How to Keep Your House from Smelling Like Dog

There are so many benefits that come with having a four-legged companion. They’re your go-to walk buddy. They’re your cuddly friend on the couch. They’re the first to greet you when you walk through the door, and you just love that look of them wagging their tail at you. What you don’t love is that unpleasant dog smell over your home. As much as we love our furry friends, the last thing we want is for our homes to smell like them. There are plenty of things you can do to get rid of that dog smell, including regularly grooming your dog with a large pet hair remover and getting an odor-resistant dog bed. Keep reading to learn some more useful tips and tricks to help keep your house from smelling like your dog.

Why Flooring Matters

The majority of the flooring in your home might be carpet. It might be mostly hardwood or tile. It could be a mix of both with some rugs thrown in here and there. The kind of flooring you have in your home will affect how you’ll ultimately clean and what preventative measures you use to ensure your home doesn’t continue to smell like your furry friend.

• Carpets — While there’s not one single, magical secret to removing dog smell from your home, we can tell you that one of the biggest hurdles is having to clean dog smell out of the carpet. If you’re cleaning carpet, the easiest way to clean carpet is to vacuum it regularly. Even with regular vacuuming, you may still have some stubborn dog hairs stuck in the carpet. In that case, you’ll want to use a tool like the Uproot Cleaner Pro™ to lift dog hair out of your carpet before and after vacuuming.
• Hardwood or Tile — Hardwood and tile flooring can be much easier to clean and maintain than carpets. With hardwood floors or tile, you’ll just need to sweep and mop to help get rid of dog fur on the surface. It’s not like carpet where dog fur can get deep into the fibers of the carpet.
• Consider Removing Rugs and Carpets — It’s a little extreme, but sometimes dire needs call for dire measures. Consider switching from carpet flooring to all hardwood flooring. If that’s not possible, if you have rugs around your home, consider getting rid of rugs or replacing them with new rugs. Removing carpets can actually help relieve any pet or dust allergies because allergens become trapped in the fibers.

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How to Get Rid of That Dog Smell

You don’t want your home to smell like a kennel. You also don’t want to be nose-blind to it either. You might not even realize your home smells like a dog. Consider getting an opinion from a friend when they come to visit. While you, your buddies and your doggy might love those cute selfies on the couch, your furniture is probably starting to smell like your dog. When in doubt, it’s best to take matters into your own hands and get rid of that dog smell.

• Clean the Dog Bed — If you’re not already washing your dog bed regularly, now is the time to start. Clean your dog’s bed at least once a week. Because your dog’s bed is made out of fabric that tends to retain odors, the dog bed and the place where you keep the dog will end up smelling like your dog. The easiest way to clean the dog bed is if it has a removable cover. All you would need to do is unzip or remove the cover and machine wash it. If the dog bed is a cushion, use a pet vacuum on it. Alternatively, consider leaving baking soda on the dog bed overnight.
• Wash the Dog Collar — Washing the dog collar will also help get rid of the sweaty dog smell. Because your dog wears it every time you go on a walk, or maybe all of the time if you never take it off, their smell is going to linger on their collar. Wash your dog’s collar on a regular basis.
• Clean Dog Toys — Do you have a designated area for all of your dog’s toys? Are your dog’s toys scattered all over your home? No matter where or how they’re stored, your dog’s toys do need to be cleaned from time to time.
• Vacuum All the Furniture — Before and after you vacuum, you can remove pet hair from your furniture with the best pet hair remover. That way, vacuuming will be much easier, and you won’t have to worry as much about dog hair clogging your vacuum. If your dog is constantly on your sofa or couch, you’ll want to vacuum the furniture as often as you clean the dog bed. Vacuum your furniture at least once a week.
• Get an Air Purifier — Opt for an air purifier with a carbon filter. A carbon filter can help reduce lingering odors in your home. Keep in mind that just because you got an air purifier doesn’t mean you can stop cleaning. You’ll still want to groom your dog, vacuum your furniture and so forth. It’s just one of the additional ways to help reduce existing odors. Make sure you regularly clean the air filter, as well.
• Get Plants to Purify Air — You may not want to spend extra money or make space for yet another device in your home. Do you really need an air purifier? If you want a natural air purifier that also adds some decoration to your home, get plants to purify the air in your home.
• Open Your Windows — On that note, if you haven’t cracked open the windows lately, now is the time. Get some fresh air and allow the fresh air to help liven up your home. Fresh air will do you and your home good, helping to get rid of that lingering dog smell.
• Diffuse Pet-Friendly Essential Oils — The key to diffusing essential oils around pets is to make sure you’re using pet-friendly essential oils. Keep in mind that not all essential oils are safe for your pup. According to Dogs Naturally, safe essential oils for dogs are typically lavender, spearmint and frankincense. When in doubt, read the labels on your essential oils and speak to your veterinarian.
• Use Charcoal Air Purifying Bags — If you’ve never used charcoal air purifying bags, they’re quite magical. They naturally eliminate odors. You can find ones that are fragrance-free and chemical-free. While it depends on the brand, usually with charcoal bags — in order to keep the charcoal active — place the bag under direct sunlight once a month. You can reuse it for years!

