21 secrets so that my house does not smell like a dog (2023)

FAQs

How do I make sure my house doesn't smell like a dog? ›

Hello, If your house smells like dog, it's probably a combination of the presence of your actual dog and the things the dog leaves behind in the house. In many older, non-altered, or less house-trained dogs (and, incidentally, frequently in cats) house soiling could be a problem that the owner doesn't realize exists.

Baking soda is a natural odor-absorber. Sprinkle the powder over carpets, rugs and furniture, let it sit overnight and vacuum it up the next day. Likewise, apple cider vinegar can be used with laundry detergent in your washing machine to remove smells from blankets, cushion covers, curtains and other linens.

Dirty dog smell in house

If you notice a raunchy, wild smell like a dog in need of a bath—but you don't have a dog—you could have rodents, raccoons, or squirrels in your attic.

Citrus. Most dogs can't stand the taste and smell of oranges, lemons, and grapefruit. Here's why — plus, how to use their dislike of citrus to your advantage.

Baking soda: Just as baking soda works to absorb odors in your refrigerator, a bowl placed in a room will also absorb odors. Lemon water: Water absorbs odors and adding slices of fresh lemon will provide a clean citrus scent.

How long does a cat or dog's scent stay in a house? It can last for months or even years, depending on the type of odor. The different kinds include those that come from: Dog or cat urine.

Febreze FABRIC doesn't just mask odors, it fights odors from fabrics that you wish you could wash, leaving your fabrics with a light, fresh scent. The fine mist works deep in fabrics, cleaning them of common odors such as pet smells, smoke, and body odors, helping to freshen the entire room.

Air purifier for pet odors

If cleaning up has not solved the problem and you have ruled out medical issues, an air purifier that deals well with VOCs is a good tool for eliminating pet odors. Some air purifiers are very good at removing or destroying VOCs, while some barely do anything with VOCs.

Add a one pound box of baking soda to your regular detergent and wash as usual, air drying if possible. If you can still see or smell the soiling, wash again with an enzymatic cleaner—these break down pet waste odors.

Does pet odor ever go away? ›

How long does dog pee smell last? Left untreated, urine takes up to five years to off-gas on it's own. The longer dog pee or cat urine sits in a carpet the worse the problem becomes.

Some of the most popular essential oils for odor control are as follows: lemon, lemongrass, rosemary, lavender, tea tree, and orange. You can choose one, or create your own unique blend using your favorite oils!

They don't have watery, dripping sweat as humans do. Yet, they do sweat in their paws and through their fur, which has an odor to it. Dogs can then track this smell through the house by walking about or rolling on the carpet. This leads to your home smelling like wet dog.

The scent of lemons, limes, oranges, and grapefruits is strong and unpleasant for your dog. For this reason, you can use citrus scents as a dog repellant in off-limits parts of the house. Their noses are irritated by the strength of citrus.

If you notice a wet dog smell, but your dog only gets bathed at the groomer, call an exterminator. According to Bob Vila, that scent could mean there are rodents, raccoons, or squirrels in residence. If you smell smoke, there may be a fire, but once you rule that out, there may be other issues.

Bleach is one such scent that can overpower a dog's sense of smell, causing them to lose it completely. This leaves them unable to process other scents around them. Even though they have lost their sense of smell, their primary sense, they still attempt to rely on it.

Taste deterrents take advantage of your pet's dislike of bitter and spicy flavors by using those sensations to discourage chewing. Bitter apple sprays and spicy or hot sprays are commonly used deterrents.

Citrus is One of the Best Choices

And if you're showing a house for a few hours, you want a durable choice. Set an essential oils diffuser on a side table or kitchen counter. Add water and a few drops of citrus oil. Within minutes, you'll start to smell the pleasant zest of lemon or orange.

What kills all smells? ›

Several common household items (most notably baking soda and white vinegar) contain powerful properties that eliminate smells without the use of chemicals. But less-commonly known products like coffee and vodka can do wonders when it comes to eliminating, not simply covering, bad smells.

Add about 25 drops of your favorite essential oil to 2 tablespoons of baking soda and stir to combine. Lemon and lavender are great choices, but eucalyptus is my favorite because of the refreshing scent. Pour the baking soda and essential oil mix into the water and stir. Then funnel the water into your spray bottle.

