My family loves animals and has had a variety of pets over the years – dogs, cats, rabbits, gerbils, hamsters and the occasional turtle and wounded birds. The pets that stay in cages are not difficult to clean up after; however, housetraining a kitten or puppy means “accidents” will happen. Furthermore, we enjoy our pets so that means the “live” with us – on the furniture, rolling around on the carpet and sometimes sharing our bed at night. Therefore, finding effective ways to remove pet odors is one of my top priorities to keep my home clean and smelling like a home instead of a kennel.
The first order of business is finding effective ways to remove pet odors caused by pet urine.
Enzymes – Products containing enzymes specifically designed to remove odors from pet urine are the best things to use on carpets, furniture and clothing. To find the products that work best, ask the experts at your local pet store and then follow the directions on the bottle to remove pet odor. Peroxide and ammonia – Mixing two tablespoons of ammonia and one cup of peroxide in a spray bottle is a good solution to cleaning up small “accidents” on carpet while housetraining. Use a paper towel to blot up as much urine as possible then spray the solution liberally on the spot, blot again, spray again lightly and allow to dry. Vinegar and baking soda – This is a good solution for carpets, clothing, towels and bed linens. For carpets: Mix white vinegar and water in equal parts and apply to carpets with a stiff brush. Blot excess liquid from spot and allow to dry. Sprinkle baking soda on spot and work a mixture of one teaspoon dish detergent and one teaspoon 3% hydrogen peroxide into the baking soda with a stiff brush. Allow to dry over night and vacuum. For towels, clothing and bed linens: Add ½ cup of white vinegar to the wash cycle and launder as usual with detergent. Allow to air dry then rewash with detergent but add two cups of baking soda to the wash cycle and allow to air dry.
Even if your pet is perfectly housetrained, pet odors can still cause problems from pets laying on furniture and carpets.
Odor eliminating sprays – Some great sprays on the market eliminate a variety of odors in carpet, furniture and clothing. Make sure that you are purchasing an “eliminator” and not a perfume or you will just be covering up the odor rather than removing it. Spraying furniture every few days will keep odors from becoming worse. Baking soda – Sprinkle baking soda on carpets, allow to sit overnight then vacuum. There are also perfumed carpet powders; however, this just covers up odors rather than neutralizing them. Vinegar – Simmer a pot of apple vinegar on the stove to remove impurities from the air. The smell will dissipate (it is strong) after a few hours and leave the air clean and odor free. Onions – Onions are great odor eliminators. Cut an onion, place in a plate and leave sitting out overnight. The onion will absorb odors and leave the room smelling clean.
Pets bring joy to our lives; however, they also bring along bad odors at times. Staying on top of the situation and eliminating bad odors from your home before they overtake it is the key to keeping your home smelling clean and fresh.