Get Rid of that Dog Smell in Your House

By Diana Lundin

Fresh and clean is not usually a way to describe a house with a dog because let’s be honest here… those rascally -- but beloved -- pooches can most definitely make a mess and leave a trail of odors that can make your home smell like a kennel.

Like getting desensitized to your favorite perfume after a while, you might be used to the odor that originates from your dog but your guests will more than likely be able to tell you have a canine companion at first whiff.

So while the Jersey Shore gang might expound the virtues of GTL – gym, tan, laundry – you, the dog owner, might want to embrace CGN – clean, groom, neutralize.

The American Pet Products Association, a non-profit trade association that supports the pet industry through public policy, public affairs and animal awareness, says that according to its latest survey, 62% of U.S. households own a pet, which equates to 71.4 million homes.

And of that number, 77.5 million dogs are in 45.6 million households.

That’s a lot of shedding.

How you can minimize odors

Tierra Bonaldi represents the APPA and has a menagerie of her own to manage:  “I have a dog, two cats and a constant stream of foster kittens. And my son is allergic. Believe me, I'm all over odor control!”

And as part of her job, she gets to try everything.

First, frequent grooming is the order of the day when it comes to minimizing fur mess and odor. Brush your dog daily for about five minutes. That will cut down on the fur flying around the house and pet hair does have a scent. Bonaldi recommends a Furminator to brush your dog’s coat.

“I have found that getting my dog groomed, or washing and brushing him myself, helps tremendously as well as frequently washing his pet bed covers,” Bonaldi says.

Vacuum frequently.

That said, vacuum regularly as well. Many manufacturers are coming out with models specifically made to pick up fur, like Dyson’s Animal, Bissell’s Pet Hair Eraser or even iRobot’s Roomba Pet Series Robotic vacuum cleaner.

Sprinkle your carpets with baking soda a few minutes before vacuuming to neutralize odors. You can also put a few drops of essential oil on a tissue, vacuum the tissue, and it will add a nice fragrance as you vacuum.  Try lemongrass, wild lavender, sandalwood or any scent you like.

Bonaldi also likes Bissell’s Spot Bot, a deep-cleaning machine that automatically removes stains from carpet and upholstery. It, too, has a pet-specific version and a cleaning solution made just for treating pet stains and odors.

Febreze also makes a line specifically for pets, which includes fabric spray and air freshener spray.

Lint rollers also help considerably, getting dog hair off of your furniture and clothes and one of the stronger ones is Petcare Dog Hair Remover, Bonaldi says. Keeping dogs off of your bed and furniture might ease the odors, too.

Don’t forget odor neutralizers, like Nature’s Miracle, Urine-Off Pet Odor Neutralizer and KO’s Odor Eliminator.

So there you have it. Do some CGN and you can eliminate a lot of your dog’s smellier attributes so you can enjoy what you like most – its company.

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