Pets are one of the greatest companions a family could ever have at home. They are fun, loving, cuddly to embrace and could bring a lot of happiness and joy. But having pets at home are not always a pocket full of sunshine. There are different challenges and responsibilities that come with having a feline or canine friend at home. Aside from the usual litter and havoc they wreak, there is the problem of keeping your home clean and fresh smelling. Sometimes, no matter how extra careful you are with your pets’ grooming and care, there are still that unmistakable animal scent that lingers. If you’re slowly nearing the edge of your patience, check out the tips below to help you remove the nasty pet scent in your homes.
Use Baking Soda
One of the most versatile kitchen ingredients ever invented is the baking soda. Not only is it useful in your cakes and pastries, it could also double as a cleaning and whitening agent at home.
Now, this kitchen staple has another use and that comes in the form of an odor absorber. Yes, baking soda is a very effective air freshener and deodorizer. Just open a box of this kitchen goodie and leave it in the room, rug or even litter boxes if you want to keep those things smelling fresh.
But don’t immediately spread out the baking soda all over your carpet. While this product is safe for almost all kinds of textiles and fabrics, it is best to test it out if it would not stain before using. Kindly choose an area that is not obvious and sprinkle a bit of the product then vacuum afterwards to see if it left a stain or not. If no mark was seen, then go ahead and use it.
On a rug or floor where your pet has relieved itself, immediately sprinkle the product as soon as you notice the urine. Just make sure that you wipe away the urine first before sprinkling it with the baking soda and then leaf to dry. Sweep or vacuum away what was left of the product once it has dried.
Another option is to sprinkle the product in the litter box or litter mat of your pets to avoid developing a pungent smell.
You could also mix the product with vinegar and water into a spray bottle to make an odor neutralizing concoction. Spray on areas that your pet frequents at home including its bed, litter mat and litter box.
Clean Your Dog Stuff and Equipment
Sometimes, the scent you could smell is not inside the room anymore but in the things your dog or cat use. There could be in the form of their dish bowls, toys, pillows and even kennels. The best thing to do to keep the funky smell away is to wash and disinfect these things.
For the dish bowls, clean it using warm water and soap. Make sure that you scrub it from any traces of dog food and rinse it well to remove any hint of the soap that could be bad for your dog’s health.
For toys, if you can’t dump it in the washing machine, handwash it so that any drool and saliva from the dog would be cleaned of it. Check if the toys should totally skip the laundry and go straight to the trash bin already.
Wash the beddings, pillows or any other clothing material your pet likes to lie down in to remove their scent that may have rubbed off from their coat.
Use And Clean Filters
If you use an air conditioner daily, you might need to clean its filters to get rid of pet odor that gets trapped inside it because of the dust and other materials that have accumulated. Sometimes, the dog smell gets aired out and circulates over and over inside your home that one could become desensitized to its stench.
Acquire a HEPA air filter system to get rid of the funky odor. Or if you prefer something cheaper and easier to do, clean the HVAC filter in your home regularly every month. Not only will your home stop reeking of pet stench, your HVAC system would have an extended lifespan too.
Bathe Your Dog Regularly
Of course, all the tips above would be totally irrelevant if your pet does not get the proper grooming and care it needs. Washing your pets regularly will keep its stench at a minimum. Trimming the hair as well prevents odor from getting trapped in the knots in their fur. Don’t forget to clean their ears and brush their teeth too to ensure that even their breath is fresh.
