Lifestyle

7 ways you can stop pet odours from taking over your home

Sep 27, 2016

If you love to let you pet inside, on the bed or lay around on the couch, then you’ll understand how hard it can be to clean up after them.

Some pets have an odour – whether it’s wet dog smell or a lingering smell from a kitty litter tray.

There are a range of ways you can keep those odours at bay, without having to kick your pet outside.

Here are seven ways you can stop pet odours from taking over your home.

1. Clean with baking soda

When it comes to getting rid of pet odours, baking soda is apparently your best friend. As a natural odour absorber, it’s perfect for cleaning any fabric surfaces, your furniture and kitty litter boxes. It can also be used as an air freshener by leaving an open box on your kitchen counter (out of the reach of your pet of course). So how can you use baking soda when cleaning up after your pet? Try sprinkling fresh baking soda on your furniture or carpets and vacuum or wipe it clean. Before you do however, you should make sure your fabric is compatible for cleaning with baking soda by adding a sprinkle of baking soda to an inconspicuous area. Sometimes, no matter how house trained your pet is, it’ll still make a mess. You can use baking soda to clean up pet urine. All you have to do is soak the urine up with paper towel, sprinkle some baking soda on the remainder and vacuum once it dries. You can also use baking soda in your kitty litter tray. Just sprinkle a bit of the baking soda in the tray between cleans to help cover odours.

2. Try using a baking soda and vinegar cleaning spray

If you want a quick odour neutraliser for your fabrics, try making your own cleaning spray. All you have to do is mix together one teaspoon of baking soda with tablespoon of white vinegar in a spray bottle, add two cups of water when the mixture stops foaming, shake it and then spray onto any areas you can want to stop smelling. This spray might not have a smell of its own, but it’s a good way to stop the cause of the odour instead of just covering it up with an air freshener.

3. Clean pet food bowls, beds and toys weekly

Your pets food bowls, beds and toys can be one of the biggest causes of lingering pet odour in your home. You should clean all dishes, toys, bedding and any areas your pet regularly spends time at least once a week. You can wash you pet’s food bowls the same way you would your own dishes. Clean them with hot soapy water and allow them to air dry. You should also make sure water bowls are clean and filled with fresh drinking water as stagnant, dirty water can smell and attract insects such as mosquitos. If your pet loves to chew and slobber on his/her toys, you should make sure you wash them weekly. You can either carefully wash them in your washing machine, or gently hand wash them with a non-toxic pet soap or washing powder. Your pet’s bedding or where he/she lays regularly should also be cleaned weekly. Make sure you use a washing product that won’t damage the bedding and isn’t harmful to your pet.

4. Wash your pet weekly

Quite often the pet odours in your home are coming directly off your dog itself. Particularly if you have a hairy dog or a dog with any skin allergies, you should bath it at least once a week. If your pet isn’t hyper-allergic, try using a scented shampoo on them. You can also try using a dry pet shampoo or a pet cologne to keep your pet smelling fresh between baths.

5. Wash your linen with apple cider vinegar

Have you ever washed your pet-smelling linen and had it come out of the wash still stinking? Next time you wash, try adding some apple cider vinegar to your washing. This is perfect for lounge cushions, pet bedding, blankets and your bedding. Simply add a 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar to your laundry detergent.

6. Try using scented sprays/oils/candles that won’t harm your pet

Using scented candles and oils when you’re home is a good way of keeping odours at bay in your home. Air fresheners and scented sprays are also useful at masking the odours, however, you should make sure whatever your spraying or burning isn’t going to be harmful to your pet.

7. Clean up any pet waste immediately

If your pet has urinated in a spot, chances are he or she may urinate there again. That’s why it’s important to clean up any pet messes as soon as they happen. Pets will urinate in the same area over and over again if they can smell their original scent, which is why you should use an odour neutraliser to remove the smell as soon as possible. You should remove your pet’s waste/mess completely with water and paper towels before using an odour neutraliser such as baking soda. If your pet has urinated on furniture, carpet or mats/rugs, then you should check underneath and see if the urine has seeped through. That could involve pulling back carpet or rugs and cleaning underneath them or stripping pillows/lounges/beds of their covers and washing them.