Scent Sense: How to Prevent and Remove Pet Odor from Your Home

Cats and dogs make great companions, don’t they? Once you’ve owned a pet, it’s hard to imagine life without them. That being said, pet ownership has its fair share of shortcomings. One of them is their pet stains and odor which, if left unattended, can lead to severe damage that could cost hundreds, if not thousands of dollars to repair.

But all is not lost! You can keep your home looking and smelling great with the right approach. Avoid and remove unwanted pet odor with these tips

CLEAN UP IMMEDIATELY AFTER ACCIDENTS

When it comes to pet odor removal, you’ll get the best results if you act instantly. As soon as you discover an accident, clean the dirty area with water in a spray bottle. You may want to refrain from using chemical based carpet cleaners here since they can cause the stain to set for good and may not even cover up the underlying smell.  Chemical free cleaners are also a popular and pet-safe option; a little research on what’s available can help you choose what’s best for your home.

USE A PET ODOR ELIMINATOR

As soon as the soiled area is properly cleaned, make use of a pet odor neutralizer. If you don’t have anything else on hand, you can even use baking soda and vinegar for the purpose. Using a neutralizer is necessary as your pet may dirty the already soiled area if the odor is not entirely eliminated. Again, avoid chemicals as their strong scent is more likely to draw your pet back to the unclean area.

Don’t forget that pet hair and litter boxes can contribute just as much odor.  Be sure to clean and maintain your living space by cleaning or vacuuming any excess hair and clean out litter boxes regularly.  Using an air purifier is also a great idea for your overall internal air quality, especially for households with pets.

TAKE PROACTIVE STEPS

To prevent odors before they start, consider keeping pets out of certain areas of your home, such as those with expensive rugs or wall-to-wall carpeting. Vacuum-cleaning and washing on a regular basis will also help keep your home smelling fresh. Simple techniques such as sprinkling baking soda on areas your pet lingers in can also help prevent pet odors.

CALL IN A PROFESSIONAL

Enlisting an experienced cleaning service may be the best way to permanently approach the problem of lingering pet odors in your home. With their expertise and access to a myriad of odor removal techniques, they can easily eliminate the odor from your home.

REPLACEMENT MAY BE REQUIRED

If the accident happened on the floor or a carpet, you may need to take a more extreme action. For a pungent and persistent pet odor, your best option may be replacing the carpet or refinishing the sub-flooring.

These simple steps will let you quickly and easily get the results you’re seeking, rather than going all out to hold back the pet odors in your home. Paying careful attention to your pet will make certain you’re able to limit the smells as much as possible. Prevention is the best approach to effectively tackle the problem of pet odors in the home.