Yet a few inexpensive household essentials you probably have on hand already—vinegar, salt, coffee, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide—will neutralize most noxious odors around your home and in your vehicles.

Lucky for me research shows dogs may actually be able to remember people for several years! The key to remembering is their noses. It is estimated that dogs can smell somewhere between 1,000 to 10,000 times better than humans.

Patricia McConnell, PHD, Certified Animal Behaviorist and author of several books related to dog behavior, believes that dogs remember their previous owners, however they don't remember in the same capacity as people do.

You think dogs are a man's best friend, but it's actually baking soda. Baking soda is odorless but absorbs other odors — making it the perfect deodorizer. If your furniture doesn't have removable covers, you can use a soft-bristled brush to dust hair and dander off before wiping it with a damp cloth.

Many (but not all) dogs hate the smell of citrus, so using citrus smells like citronella, lemongrass, lemon, and even bergamot can repel some dogs from an area. You can use these smells in scented candles or sprays to see if it keeps your dog away from an area where you don't want them peeing.

Neutralize the smell Then you're going to want to douse the spot with an enzymatic cleaner or simply make your own cleaning solution by combining (white or apple cider) vinegar and water in a 1:1 ratio. Because the vinegar is acidic, it will neutralize the bacteria in the dog pee, offsetting its odor.

The #1 Best Overall dog deodorizing spray is the Zero Odor Pet Odor Eliminator Spray. Deodorizing sprays are a great option for eliminating stinky smells between baths. Some contain probiotics and essential oils to help soothe sensitive skin.

The best place to put an air purifier is somewhere in your breathing zone. The closer the unit is to your head, the shorter distance clean air has to travel before it reaches you. In the bedroom, this usually translates to putting the air purifier on a nightstand or small table close to the bed.

How long does it take for an air purifier to get rid of smell? ›

So an air purifier is a great means of removing foul smells from a room. Within a few hours, you will see that the dander, mites, pollen and other airborne particles have been removed, leaving fresh air for you.

How many air purifiers do you need to protect your indoor air quality? It is generally recommended to place an air purifier in each room. But you can put at least one air purifier in the most used rooms in your home, mainly the bedroom, living room, and kitchen/dining area.

Citrus and Hydrogen Peroxide Mix

Both citrus and hydrogen peroxide combine to make a powerful cleaner that's good at tackling pet stains and odors. Citrus and hydrogen peroxide are enzymatic cleaners that'll work to neutralize the odors and clean away the stains.

Baking soda will deodorize your dog's coat, while cornstarch will absorb oil and soften the coat. Brush your dog and sprinkle the baking soda on the coat from the neck to the tail. Massage it into your pup's skin and let it rest for a few minutes.

“Dog smells are hard to get rid of because there are a lot of causes behind them,” says Dr. Chyrle Bonk, a veterinarian. “Oils in the skin, known as sebum, can emit an odor. Some dogs make excessive amounts of sebum and it gets onto everything in your house.”

Traditional household cleaning products such as vinegar, baking soda, soap, and the like seem to work at first because they eliminate some of the components of your pet's urine. White vinegar in particular is highly alkaline, which means it can act as a deodorizer for spaces marked with dogs' urine.

When you breathe in these ammonia fumes, not only does it smell bad, but it can cause some severe problems as well. If your pet has urinated in a place with reduced ventilation such as a room or even in the house, it could trigger issues like asthma, pneumonia, and in some cases, even suffocation.

First, dogs have a lot of furs, which trap odors and make them difficult to remove. Dogs also shed hair all the time, which can get stuck on carpet and furniture. Additionally, dogs have a lot of bacteria in their mouths that cause odors to build up over time on everything from shoes to pieces of furniture.

Hello, If your house smells like dog, it's probably a combination of the presence of your actual dog and the things the dog leaves behind in the house. In many older, non-altered, or less house-trained dogs (and, incidentally, frequently in cats) house soiling could be a problem that the owner doesn't realize exists.

What material can dogs not smell through? ›

Although man's best friend tends to have a pretty incredible ability to sniff things out, dogs cannot smell though airtight, vacuum sealed containers.

Generally, dogs dislike hugs, not being allowed to sniff, a lack of routine, and more. Even the most laid-back dog will hate some of the things we humans do—if they tolerate it, it's just because they love you or don't want to be dominant. Yes, certain things are unavoidable, like vet visits or grooming.