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Routine Cleaning to Prevent Your Home from Smelling Like Dog

Your dog’s scent is everywhere. Not just in your home but also all over them. After all, it’s their identity and way to mark their way and territory in this world. That means everything from their saliva to their pungent dog breath to their endless furballs are all over your place. To help prevent your home from smelling like a dog, keep these routine cleaning tips in mind.

• Vacuum Weekly — If you’re going to vacuum dog hair all over your home, consider getting a special animal vacuum that’s designed to clean up dog fur and other animal hair. Ideally, you should vacuum your home once a week — but if your dog sheds a lot or you have multiple pets at home, try vacuuming daily or every other day if you can.
• Deodorize Carpets Regularly — You don’t need to get special carpet deodorizers to do the job. If you’re vacuuming on a regular basis, you can deodorize your carpets on a regular basis. Before you vacuum your carpets, just sprinkle baking soda on them. You may want to let the baking soda sit overnight before vacuuming.
• Steam Clean Carpets Annually — For extra deep cleaning, steam clean your carpets every year. You can rent a carpet steamer or have a professional come in and do the job for you.
• Mop Hardwood and Tile Floors — Don’t forget about your kitchen, bathroom and any other areas of your home with tile or hardwood floors. Those will need to be swept and mopped on a regular basis as well to help remove dog hair and, ultimately, that dog smell.
• Give Your Dog a Bath — Yes, you’ll want to regularly groom and bathe your dog so that they smell nice and fresh. However, you don’t want your dog to get that wet dog smell either. When your pup smells like a wet dog, so will your home. According to the American Kennel Club, one of the best ways to prevent and get rid of that wet dog smell is to use a dog blow dryer or a heavy-duty dog towel to dry your dog more quickly. If you don’t have the time, energy or expertise on how to bathe your dog properly, consider bringing your dog to a professional groomer. They usually recommend bringing in your dog for a proper bath about once or twice a month.
• Brush Your Dog’s Teeth — Just like you want to get in the habit of regularly grooming your dog, you’ll also want to help them brush their teeth. That way, you and Fido won’t have to worry about stinky dog breath. 
• Wipe Your Dog's Paws — Don’t let your dog track muddy paws all over your home. In the same way that you’ll want to take your dirty shoes off at the door, you’ll want to wipe your dog’s paws so they don’t get mud, dirt and whatever other debris they’ve been walking on in your home. Wipe your dog’s paws off with some gentle, pet-friendly wipes.

Preventative Measures

Now that you have some ideas of what you can do to get rid of that dog smell in your home, there are other things you can do to try and prevent that dog smell from getting everywhere in the first place. From grooming your dog regularly with a pet hair remover brush to covering up your furniture with plastic or towels, keep these preventive measures in mind when looking after your pup.

• Prevent Potty Accidents — You can help prevent potty accidents from happening in your home by taking your dog out for regular walks. If you’re working from home, you might have more time to take your dog out for a walk. If you’re in the office or just don’t have the time, consider bringing your dog to doggy daycare or getting them a dog sitter.
• Deodorize Beds and Carpets Using At-Home Ingredients — You probably have ingredients to help deodorize your home sitting in your kitchen cupboard or in your fridge. You can sprinkle baking soda over furniture fabric or carpet. Allow the baking soda to soak into the fabric, carpet and rugs overnight. When the morning comes, just vacuum up the baking soda and your furniture and carpets will smell brand new.
• Groom Your Dog Regularly — Brushing your dog every day can make for a nice bonding experience for you and your pup. For regular grooming, make it easy on yourself and your dog by getting a pet hair remover to brush their fur. This pet hair remover does it all. You can use it to comb through your dog’s fur. You can also use it to remove dog hair from your furniture, clothes, carpets and other non-knit surfaces.

As long as your dog has hair, your dog will continue to shed. All you can do is do your best to help make sure your dog’s hair and dog smell don’t get everywhere or linger for too long. Just like you want to get into the habit of making your bed every day, you can get into the habit of routinely cleaning your home and grooming your dog. Help keep your furniture and clothes clean with any of our Uproot Clean products, expertly designed to remove pet hair from not only your home’s furniture but also your clothes, bedding and more!

 

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