How to Get the Dog Smell Out of House If You’re Trying to Sell

How can you get dog smell out of your house?

You’re ready to roll up your sleeves and expel the smell around the house by paying special attention to those areas where your dog spends the most time. According to Shepard, the best strategy for overall house cleaning is to work from top to bottom, letting the dirt fall down and be removed later when you the floors.

Dust and sweep to whisk away the dog hair

• Dust: How often your dog breed sheds will determine how much pet dander combines with other particles in the air that land on your furniture. Generally, if your dog sheds a lot, dust every few days or at a minimum, once a week.
• Swiffer®: Dog hair that gathers on hard surfaces like wood and vinyl floors should typically be cleaned with a Swiffer® once a week, especially for dogs that shed a lot.
• Sweep: When you haven’t had a chance to clean your wood or kitchen floor for a long time, then it’s better to sweep the hair up with a rubber broom that will attract it.

Vacuum key spaces

• Dog beds: Use your vacuum attachments, such as the upholstery and crevice tools, once a week to vacuum up the dog hair and remove other bits of dirt lodged in the edges and seams of the dog bed where it can get trapped.
• Floors: Depending on how much your dog sheds, for general upkeep, you will want to vacuum twice a week. For removing strong odors, baking soda usually works the best. “Sprinkle baking soda on all the carpets and let it sit there for a night. The baking soda is really good about soaking up all that smell,” says Shepard. After letting the baking soda sit, vacuum up. If it still smells, Shepard recommends repeating the process a second time.
• Furniture: If there is a lot of dog hair, consider vacuuming every other day if possible. Otherwise, use your upholstery tool once a week.

Clear the air

• Air the house out: Open as many windows as possible for a cross breeze and use fans to let fresh air freshen up your home.
• Deodorize walls with paint-safe sprays: Use specific sprays designed to help remove the smell of urine from oil-based or latex-painted walls.
• Use a HEPA Air Purifier: Air purifiers come in different sizes, price points, and features, and they have HEPA filters that help eliminate odors electronically.
• Freshen up with an odor-neutralizer: Sprays like Febreze® are designed to eliminate bad odors by capturing and neutralizing molecules in the air and on upholstered furniture.

Tackle the surfaces

• Bedding and linens: If your dog snuggles on top of your bed, rolls around, drools, and leaves hair (and hopefully no other surprises), your bedding and linens will need to be washed every three to four days to keep them smelling fresh and clean.
• Dog bedding and crate: All dog bedding, including your dog’s crate, needs to be checked regularly and washed and deodorized with pet-safe cleaning products every two to four weeks.
• Tile and vinyl floors: Depending on the pitter-patter of muddy paws and hair that collects on your tile and vinyl floors, mopping once a week will keep them clean.
• Carpets: If you decide to rent a machine to clean your carpet, first use an enzyme cleaner to help get rid of the odor, and avoid using hot steam on the stain itself as that can permanently set the urine into your carpet. Shepard recommends that for pet stains, the earlier you can treat the spot, the better, blotting with some pressure to absorb as much of the liquid as possible. He also suggests following the directions when using a liquid enzyme bacterial digester. “Just make sure you allow the product to soak there, do its job,” says Shepard. After the product is done soaking, then you would use fresh towels to blot it again to finish treating the stain, according to Shepard.
• Upholstery and drapes: If the drapes are washable, you can usually hand wash and air dry them. If not, take them to a dry cleaner.

Sniff out a new scent or keep things under cover

• Fresh flowers, potpourri, candles, and diffusers: Introducing a new smell that is more pleasing to the senses can help make your home more welcoming. Before picking your posies or lavender candles, be sure you do everything you can to clean and neutralize first. Otherwise, you’ll have urine-scented potpourri.
• Odor-removing gels: These gels are usually in a small plastic jar that you activate by removing the inner seal and putting on the lid, which has holes in it. The gel can neutralize the stinky molecules through the top of the jar.
• Wall paint: Some paints are powerful enough to lock in a bad odor and not allow the odor to come back through. However, if you decide to paint your wall, realize that you’ll likely have a new paint smell instead, which can also be stinky.
• Furniture covers: Slipcovers, blankets, or quilts that are washable will make your job easier when cleaning up messes and hiding any stains. If urine soaks through into your furniture, the smell usually doesn’t go away.

Ready to be your dog’s stain detective?

Think you know every nook and cranny of your house where your pet might have relieved themselves? If you’re not easily frightened of what you’ll find in the dark, consider purchasing a blacklight to identify exactly where to clean. While you might uncover more than you want to see, at least the mystery will be solved and you’ll know what areas need the most attention.

The typical spots dogs use as a bathroom are:

• Around curtains
• By their crates or beds
• Corners of the room
• Near potted plants

When should you consider calling a professional?

You’ve done lots of vacuuming, mopping, and dusting of your home, and while things have improved, you can still smell your dog’s essence, and now you need to seek out additional help. Professional cleaners, such as carpet cleaners, will assess your situation, usually address stains with an enzyme treatment, and then finish with a deeper carpet cleaning.

After the professionals get their chance, if your house still has a pet odor, then you’ll usually have to consider replacement of the carpet and padding to eliminate it altogether.

How can I minimize future dog smells in my home?

Short of sending your dog to a pet resort for a long extended vacation, after you go to the trouble of removing your dog’s odors, you don’t want Rover to do it all over again. In order to ensure your home stays smelling fresh, try these proven strategies that will keep your dog and home clean:

Dog care tips:

• Regular bathing including a gentle washing in a basin or tub, usually once a month
• Grooming services every four to six weeks, which typically costs between $25 to $180
• Routine health checkups to screen for skin or dental infections
• Regular brushing every couple of days to manage shedding
• Proper potty and house training techniques to avoid accidents

Fresh ideas for your home:

• Use natural dog odor eliminators (baking soda, vinegar and vodka)
• Purchase an air purifier with HEPA filters used where the dog hangs out
• Use odor-neutralizing sprays to freshen the air and your fabrics
• Activate odor-removing gels that can usually absorb odors within 450 square feet
• Treat stains quickly because the longer they set the more likely they’ll sit and stay

No smell, easier to sell

“If you have a pet, the most important thing to do is ask people [who] have not been to your home before or very often [if they could please] be honest and tell me if you smell anything that’s not great,” says Kaminsky. After getting this feedback, Kaminsky suggests looking at the materials that would likely retain the smell and determining if they can either be cleaned or replaced.

If you’re ready to welcome buyers with a sensational home that is fresh and clean-smelling, remember these key takeaways:

• Assess your situation: If you’re not sure the dog smell will affect your sale, ask friends or professionals who don’t regularly visit to be “nosy” for you.
• Spring into cleaning: Clean and freshen up every area of your house, especially where your dog hangs out, and use a blacklight to see every stain.
• Hire a professional: If the job is bigger than what you want or can accomplish, consider hiring a professional who can either clean or install new carpet or wood flooring.

Ready to find an agent who can help your sale smell sweet?

Consider using HomeLight’s Agent Match platform where a top real estate agent who has years of experience can help you address dog smells and other concerns to help you navigate a successful home sale.

Header Image Source: (Hannah Lim / Unsplash)