Ten easy ways to remove dog odors from your home

Market Trend

Ten easy ways to remove dog odors from your home

If your dog has been around for the past 15 years, you are all too familiar with the chronic case of dog odor your home may have. And the amount of fur that flies on a daily basis is shocking. Here are some helpful tips and tricks that will help your home smell great.

Vacuum up the hair and dander: For those with pets who shed, managing all the hair and fur is a real struggle. In addition to the floor, it’s important to vacuum everywhere pet hair and dander may be hiding, such as behind couch cushions, behind furniture, and the clothes in your closets.

Wash and dry: It’s also important to regularly wash all of the items that your pet uses on a daily basis. This can include pet bed covers, cushion covers on furniture, pet blankets, and sheets and linens.

Clean toys, bowls, collars and leashes: When thinking about the cleaning that we regularly do for our pets, we often forget about things like toys, food boys, collars and even leashes. All of these items can easily hold on to odor and bacteria, so it's important to regularly wash and launder all of this stuff, too.

Bathe them regularly: Some dogs hate to get a bath (hunting dogs excepted), so make a regular appointment with a groomer. If you give your pet a bath at home, set a reminder on your phone or an ongoing appointment on your calendar so you won’t forget.

Baking soda: In terms of tackling odors in your home, baking soda is a fantastic odor neutralizer, as most of us already know from using it in our refrigerators and freezers. Sprinkle baking soda on your pet’s bed or on your couch cushions. Make sure to check labels and test in a small area first, let it sit for a few minutes, then vacuum it up.

Vinegar: Vinegar is also an amazing natural cleaning option for more serious pet odors. Try using vinegar (diluted with a bit of water) in a spray bottle and spray on carpets or floors. Or use in combination with baking soda on cushions or bedding for an extra powerful, odor-eliminating punch.

Nature’s Miracle: When tackling urine odors in your home, you can try an enzymatic neutralizer such as Nature’s Miracle or similar product to spot-treat an area and completely eliminate the odor. Even if you have a pup that’s house trained, it’s always a good idea to keep this type of cleaner on hand, just in case there’s an accident.

Citrus plus hydrogen peroxide: Citrus and hydrogen peroxide are two other great bases for pet cleaners. The citrus works as a natural enzymatic cleaner, and the hydrogen peroxide is another great neutralizer and is also works on wine and blood stains like magic.

HEPA filter: For those with allergies, a HEPA air filter might be a good idea to really tackle any dander or pet odor issues head on. A HEPA filter is a mechanical air-purifying filter that forces air through a fine mesh in order to trap harmful particles such as pet dander. Some vacuum cleaners come with HEPA filters.

Don’t forget closets and stairways: Finally, when thinking through your cleaning/odor tackling game plan at home, don’t forget about spots in your house that your pets like to hang out that are less top of mind. Some pets love to snooze in closets, and others like to hang out on the stairs. Make sure you’re vacuuming and cleaning these areas regularly to really stay on top of the unwanted odors.