How to Get Rid of a Strong Animal Odor in the Home

Brush your dog frequently to remove excess hair and odors.

Strong animal odors in the home can be unpleasant and embarrassing. After your pet has an accident on the carpeting or upholstered furniture, it may continue to soil the same area repeatedly. The buildup of organic material on soft surfaces harbors odor-causing bacteria, mold and mildew. If left unresolved, animal odors multiply and worsen, making them difficult to eliminate. Fortunately, there are ways you can mitigate strong animal odors in your home using a few common items and easy techniques.

Things You'll Need

• White vinegar
• Water
• Bucket
• Sponge Mop
• Plastic spray bottle
• Household odor elimination spray
• Charcoal briquettes
• Bowl
• Carpet cleaning services
• Baking soda

Instructions

1. Open your windows during the day to ventilate your home with outdoor air. The fresh air will weaken odors and improve air quality. Upholstered furniture absorbs animal odors as well, so place small pieces of upholstered furniture and cushions outside in the sun until odors resolve.

2. Mix 1 cup of white vinegar with 1 gallon of hot water and mop floors with a clean sponge mop. White vinegar reduces bacterial counts, disinfects and eliminates strong odors.

3. Pour white vinegar into a spray bottle and spray soft surfaces affected by animal odors. White vinegar is safe to use on furniture, window treatments and carpeting, and the distinct vinegar smell will fade as time passes.

4. Spray the air with a household odor elimination spray, which neutralizes strong odors. Air fresheners do not neutralize odors -- they only mask them. Spray dog begs, couches, bedding and other surfaces affected by animal odors.

5. Set out pieces of charcoal in bowls and place them around your home to absorb odors and freshen rooms. Charcoal stains soft surfaces, so don't place it directly on fabric.

6. Hire a carpet cleaning service to deep clean and remove odors from soiled carpeting. Professional carpet cleaning can get deep into the carpet, tackling odors in the padding and back of the carpeting.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep pets and their environments clean to reduce strong odors and keep them healthy.

• Sprinkle baking soda on your carpeting and let it set for a few hours to absorb odors, then vacuum.

• If your carpeting still smells in spite of your efforts to reduce odors, remove it because it might be contaminated with mold and mildew.

References

• Utah State University
• Ecology Center: Alternative Cleaning Recipes