A highly concentrated combination of vinegar and water – 1 part vinegar to 5 parts water – is effective enough to discourage dogs. Vinegar's sour taste can also prevent your pooch from chewing. Always use clear vinegar such as white vinegar. Apple cider vinegar that is mildly colored is also a good option.

Something that is generally very effective is vinegar – dogs seem to hate the pungent, acrid smell of vinegar, and its application in a few strategic locations may do the job. Another popular – although sometimes controversial – option is cayenne pepper or strong chili powder.

When your dog goes to the bathroom, they are releasing toxins from their body, but they are also releasing information. When your dog goes to smell their own urine, they are looking to see what message their urine left on the spot they just marked.

The methodology of observing the dogs freely exploring the experimental area allowed us to determine the smells that were the most attractive to them (food, beaver clothing). Our study shows that dogs interacted more frequently with the scents of blueberries, blackberries, mint, rose, lavender, and linalol.

Turning in circles before lying down is an act of self-preservation in that the dog may innately know that he needs to position himself in a certain way to ward off an attack in the wild.

What makes a house smell good fast? ›

Absorb bad smells with baking soda.

A few bowls of baking soda scattered around the house and replaced weekly. “This is especially helpful in the pantry and in a small kitchen,” she says. “Baking soda does a wonderful job of absorbing, not masking, odors — plus, it's easy to find and cheap!”

Some of the best odor eliminators are coffee grounds, tea, vinegar, oats, and baking soda. Leaving a bowl of any of these odor absorbers out in a room that's due for a little freshening up will help clear out the less-than-pleasant smells from the air.

Once you have a fresh olfactory slate to work with, there are some tried-and-true scents to use for helping to sell a house, including vanilla, citrus (like orange or lemon), and other clean, fresh scents. Cilantro and cucumber are also good, as are aromatic kitchen herbs such as thyme or rosemary.

If more air passes through their nose they have more chance to pick up smells. How far dogs can smell depends on many things, such as the wind and the type of scent. Under perfect conditions, they have been reported to smell objects or people as far as 20km away.

Air purifier for pet odors

If cleaning up has not solved the problem and you have ruled out medical issues, an air purifier that deals well with VOCs is a good tool for eliminating pet odors. Some air purifiers are very good at removing or destroying VOCs, while some barely do anything with VOCs.

Make a solution of baking soda, peroxide and any dish detergent. The combination of the three is often powerful enough to drive away strong urine smells. The solutions is eight fluid ounces of peroxide, three tablespoons of baking soda, and a few drops of dish detergent.

How far a dog smells depends on conditions such as wind and type of scent, but they have been reported to smell objects and people over 12 miles away. Dogs' olfactory systems work so well that they can be trained to pick up odors as little as a pictogram which is a trillionth of a gram.

When dogs sniff people they are gaining all sorts of information about us. They know if we are familiar or a stranger. They know which scents we have attracted while we've been away.

What is the best air freshener for a house with dogs? ›

Deodorize / Freshen the Air: No need for pet odor candles claiming to remove pet smells, Aera is the best air freshener for pets because it acts as a pet odor eliminator, pet odor deodorizer and pet air freshener all in one (not to mention it is much safer being child-friendly and pet-friendly!)

Regularly bathe your pet and brush them outdoors to limit dander from spreading throughout your home. It's also a good idea to routinely vacuum with a machine that includes a HEPA filter, which prevents dust from being exhausted back into the household.

Dehumidifiers help to suck up excess moisture and can help reduce those pet odors that are taking over your home.

Pine Sol is a common all-purpose cleaner made by Clorox, meant for cleaning and disinfecting non-porous surfaces like counters, sinks, and floors. Pine-Sol is not safe for pets.

Generally, you should mop 2-3 times a week to ensure maximum cleanliness of your floors, or whenever your furry friend brings in a little more dirt or mud. A little trick that you can do is to add a bit of a cleaning agent with fragrance, just to give your home a nice smell after you're done mopping.

According to BeChewy, medium and long coat dogs should bathe every four to six weeks, and owners of dogs with short coats should bathe their pets somewhere between every month and every three months. Dog owners should be warned not to wash their pup's coats too much, though.