How to Get Rid of Pet Smell in Home

The odors your house pet creates can be removed with household items.

Fido and Fluffy are like members of your family. You can't imagine getting rid of them, but you also can't imagine living with their smell for the rest of your life. Luckily, you can use common household items to get rid of the smells your pets create. After all, removing the pet odor is preferable to removing your beloved dog or cat from the home.

Things You'll Need

• Vacuum
• Deodorizing spray
• Black light
• Baking soda
• White vinegar
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Liquid dish soap
• Cinnamon
• Air filter fan

Instructions

1. Vacuum your entire house and all your furniture regularly.

2. Allow your house to air out by opening windows and doors.

3. Spray curtains, furniture and carpets with deodorizing spray, following the instructions for your particular brand of spray.

4. Identify areas where your pet has urinated by examining your house with the black light. Soiled areas will glow under the black light.

5. Remove odors from areas where your pet has urinated on carpets, rugs and furniture by mixing one cup of white vinegar with one cup of water. Soak the area in the mixture. When the area is nearly dry, dust with baking soda. Mix ¼ cup hydrogen peroxide with a few drops of liquid dishwashing soap. Sprinkle this mixture over the baking soda. Scrub with a stiff brush and allow to dry completely. Vacuum the carpet to remove the remains of the baking soda.

6. Clean litter boxes regularly. Not only does this reduce the odors coming from the box, but cats will avoid dirty litter boxes and urinate on the floor in other areas of the house.

7. Scrub litter box once a month. Empty the litter box of soiled litter. Cover the bottom of the box with an inch of white vinegar and sprinkle ½ cup baking soda over the vinegar. Add water until the box is filled to an inch away from the top. Let the mixture sit in the box for two to four hours. Dump out the mixture and wash the box in hot, soapy water. Dry the box thoroughly and sprinkle a 1/16 inch thick layer of baking soda on the bottom of the box. Fill the box with fresh litter.

8. Remove pet odors in vacuum cleaner by sprinkling cinnamon over your carpets before vacuuming. If you have light colored carpets, substitute the cinnamon for a light colored spice, or sprinkle 1 tbsp. cinnamon directly into the vacuum bag or dust chamber.

9. Purchase an air filter fan and place the fan in a high pet traffic area of your house.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not use steam cleaners or other methods that involve heat. This will bond the proteins that cause the odors into the carpet and other materials.

References

• Good Housekeeping: How to Get Rid of Household Odors
• Good Housekeeping: Pet Odor in Vacuum Cleaner
• Cats of Australia: Urine Stain Removal
• Sacramento Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals: sp Successful Cleaning to Remove Pet Odors and Stains