Are You Nose Blind?
When someone enters your home, is he or she greeted with welcoming aromas and fresh air? Or does a visitor open your front door only to be greeted with whiffs of a stinky dog?
My Mother owned a large, male Great Dane and visiting her home almost brought us to our knees at times. Old Sam was sweet but oh my, did he smell bad! No way would that ever happen in my home!
You can imagine my embarrassment years later when my grown son walked into my home and asked, “Mom! Did the dog die? It stinks in here.” Our noses had become blind to dog odors, just as my Mother’s had.
Dogs play outside. They dig in the dirt and grass and then come inside to sit on the sofa. Or if they are like my Murphy, they race through the house with whatever was left on their paws and between their toes and deposit it on the just vacuumed carpeting.
None of us want our homes to smell like a barnyard. In my research, I found excellent ways to eliminate dog odors from our homes. If you also struggle with keeping your home from announcing Rover’s presence to visitors, my research may provide you with some effective options to try.
6 Best Online Tips for Ridding Your Home of Dog Odors
Get Rid of that Dog Smell (from K9 of Mine)
Writer Ben Team actually offers up “12 Hacks to Get Rid of the Dog Smell in Your House.” Organized and easy to digest, the so-called “hacks” tackle tough jobs, one at a time, to get the job done. I especially liked the suggestions for cleaning hard floors and carpeting, which is where most doggie odors will settle.
As simple as it sounds, I have never thought of adding a layer of paper towels to the trash can after I empty a dust pan full of pet fur. But it surely does make sense that without it, dust and pet hair will go flying through the room.
I would add one more to his list: Steam clean hard-surface floors. A steamer with a few drops of lavender, mint or lemon oil leave the entire room spelling fresh and clean.
Vinegar, the Go-To Product to Remove Pet Odors (from Landlordology)
Since great-grandma’s day, vinegar has been the go-to product for stains. But will it work to get rid of odors? Writer, Kathy Adams, explains in detail the steps to follow for the vinegar method to do the job.
Following the directions outlined in Method 1 discussed in this article worked on my bedroom carpeting. Our recently deceased bulldog, Maggie, gave new meaning to the term “smelly dog.” We had to find a way to rid the off-white carpeting of that “Maggie smell” quite often.
Ms. Adams vinegar suggestions in “How to Get Rid of Pet Odors” saved the day…and the carpet.
3 Natural Ingredients Will Safely Get Rid of Pet Odors
Writer Suzanne Alicie reminds us in “How to Remove Pet Odors in Your Home” that we most likely already own the 3 items needed to keep our homes smelling fresh and clean. We don’t need to purchase expensive cleaning products, because baking soda, vinegar and lemon juice will do the job as well.
Those 3 items are staples in my home for cleaning. Using them as odor removers created a nice surprise. I make a paste of baking soda and lemon juice to clean the steel tray in the bottom of Murphy’s crate. My dog has a bad habit of moving his bedding and pillows to one corner of the crate and rolls back and forth on the steel bottom. Washing the tray with the natural products makes it smell much better. I lightly spray Murphy’s bedding each morning with vinegar to keep it fresh.
Fighting Dog Odors Becomes Easier with this Tip (from Dogington Post)
Along with other excellent tips for fighting dog odors writer, James Hall, suggests in “8 Quick Tips to Prevent Your House Smelling Like Dog”
using an air purifier in your home. Be sure to change the filter often, because pets leave a lot of dander in the air, as well as fur. The author suggests buying one with a carbon filter for better odor absorption.
We keep a small purifier in our laundry room where the cat’s litter box resides. Another purifier resides in our bedroom. As the article suggests, used in conjunction with other products, this product works well to remove dog odors.
Collar Those Dog Odors (from i Heart Dogs)
Along with other valuable ideas, writer Kristina Lotz recommended one that I had not considered. She suggests getting rid of the dog’s old collar – unless you can wash it and remove the smell. Lotz recommends getting a new collar every couple of years.
I soaked Murphy’s old collar in a baking soda solution and then used a vinegar rinse to make it smell better. Once dry, it definitely smelled much better, but it didn’t look very good. Murphy and I will head to the pet store soon for his new collar.
Rid Your Home of Pet Urine Smells (from Bark Mart)
Let’s get specific: Urine accidents happen, whether you have a puppy, a pet illness, or an older dog that has lost some bladder control. Bark Mart’s post, “Getting Rid of Pet Urine Smell – for Good” offers good advice, and step-by-step instructions focused on removing urine so the area doesn’t become a cesspool of nasty dog odors. One of these tips might help your problem.
I can’t count the number of dog accidents that have occurred on my carpets over the years. I have used all 12 of the suggestions in this article, and each will work in certain situations.
Think Twice before Using Air Fresheners
Some air freshener products contain dangerous chemicals. According to Dr. Karen Shaw Becker, a whopping 75 percent of U.S. households these days use a variety of products to scent the air in their homes, including air freshener sprays, upholstery sprays, plug-ins, gels, candles and incense. Dr. Becker considers all of these to be indoor pollutants.
Air fresheners contain volatile organic compounds (VOC), like acetone, ethanol, pinene and acetate. Some of those are toxic. A 2009 EPA study found that scented candles may also contain dangerous chemicals.
Research shows that burning incense can be dangerous to human health. A 2015 study says that it’s worse than inhaling cigarette smoke.
For the safety of our pets, we don’t use scented air fresheners, neither aerosols nor plug-ins. Essential oils are natural and won’t harm the animals. Placed in a diffuser set on a timer, the natural scents keep the air fresh and pleasant. Just be sure to purchase the oils from a reputable dealer. We like “doTERRA” oils, and they work well to keep my home from smelling like a barnyard, but there are other excellent brands available.
Weekly bathing of the dog, his bedding, and all of his belongings will minimize the aromas of eau de dog. If you don’t have an outdoor space for bathing your pet and he’s too large for the bathtub, some retail pet supplies stores offer self-wash areas. You can bring your dog in and use their grooming stations to make Rover company-fresh.
All of the suggestions are helpful, and certain ones may work better in some situations than others. Read the information above, click on the links and choose the methods that work best for your needs. Soon your home will welcome guests without the worry of nasty dog odors.