have your dog and cat roam outside. This will make the process faster and easier, especially if you’re going to hire pros. Make sure that your carpets are completely dry before letting your pets in. Wet carpets can attract molds, which can also create a strong odor indoors.
- Use an Odor-Sealing Paint
If your cat and dog stay indoors all the time, chances are, urine stains aren’t limited to your floors – your pets can also choose to pee in the lower portions of your walls. Aside from leaving a stinky odor, urine stains can also damage your paints. This will adversely affect the ambiance and appearance of your home.
Using odor-sealing paint is a godsend if you want to get rid of urine odor and stains on your walls. We particularly like this product from Amazon because it uses an advanced formula designed to eliminate existing odors from pets and can be used on different surfaces.
Applying a layer of odor-sealing paint in your home is like hitting two birds at the same time – you’ll finally remove the cat and dog smell from your home and make your walls look new again!
- Invest In An Air Purifier
There are now tools that’ll make it easier for you to remove cat and dog smell inside your home. The benefits of using these tools will surely outweigh the costs.
An air purifier is a must if you want to get rid of foul smells inside your home. An air purifier works by pulling off fur, dander, and debris out from the air of your home, making the space smell better. There are several air purifiers available today, but this one is our favorite, as it’s specifically designed to get rid of pet dander.
Aside from filtering particulate matter from the air inside your home, pet-friendly air filters can kill bacteria and fungi in the air, too. This can prevent odor-related problems down the road and prevent your household from getting sick.
- Perfume Your Home
Are you having guests over soon? Worried that pet odor can ruin their mood? If you’re looking for a fool-proof solution to get rid of odors, perfume your home.
For starters, you can invest in an essential oil diffuser to make your home feel and smell great. This device works by emitting essential oils into the air, allowing you and your guests to inhale and absorb the benefits of essential oils to your bodies. If you think using an essential oil diffuser is the perfect solution, look into this product from Amazon. This one’s budget-friendly, aesthetic and features a 500 ML water tank.
Aside from using an essential oil diffuser, you can also place some scented candles in different areas of your house. These can transform your home into a stress-free and relaxing sanctuary. We highly recommend these 12-set scented candles from Amazon because they’re long-lasting and come in colorful containers.
Regardless of how you’re going to perfume your home – whether you’re going to use essential oil diffusers or scented candles – make sure to place these items out of your pets’ reach.
- Let In Some Fresh Air
Although this solution isn’t the be-all and end-all to your pet odor problems, this trick can surely help. Letting in some fresh air can help reduce pet-related odors as it improves ventilation. This can prevent pet odor, moisture, and gases from accumulating indoors.
To let some fresh air in, open every screened window in your home and doors (if possible). Turn on your ceiling fans and the fans in your home’s central unit. If you have an attic fan, make sure to turn that on, too. This simple practice will replace stale air indoors with fresher air from the outside.
When airing out your home, don’t forget about the safety of your dog and cat. You can purchase this pet gate to ensure that your best friend remains safe as you open your doors and windows. You don’t want to spend hours looking for your dog or cat around the neighborhood, right?
- Change Your Home’s Air Filters
As you’re airing out your home, put on your family handyman cap and replace your air filters. Clogged air filters don’t contribute to the pet-odor problem but can make your heating and cooling systems work less efficiently. As a result, the amount of air flowing into your home will be reduced. This can cause pet odor to accumulate indoors.
Changing the air filter in your home is easy, even if you’re not a pro with home improvement. Just remove the old air filter and bring it to your local hardware store. This will ensure that you get the correct replacement filter.
If you have a sufficient budget, you can also order air filters in bulk. This can help you save money in the long run and will make it easier for you to change your home’s air filter regularly.
- Wash Your Pet’s Bed
Your pet’s bed is probably the smelliest item in your home because this is where your best friend will sleep, eat, and play. Spending a lot of time in their pet bed enables your pet to coat the entire surface with hair, dander, saliva, urine, and dirt. This is especially true if your cat or dog loves to lounge in their bed after playing outside.
Check the tag on your pet’s bed to determine if it’s machine washable or should be hand washed. You should also pay attention to the drying requirements of the pet bed, as some can be machine-dried while others need to be air-dried.
While you’re at it, check the core of your pet’s bed, as well. This part should be free of any odor or stain. Depending on the manufacturer’s instructions, you can wash the core or replace it altogether.
After washing your pet’s bed, consider treating the cover with a stain repellant, like this one. Stain repellants work by preventing pets from revisiting and marking the same spot twice. These also permanently eliminate stains and odors.
- Bathe Your Pet Regularly
All of your efforts to clean your home will be useless if you skip bathing your pet. How can you keep your home odor-free if you allow your cat or dog to roam around even when they’re filthy? Do you think your house can smell good again if this is the case?
To remove cat or dog smell from your home, prioritize bathing your pet regularly. Bathing your pet can effectively remove dirt and odor from their bodies and reduce shedding. This also helps with allergies, as bathing can get rid of allergens stuck on your pet’s fur.
When bathing your pet, make sure to use products made especially for them. For example, if you have a dog at home, invest in dog shampoos, like this one, to ensure that they remain safe during the bath. Dog shampoos can also soften and strengthen your pet’s skin and coat, reducing their risk of infections.
As for your feline friends, you have plenty of bath products to choose from. We highly recommend this cat shampoo because it uses safe ingredients and is ideal for all cat types. You can even use this one for your senior cats and kittens!
Still Can’t Get Rid of Cat and Dog Smell?
If you tried all of the solutions mentioned in this article, but none worked, schedule a consultation with a vet and seek veterinary advice. Cat and dog smell that are too foul and don’t go away after using several products is a sign of infection. Foul-smelling urine can indicate bacterial urinary tract infection that can affect both cats and dogs.
Talk to your vet soon, so you can treat any underlying problems your cat or dog might have. They can help keep your pets healthy and ensure that your home looks and smells good all the time.