Owning a pet means making a long-term commitment which does not only concern the care of the dog or cat, but also the awareness that to maintain the same hygienic status at home a greater commitment and a greater frequency of them will be required.
The smell of dog and cat urine (and not just urine!) can be very pungent and linger in the house, but also on clothes, carpets and furnishings. So let’s arm ourselves with a rag, hot water and a lot of patience and find out how to get rid of pet smell in the house!
How to get rid of pet smell in the house?
To make the smell of dogs and cats disappear in the house is not enough air the room oftenbut it is necessary to resort to regular cleaning with suitable detergents that are both effective and not harmful to the other members of the family, pet included of course.
First you have to identify the primary source of the bad smell and start with that, then proceeding with a general cleaning of the domestic environments with particular attention to those frequented by Fido or Micio. But let’s see in detail some tricks on how to eliminate pet odors at home.
1. How to get rid of pet smell in the house in a natural way
Especially when they are puppies or elderly and incontinent, our 4-legged friends have a tendency to urinate on carpets, sofas or fabrics which can retain their unpleasant smell.
How to get rid of pet smell in the house? You can create one deodorizing solution made with cheap, natural and non-toxic products, such as the vinegar and the bicarbonate. You will need:
- 500ml of water;
- 60 ml of vinegar (or lemon juice);
- 4 teaspoons of baking soda.
Mix them and wait for the end of the effervescence to apply them on the areas affected by the bad smell, then let it act overnight and remove any residues with a brush or vacuum cleaner.
On delicate fabrics it is advisable to do a test on a small area and check that the fabric is not damaged before proceeding with the treatment.
2. Use baking soda to wash the dog’s bed and accessories
Not only the smell of urine, but also that of vomit, feces and even dog and cat hair can release nauseating odors.
As we have seen, baking soda is always a great ally when it comes to how to get rid of pet odor in the home, but also from stubborn-smelling objects belonging to the dog, such as:
- sit;
- games;
- leash.
and why not, even from curtains and your everyday clothes.
Add 2 tablespoons to the detergent usual to obtain an anti-odour effect: you will be amazed!
3. Install an air purifier
A useful tip on how to eliminate the smell of animals in the house is certainly to let it air for the time necessary for the air to recirculate. But when you have one or more four legs, not even opening the windows several times a day could be enough.
In addition to using air fresheners and candles for rooms, a healthy, effective and long-term idea can be to install an air purifier. This device will also be able to remove most of the allergens responsible for allergies to dogs or cats in humans. Not to mention the benefits of breathing cleaner air!
4. Improve our pet’s hygiene
Some dogs may have a more intense odor than others due to conformation, genetics and fur, so make sure you brush and groom your pet regularly according to his personal needs.
If we suddenly feel that our dog has a particularly unpleasant smell, it could be an inflammation of the anal glands or a food problem, so we should refer the case to our veterinarian.
Another reason why dogs and cats can emit bad odors is linked to a hormonal issue, such as the marking of the territory of an unneutered male cat.
5. Schedule regular cleaning
How to get rid of pet smell in the house without cleaning it? Maybe it could! Not only floors, but also curtains, carpet fabrics and surfaces must be thoroughly washed on a regular basis.
Here lurk hair, dust and consequently bad smells which, permeating, stink the whole house. The vacuum cleaner must be vacuumed often for the same reasons, or in alternation with an automatic robot vacuum cleaner.
How to remove pet smell from clothes?
To remove the smell of dogs and cats from clothes you can use 3 different solutions:
-
Combine 2 tablespoons of baking soda with the detergent in the washing machine (check on delicate items) or leave to soak overnight in case of hand washing.
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Adding half a cup of white vinegar to the washing machine directly on the clothes before washing neutralizes odors and is good for most delicate clothes
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Buy special fabric deodorizers to be applied before washing, designed to make the smell caused by animals disappear from clothes. Different brands are also available online.
How to wash floors to remove pet smell?
Very often we use theammonia to remove the smell of cats and dogs, but this should be avoided for several reasons. First of all, ammonia is a toxic and polluting substance, which remains in the air for some time after washing and using too much of it can disturb our 4 paws.
Furthermore, even pee contains ammonia, so its smell can disorient our pets, causing them to urinate right where you have just cleaned.
Here are some remedies for washing floors when you have dogs or cats:
- A non-toxic and versatile solution is to dilute ethyl alcohol in water or add it to detergent.
- Another solution is to wash the floor with white wine vinegar, and then wipe with the usual detergent product.
- There are also Glutaraldehyde-based sanitizing products on the market, which disinfect the house and eliminate odors and are non-toxic.
Cleaning when you have a dog or a cat is even more important. It won’t be fun, but our 4-legged friends certainly deserve the effort!