How to Rid a Carpet of Pet Odor

Dogs and cats have natural odors that can linger on the carpet.

Pet odors on your carpet are a result of pet accidents or a build-up of natural pet odors. Whatever the source of the pet odor on your carpet, there's some kind of substance, dirt or stain that's lingering in the carpet fibers to create pet odor even when your pet isn't in the room. Supplies from home and the store will remove the source of pet odors from your carpet without the need to use harsh chemicals that can harm your pet or family.

Things You'll Need

• Paper towels
• White vinegar
• Spray bottle
• Wet vacuum
• Baking soda
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Liquid dishwashing detergent
• Bowl
• Clean cloth
• Vacuum
• Pet odor neutralizer with enzymes
• Broom

Instructions

Removing Pet Odor Due to Accidents

1. Pick up any substance, such as fecal matter or vomit, using paper towels. Dispose of properly.

2. 

   Paper towels are convenient for clean up because you can throw them away when finished.

   Place a thick layer of paper towels over the site of the pet accident. Press down on the paper towels with your hands or feet to wick up as much moisture as possible. Replace the paper towels with fresh ones if they become soiled.

3. Create a 50/50 mixture of water and white vinegar in a spray bottle. Spritz the carpeting where the pet accident stain is until the carpet is wet. Allow the vinegar solution to sit on your carpet for one hour.

4. Remove the vinegar solution from your carpeting using a wet vacuum.

5. Sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda over the site of the pet accident on your carpet. Mix 1/4 cup of hydrogen peroxide with 1 tsp. of dishwashing detergent. Pour the combination over the baking soda on your carpet.

6. 

   Vacuum up cleansers, stains and odors.

   Work the baking soda and peroxide solution into the fibers of your carpet by rubbing it in with a clean cloth dampened with water. Allow the mixture to dry completely to absorb pet accident odors. Vacuum the mixture up with your vacuum.

Removing Pet Odors Due to Pet Body Odor

1. Sprinkle a powdered pet-odor neutralizer with enzymes in it over the entire carpet that has pet body odor.

2. 

   A broom gets odor neutralizers way down into the carpet.

   Brush the neutralizer into the carpet fibers with a broom. Move the broom back and forth over the carpet to get the pet odor neutralizer down into the carpeting. Allow the neutralizer to sit on your carpeting overnight.

3. Remove the pet odor neutralizer from your carpet with a vacuum. If any pet odors linger, repeat steps 1 and 2 using more pet odor neutralizer or straight baking soda.

Tips & Warnings

• Give your dog a bath once a month to keep excessive body odors at bay. Brush cats regularly to keep them well groomed.

• Lay a blanket on the carpet where your pet likes to sleep. Wash the blanket weekly to remove odors.

• Avoid using ammonia-based products. Ammonia can magnify the odors caused by pet urine.

References

• Cats: Cat Urine: Clean and Remove Cat Urine In Carpet
• The Daily Puppy: How To Get Rid of Pet Smell in Carpet

Resources

• Humane Society: Removing Pet Stains and Odors