How To Get Rid Of Canine Scent In Your Dwelling


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Couple sitting on sofa with dogs plugging noses.
Picture credit score: Krakenimages.com, Shutterstock

I not too long ago noticed this query in a Reddit thread, “Do folks with canines know their properties scent?” Not surprisingly, this was fairly an energetic thread. You had these homeowners who totally embrace their eau de Fido residence, pup mother and father who clear like loopy, and, after all, those that discover their buddies or relations’ properties with canines an appalling fragrant journey.

Have you ever heard feedback concerning the canine scent in your house from your mates or relations? Or maybe you’re bored with feeling like your home always stinks like a canine. In the event you’re as much as the problem, you would possibly want to start out with an preliminary large odor overhaul for a clear scent slate. However even in the event you’re not a cleansing fanatic, there are various straightforward options to rid your private home of its musky bouquet.

My Home Stinks Like A Canine: Begin With The Supply

Okay, earlier than I am going additional on this article, I’ve to admit — I, like many canine homeowners, get used to the “distinctive” scents of my hound residence. Critically, it’s solely after I go on trip for per week and return to my home that I notice what all of the stink is about with canine odors in a house. However in the event you’re a pup mum or dad and care about your private home’s odor, right here’s the place to start out.

The simplest place to eradicate canine stench is to go straight to the odor offender. Sure, I’m speaking about your canine. Listed below are some suggestions to assist hold your pup from robbing your private home of its recent scent. With a common hygiene routine, you (ideally) received’t have as many musky smells to take away from your home in the long term.

  • Usually bathe your canine, ideally each 1 to three months. The frequency is determined by your furry pal’s coat kind, hair size, exercise degree, and pores and skin issues. Bathing too typically robs your pup’s coat of pure oils and may result in dry, irritated pores and skin. Contemplate Arm & Hammer Odor Management Canine Shampoo or one in all our high suggestions for the finest canine oatmeal shampoos.
  • Brush your canine 2 to five occasions per week to distribute pure oils, take away dander and lifeless fur, and decrease shedding. In case your pup has a thick undercoat, you’ll want a deshedding brush, too.
  • Use a light dry shampoo for canines in between baths to assist minimize down on odors. It’s also possible to sprinkle some baking soda or cornstarch in your pup’s fur to neutralize the stink.
  • Don’t overlook about enamel. Canine want tooth brushing ideally day by day. In any other case, they’ll develop gum illness, which results in majorly smelly breath and saliva.
  • Wash your canine’s bedding, toys, bowls, collars, and leashes often.

Feed Your Pup A Excessive-High quality Food plan

It’s possible you’ll not equate your canine’s meals with odor, however a wholesome physique can go a great distance to assist minimize down the smelliness. How? An all-natural, high-quality pet food might help enhance your pup’s pores and skin and coat well being and anal gland operate and cut back digestive points that result in fuel and smelly poops. Learn my critiques of the finest recent pet food to see my high picks. Many of those recent meals comprise human-grade, whole-food substances with plenty of superfoods to maintain your pup wholesome.

Air Filters & Air Purifiers Are A Should

Pug sitting in front of an air purifier in living room.

Preserving your home’s air as clear as doable is a simple method to assist filter the canine stink. When the climate cooperates, open home windows to air out your private home. Additionally, make sure you change your HVAC air filters often. Specialists typically suggest altering your air filters each one to 2 months you probably have a pet. With a number of pets in your house, it’s finest to vary air filters at the very least each month.

I’ve a canine, three indoor cats, and a number of allergy victims in my residence, and among the best issues I’ve completed is buy air purifiers. A high-quality air air purifier helps filter out mud, germs, allergens, pet dander, and odors. For properties with pets, an air air purifier with a HEPA filter is essential. Our high choose is the GermGuardian 5-In-1 HEPA Air Air purifier, which works for areas as much as 743 sq. ft. For extra choices, see our critiques of the finest air purifiers for pets.

Professional Tip: Place activated charcoal baggage in each room your canine spends time in (simply hold out of attain from inquisitive pups). They’re efficient in absorbing odors to freshen your air for as much as two years.

How To Eradicate Canine Odor In Your Carpeting & Different Flooring

How you can take away canine scent from a home can rely lots on the kind of flooring you could have. Carpets are particularly susceptible to absorbing pet hair, dander, physique oils, and even saliva. It’s actually gross in the event you cease and take into consideration what’s lurking in your carpet or rugs. Usually vacuuming your carpet is a should. See our critiques of the finest vacuums for properties with pets. In the event you hate vacuuming as a lot as I do, take a look at our critiques of the finest robotic vacuums for pet hair, dander, and many others.

Frankly, a vacuum isn’t at all times sufficient you probably have a canine who’s tremendous smelly or one who soils your carpets with urine or vomit. If this feels like your furry pal, you may additionally need to contemplate the Bissel TurboClean PowerBrush Pet Carpet Cleaner. This fairly priced machine provides you the power to spray cleansing and deodorizing system onto your carpet earlier than you vacuum it up.

