Removing Dog Smell from Carpets

Anyone who has ever owned a dog knows how quickly the smells of the animal can take over and settle into furniture, bedding, and carpets; out of these carpets hold more odors than the others. Our pets are pert of our lives and part or our families but they can seriously disrupt a home with their odors. Both accidents and general dog smells can permeate carpet fibers and stick around smelling up your house for months if not addressed.

Odors caused by fresh urine can be eliminated by cleaning up the accident immediately, if the accident spot is older or frequently used by the dog the odor is commonly in the padding or flooring beneath the carpet. The deeper odors need to be broken down and neutralized by using a pet odor enzyme spray to saturate the area; the enzyme in the spray will do the work for you as it sits to dry. These products can be found at pet supply stores and are proven to eliminate this kind of odor.

If the smell you are dealing with is not from urine but a general dog smell in your carpet, there are a few ways to extract it from the fibers.

• Powders. Odor neutralizers in powder form poured over the area and left to sit overnight will absorb the scent, then you vacuum the carpet making sure to get all the powder. This method may take a few applications to completely remove the smell, but once it is gone it will not come back, a large box of baking soda will work just as well.
• Steamers. Steam cleaners work well on pet odors because they extract the hair, oil, and sweat that vacuuming alone will not get. There are many products you can use in a steam cleaner to address this kind of smell, make sure if you are buying an odor neutralizer that it is compatible with your steamer, you can also mix vinegar, denatured alcohol, or baking soda with the water before putting it into your cleaner. Wet the area and slowly pull the steam cleaner over the carpet to extract the liquid and any dirt or particles that come with it, you want to pull out as much of the moisture as you can because it will pull the odor out with it, allow for ample drying time before placing anything over that area of the carpet.

Overtime the slight smells that we do not even notice can build up but employing these techniques every now and then will help ensure your home is odor free. Just because you have a dog in your home does not mean you have to live with unpleasant smells in your carpet, vacuuming weekly and keeping your dog out of carpeted areas will keep the floor smelling as it should.