Everyone’s home has a particular smell. If you’ve been out of your house for a few hours and return home, you might smell lingering smells from candles, cooking or other scent sources as you enter your house. For people who have pets, that smell might come from their furry friends. Whether your house smells like … Continued
Everyone’s home has a particular smell. If you’ve been out of your house for a few hours and return home, you might smell lingering smells from candles, cooking or other scent sources as you enter your house. For people who have pets, that smell might come from their furry friends.
Whether your house smells like dog, cat, hamster or another adorable animal, you’re likely interested in eliminating those smells fast and learning how to keep your home smelling fresh for good. Below, we cover how to keep your home free of pet odors with a few simple tips.
5 Steps on How to Remove Pet Odors From Your Home
While your pet is part of your family, they’re also an animal, which means they can take on and emit unpleasant smells that end up making your home smell bad. For example, pet dander can build up on furniture, and pet hair can pile up in carpeting and other materials, creating various odors.
If you’ve just noticed that your home smells like your pet, you can do the following to get rid of these scents:
1. Sweep, Vacuum, Mop and Repeat
The floor is where most of your pet’s hair settles, so you want to clean your floors regularly to remove hair buildup. Use a broom to sweep hair on hard floors and vacuum to pick up hair on carpets and rugs. Then, mop your hard floors to ensure they’re as clean as possible.
Depending on how many animals you have and how furry they are, you might need to sweep and vacuum daily and mop every other week. Consider cleaning more often during shedding season and getting your carpet steamed periodically.
2. Treat Stains Quickly
Sometimes, your pet will have an accident, and you won’t spot it immediately. Use cold water with a carpet-cleaning solution on the stain first — using hot water or steaming a stained carpet will cause the stain to set.
Try using a baking soda solution to fizz the stain. While vinegar is also a suitable cleaning agent, some dogs like strong smells, so yours may gravitate to that spot again.
3. Clean Linens Regularly
Pop bed linens and other soft furnishings into the wash once every other week to keep them smelling fresh. Stick to the washing instructions for each fabric. If the material allows, use warm/hot water.
One tip to consider is using fabric softener sheets with your clothing and bedding in the dryer before washing. This trick reduces the static and gently pulls off stray pet hair. Then, you can wash your linens as usual.
4. Wash Pet Items and Beds
If your house smells like a dog, it’s probably from the dog’s bed. The highest concentration of odors will be wherever your pet rests for the night and relaxes during the day, so you’ll want to clean that area frequently and thoroughly.
First, vacuum your pet’s bed to remove as much hair as possible. Then, take off the cover and spot treat any stains before tossing it in the wash for a deep clean. If your pet spends time in a cage or crate, wipe down the interior and exterior with a mild cleaner to remove dirt and debris.
Repeat the process every other week or more often if you deem fit.
5. Leave Windows Open When Possible
Airing out your home is a great way to remove bad smells quickly. When the weather is nice, open as many windows as you can to air out odors and introduce fresh air inside. You can also take cages and crates outside to air them out.
Tips for Keeping Your Home Free of Pet Odors
After eliminating the pet smells from your home, you’ll want to do what you can to keep it that way. Adjusting your daily clean routine will solve many of your everyday pet smell issues. Here are a few general tips that will contribute to keeping your home free of pet odors:
1. Neutralize Smells
If there’s a pet smell in the house, your first response might be to light some scented candles to mask the smell. Instead, your best bet will be to find the source of the odor so you can neutralize it. If the issue is pet items like food, put the items in air-tight storage containers and consider moving them to a place like the basement or garage to reduce scents.
2. Clean Pet Accessories
Cleaning your pet’s bowl should happen often. Other items you can clean less frequently include their toys, leashes and collars. These items often hold onto smells, as they’re around your pet the most. Incorporate your pet’s accessories into your cleaning routine to eliminate scents.
3. Invest in Furniture Covers
To protect your furniture investment, you should consider purchasing furniture covers. These items go over your couches and chairs to keep them free of pet hair and stains. When they’re dirty, you can easily take them off and wash them without having to apply special products to your actual furniture.
4. Keep Your Pet Clean
One key way to remove the smell of dogs from your house is to groom them regularly.
Bathe your pet once a week or every two weeks to keep them clean. Ask your vet about pet-friendly shampoos and conditioners to ensure you choose the right ones. Grooming your pet with a pet-friendly brush is another way to cut down on smells by removing build up from their fur.
Some pets will need grooming often, so be sure you create a grooming and bathing schedule that’s right for your pet.
Hire Rent Maids to Keep Your Home Pristine
If you’re struggling to maintain a clean home with pets, we’re here to help. Rent Maids offers professional cleaning services in the DMV. Whether you want a once-off clean or need cleaning help regularly, our expert cleaning team can get the job done for you.
Get in touch today to schedule cleaning services!