For hardwood and tile flooring, your finest wager is vacuuming first after which mopping with a pet-safe, vinegar-based answer. Many pup mother and father swear by Aunt Fannies Extremely Concentrated Flooring Cleaner Vinegar Wash for mopping. It’s all-natural, pet-friendly, powered by vinegar, and is available in lemon, lavender, or eucalyptus scents.

How To Get Rid Of Canine Scent Out Of Couches

White dog sitting on yellow sofa with cleaner bottle spray.
Photograph Credit score Emma Braby, Copyright Canine Journal 2025.

Like carpeting, upholstered furnishings is a pure suction for pet odors. I often borrow my neighbor’s Bissell Little Inexperienced Moveable machine. It’s an incredible upholstery cleaner to get the pet muck out of my couches and upholstered chairs. It’s also possible to apply it to carpeting, however I discover it doesn’t work as properly for flooring as a high-powered carpet steam cleaner.

In between thorough cleanings, you need to use a pet-friendly upholstery spray to clean up your sofa and chairs. I like to recommend the bestselling Offended Orange Pet Odor Eliminator, which doesn’t simply masks odor; it neutralizes it. Offended Orange has a recent citrus scent, and you need to use it on a number of surfaces, together with furnishings, tile, carpeting, hardwoods, concrete, and turf. In the event you’re coping with stains and odor, Rocco & Roxie Stain & Odor Eliminator is a best choice for a lot of canine homeowners.

An alternative choice is to spend money on a machine-washable sofa cowl. There are some inexpensive and enticing ones on the market that may prevent the trouble of upholstery cleansing. See our critiques of the finest sofa covers for canines for our suggestions.

Baking Soda Works Wonders

Critically, that is one of many least expensive and best methods to deodorize your pup and your home. You’ll be able to sprinkle baking soda on almost something to neutralize odors — your canine’s fur, carpets, bedding, you identify it. You’ll be able to even add just a few small drops of a pet-safe important oil for a more energizing scent. Usually, it takes about 24 hours for baking soda to completely soak up odors.

What makes baking soda so efficient? Often known as sodium bicarbonate, baking soda eliminates odors by neutralizing acidic and alkaline molecules that trigger disagreeable smells. It really works by means of a chemical response, the place the baking soda interacts with odor-causing compounds to neutralize them moderately than simply masking the odors.

Take away Potty Accidents ASAP

It’s essential to clear up any potty accidents in your flooring as quickly as doable to stop urine odors. For recent accidents, take in the urine with paper towels. When you’ve soaked all of it up, rinse the realm with cool water, and make sure you take away the water with towels. After the realm has dried, hit it along with your vacuum. For older accidents or dried urine, see my article on how one can get canine pee scent out of carpets, which incorporates extra of my suggestions for improbable canine odor and stain eliminators.

Want A Fast Pet Scent Remover?

After all, you could have these occasions once you get firm on the final minute. Be ready for these conditions in the event you personal a smelly pup. What’s one of the simplest ways to clear the air? Open home windows and doorways if doable, activate ceiling followers, burn scented candles, or use an air freshening spray. To rapidly deodorize carpets, furnishings, or your pup’s bedding, create a easy spray. Combine ¼ witch hazel with ¾ water in a sprig bottle, add about 5 drops of lavender important oil, and spray away.

Searching for extra canine odor eliminators to your furry pal or your home? Learn my colleague’s article on the finest pet odor eliminators & neutralizers for nearly any want.

How To Get Rid Of Canine Scent In Your Automotive

Having dog-reek in your automobile might be even worse than in your house as a result of it’s such an enclosed house. In the event you cart your canine round with you within the automobile, Meguiars Entire Automotive Air Re-Brisker Odor Eliminator is a improbable canine odor eliminator. See what one man did to rid his newly bought used automobile of moist canine scent within the video beneath. He wasn’t even a pet proprietor!

When Is Canine Odor Irregular?

Canine naturally carry some scents, but when these smells are sturdy or long-lasting, they could point out underlying well being issues. Pores and skin circumstances can result in odors, particularly in breeds with pores and skin folds, the place micro organism can accumulate and create disagreeable smells. An odor out of your canine’s ears might recommend a yeast or bacterial ear an infection, whereas a fishy scent from their rear may point out anal gland issues. Take a look at our critiques of the finest canine wipes to assist hold your furry pal’s pores and skin, ears, rear, and extra clear. In the event you’re involved a few persistent scent, it’s smart to seek the advice of your veterinarian earlier than trying to cowl it up with any merchandise.

Do you’re taking offense once you hear somebody that every one pup mother and father’ properties scent like a canine? Share your ideas in our feedback beneath!

Why Belief Canine Journal?

Sally has over 20 years of expertise in human well being sciences communications, together with 10 years as an professional on pet well being circumstances and remedy. She has reviewed and researched a whole lot of canine merchandise, together with pet odor-removal merchandise. Sally is a part of a workforce of devoted canine professionals and long-time canine homeowners at Canine Journal. We take a look at and analysis the very best pet merchandise, not just for our personal pups however for all of our readers.



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