Living with pets can create some stinky situations, and as a dog mom who loves for her home to smell fresh and clean, I’m always looking for ways to get rid of those odors.
There are a lot of unhealthy ways to fight odors, like commercial air fresheners and carpet deodorizers. But those products are filled with toxic chemicals that can make your entire family sick. Why take the chance when there are so many natural ways to fight pet odors in your home?
Today I’m sharing a few tried and true tricks I use to make my home smell great, even with 2 dogs, a cat, and men in the house.
6 Ways to Fight Pet Odors in Your Home
1) Eliminate odors at the source.
Empty trash cans every day. Toss out anything that’s causing odors in the fridge. Wipe down the toilet and the floor around it frequently. Use baking soda to clean the garbage disposal as needed.
If you live with a cat, clean the litter box every day and be sure to use OdorKlenz Pet Litter Additive. It works immediately to remove litter box odors without the use of harsh chemicals or fragrances. Your kitty will thank you, and so will your guests. They may not even realize there’s a cat in the house.
2) Vacuum 3-4 times per week.
Vacuuming not only makes your home cleaner, but when you use a DIY carpet deodorizer, it will leave a fresh, welcoming scent. My carpet deodorizer recipe is totally safe for pets and children, and it’s so easy to make and use.
By the way, have I mentioned how much I love my iRobot Roomba? You guys! This thing has truly changed my life. Yes, it’s a little bit of an investment, but look at it as an investment in your home and family. Now that I use my Roomba 3-4 times a week, my house has never been so clean, and I love it!
3) Clean up pet accidents right away.
Using OdorKlenz Pet Urine Eliminator will help get rid of any smells that might be left behind after cleaning up pet accidents. It destroys odors deep down, and is made using ingredients that are safe for use around kids and pets. The formula is also safe for carpets, as it doesn’t bleach or stain.
Potty training a Dachshund puppy has been the bane of my existence, y’all. I’m happy to say that OdorKlenz Pet Urine Eliminator has been a real lifesaver at my house.
4) Open the windows.
When the weather will allow, open your windows and let the fresh air in. I’m a firm believer in airing out my home as often as possible to get rid of musty smells, pet odors, and stale air. The fresh air is healthy for your entire family, pets included, and your home will feel light and airy.
5) Use a diffuser.
I love essential oils, and they can do so much to make your home smell clean and fresh. An essential oil diffuser will help get rid of cooking odors, and there are so many possible scent combinations. For more about using essential oils with pets, check out this article.
6) Take care of your pet.
If your dog is smelly, give her a bath. Wash her bedding and blankets on a regular basis. Clean pet bowls thoroughly every week, and clean toys as needed. Staying up-to-date on these little details will make a big difference in getting rid of pet odors in your home.
I’m giving away a $50 store credit for OdorKlenz – CLOSED
To help you keep your home smelling great, I’m partnering with OdorKlenz to give away a $50 store credit. Entering to win is super easy; just leave a comment below telling me all about your biggest odor issue in your home.
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We constantly vacuum the house, once a day, too keep all the fur from piling up. We’ve also gotten in the habit if burning candles when the house starts to smell.
Our biggest issue with odor control in our house is our three cats, we do have a self cleaning cat litter box and that has helped a lot with controlling the smell from the litter box.
My dog after it rains
The biggest odor issue I have right now is the mini litter box I had to put on our cat tree. My older cat, Moko, has had some health issues, including being diagnosed as being a “hyperthyroid kitty”, as my vet calls her. The radioactive iodine route was just too costly, so we started her on pills, which she doesn’t like taking. So, we had the pet pharmacy formulate a transdermal version. Moko is apparently allergic to one or more ingredient in the formula, though, and had some really bad reactions to it. Through it all, she had started peeing anywhere but her litter box, including couches, rugs, and on the cat tree. I secured the little litter box on the tree and she immediately started only using it. However, since it’s not only an open box, but in a very high-traffic area, as soon as she uses it we have to worry about odors. Now that Moko is doing better I had really hoped she would go back to the regular boxes, but she wants to spend almost all her time on the top level of the tree, which is where I put her food, too, and comes down one level to use the box and does come down to get water. I’d love the litter box additive for that box. It’s right in the living room and close to our front door, so anyone coming in the house smells any odor from it immediately. I do scoop it multiple times a day, since Moko is peeing a lot (one of the symptoms of hyperthyroidism – we did have her checked for kidney issues but there aren’t any).
My biggest odor issue in my home is the ever-so-feared litter box! I scoop every day, but still get that hint of cat tee tee every now and then. Thank you for the chance to win this. It sounds like a great product!!
My biggest odor is my dogs accidents. They sometimes pee or poop and I hate the smell it leaves behind. Also just the smell of dog is sometimes overpowering in my house. Occasionally I would just like to smell fresh in my home!
I have 4 dogs and if one does not make it outside to potty in time the others want to mark their spot inside also
I shelter elderly cats, so it is the cat room. I have 12 at the moment.
Biggest odor is cat vomit on the carpet!
The litter box is always an issue – even when it’s cleaned out every day.
My biggest odor problem is having 6 pets living in the house with us. Sometimes when you walk in, the house smells like wet dog. Other times you catch a whiff of litter box. I clean constantly every day but the odors never truly disappear. I think this carpet cleaner and litter additive would really help.
I have 2 cats and clean the litter box twice a day. Sometimes, there is an odor of cats and the litter additive may help that.
My biggest odors are the litter boxes (six of them!) and one unhousebreakable dog. I clean constantly, but my home always smells musty or like pets. My rental house doesn’t have screens on the windows, so I can’t open them and it’s really too hot to have them open anyway. This is my first home, and I am desperate to keep it nice!
My darling JRT Kala sheds like crazy, as JRTs tend to do, so I have to vacuum the place all the time, lest we start coughing up furrballs ourselves. I found that those sticky rollers are the best thing for removing hair from the furniture and clothes.
Two years ago, I adopted this small chihuahua (the second highest euthanized breed at shelters) at a county dog warden. He was found on the street and had prior abuse issues, and wasn’t fixed. He was only 1-2 years old, and got fixed right away, but two YEARS later here we are and he still loves to mark everything, that’s currently our biggest odor issue. In fact, just two weeks after I got him I woke up to him peeing on me! Seriously! He tries to mark anything new in the house, especially the corner of pieces of furniture. I don’t like using harsh chemicals, as I take care of a parent with cancer and want to use things that are friendly to people, pets, and the planet! I let him out about 7 times a day at least and he still finds a second to mark something. It’s worth it though!
Love our puppy but when he gets just a bit wet, the smell of wet dog bothers me for days. Wish I had a mud room with dog drying area.
I have three dogs and six cats, its hard to keep animal smell out of my house 100% of the time but we try our best.
Ever since getting a second cat 5 weeks ago, my biggest odor issue is the litterbox. I’m about to try my third brand of litter as the first two have not helped and I’m also using a deodorizer in the box and one of those odor absorbing gels near it. The smell has improved with the use of those items, but it’s not completely gone.
Thanks for these tips for dealing with pet odors in your home. I’m glad you mentioned that you should try to use some kind of essential oil diffuser. I’m interested to learn if some oils work better depending on the pet or if your choice in oil just depends on your preferences.