How to Get Rid of Dog Smell at Home

Dog owners know that eventually, they will have to face the challenge of removing that doggy stink from their home. But instead of sentencing your pet to a lonesome life in an outdoor wooden kennel, you can try this list of useful tips and tricks that will help you free your house of any canine odors. 

The Dogington Post recommends doing these chores regularly to improve the overall home cleanliness and your family wellbeing. 

1. Grab That Broom and Mop

The first and most important thing is to clean the floor from all the litter and debris that comes from your beloved pet. Furry sheddings, footprints, dander and spilt kibble are just a few of the items on the list. 

• Start with the broom first and then finish with the mop. 
• But be careful, sweep gently or you risk pumping these “goodies” up in the air allowing them to spread around your house. 
• Collect the waste and carefully throw it into the dustbin. 
• Dump the entire bin once finished or consider composting dog fur you have. 

Find out The Best Way to Clean Dog Hair From Hardwood Floors 

2. Turn on the Vacuum

The carpets throughout your home are the best hideaway for doggy gunk. Vacuum every single inch, including the rugs, too. Don’t forget to do the same with all the furniture and curtains. Reach to clean the curves, cracks, and crevices by using the relevant attachments of your machine. Vacuum intensely and as often as possible. 

Learn How to Remove Dog Hair From Just About Anywhere! 

3. Load the Washing Machine

Fabrics are transmitters of odors, so 

• Strip off the beds and couches, remove all linens, couch covers, and pillowcases, grab everything else that is machine-washable and get this washer running. 
• Dry all textiles Thoroughly before putting them back to their original places. The steam iron is a perfect choice for an additional refreshment.
• Your clothes can also catch that doggy smell, so it is best to wash all of your garments while doing the cleaning process, especially if you are dealing with a strong odor problem. 

This way your home will smell better and so will you!

4. Clean the Pet Bed

The smelliest item in your home apart from your four-legged pooch himself will be its bed. Consider this as one enormous pile of fur, dander, dirt, spit, and pee.

Most of the dog beds are washer friendly, so all you need to do is remove the cover and throw it into the laundry – and there’s no harm giving your pooch a good wash and groom while you’re at it! Once you are ready for the drying, check the manufacturer labels, you can machine dry some types while others should be air-dried. 

The base of your pet’s bed must be without stain or odors. If that is not the case, you will need to wash it as well (if the manufacturer allows washing) or buy a new one. 

5. Keep Puppies off your Sofas or Bed

There is nothing better than snuggling in the living or bedroom but make sure dogs know they can’t make it their sofa or bed. According to mattress and sofa expert Jonathan Prichard, pet odors can sink deep into upholstery or bedding which is the main reason for the “no dog on the sofa” rule.

6. Refresh the Air

Airing out your house will help lessen those pet associated odors and improve the overall household hygiene. Fresh air is one of foul odor’s worst enemies. Open all screened windows and every door that you can. The air needs a free circulation passage.

Turn on the ceiling fans and the central unit fan but do not turn on the AC, use only the fans. If you are lucky enough to have an attic fan, switch it on. Refresh your home daily.

7. Use an Air Purifier

There are loads of strong purifiers available on the market to help. A powerful unit like the recognized Honeywell HPA300 purifier will make your home smell better and catch some dander and other particulates that fly in the air.  

The high-quality purifiers can also kill bacteria and fungi. This helps a lot with fighting the odor problems and reduces the risk of you or your pet getting sick.

8. Replace the AC Filters

While refreshing your home, think about changing all AC filters, too. The blocked filters can’t help much with the pet smell problem, but they can obstruct the amount of free-flowing air throughout the space. 

It is easy to change an air filter, just remove it gently from the head body to avoid spreading loose particles. Place it in a bag and bring it to the nearest hardware store or explore expert advice for the proper filter replacement.

9. Open the Baking Soda

Baking soda absorbs odors. It is a simple and affordable way to cut down the stench. 

Place an open box in the doggy treats cabinet or put it on the collar shelf. Powder the furniture and the dog bed, vacuum thoroughly after 20 minutes. Sprinkle all carpets with soda, let them sit overnight and vacuum on the next day. You can use the soda to shampoo your pooch, too! 

10. Look for the Troublesome Areas

At this stage, your home will smell much better. If any lingering odors still occur, then look around for outlying drawbacks such as pungent pee spots, puked areas, saliva stains or goodies around the trash can.

Pinpoint all problematic places, you might need to sniff and crawl around the floor for a while. Once located, treat the areas of concern with a commercial-grade or a home-made odor-eliminator to neutralize the stink.

11. Paint the Walls

Your floor is not the only place that gets urine stains. You can also come upon manure trails on the bottom sides of your walls. An unpleasant sight, for sure!

If getting rid of the carpet punks was tough, wait till you try getting the stench out of drywall. You have two options in such cases. Change the polluted portions of the wall or use a special stain and odor-sealing paint primer designed to fight these issues. 

This approach is not quick and easy, but it is simpler than replacing parts of the wall. These commercial primers can also treat odor issues on wooden furniture and floors throughout your house. Use them with caution and care!

Follow these steps according to your own needs to have a happy dog and a sparkling clean, fragranced home.