How To Keep Your House from Smelling Like Dog: A Comprehensive Cleaning Guide

Author: Dog Central Team

Dogs are faithful companions, but living with them can take a toll on your house. Many pet owners have likely experienced the smelliness that comes with having animals. Dogs, in particular, can bring a host of odor-causing particles inside, giving your house a distinctly dog-like smell. 

Regular cleaning is the best way to keep their pet odor from taking over your house. Not only does cleaning freshen up your space, it also rids your home of dander, dust, and dirt that may impact the well-being of both you and your pet.

When it comes to cleaning your house to get rid of dog smells, here’s a quick look at our top tips:

• Vacuum and mop floors regularly
• Wash your dog’s bedding, blankets, and toys weekly with the best laundry detergent sheets that are safe for pets
• Freshen up the air in your home
• Groom and brush your dog on a regular basis

Why Do Dogs Make Your House Smell?

Though your furry friends may bring joy to your daily life, the undeniable fact is that they start to smell quickly. Ask any non-dog owner, and odds are, they can tell when a dog lives in the house just by the smell alone! 

Dogs can bring plenty of natural oils, stinky breath, and dander into your home. This, combined with their tendency to get into things or for younger puppies to have accidents in the house, makes it unsurprising that dogs make your house smell. 

Other factors, including the type of breed you have or any health issues your four-legged friend has, contribute to the dog odor. Retrievers naturally produce more oils, likely making them stinkier than other breeds. Similarly, the long coats of some dogs are more likely to have urine odors. 

Common health problems like ear infections or dental issues can also make your dog smell bad. If your dog is not normally smelly, a new and noticeable bad smell may be a sign to take your pooch to the vet.

Regular Cleaning Routine To Keep Odors At Bay

The best way to keep your house from smelling like a dog is by cleaning it regularly and thoroughly. Though this may not be the best news, it is the most reliable way to keep the dog smells at bay. Regular cleaning gets rid of the dust, dander, oily fur, and dirt brought into the house by your dog.

One of the best ways of fighting these odor-causing microbes is by cleaning your floor. Let’s take a closer look at vacuuming and mopping.

Vacuuming And Floor Care

Vacuuming is one of the most effective ways to get pet dander, fur, hair, and dirt off your floors. If you have a home with carpeted flooring, vacuuming is especially important for managing pet smells in your house. 

If you want to go the extra mile, opt for a vacuum with HEPA filters to trap even more microbes, bacteria, dander, and oils that may be lodged in your carpet. These powerful filters trap 99.97% of particles measuring 0.3 microns or smaller, which helps you when trying to rid your house of stinky odors.

Steam cleaning is helpful for a deep clean. Though this is not a regular chore for most people, steam cleaning your carpets and upholstery on a regular basis removes odors embedded deep in fabrics. Alternatively, steam cleaning can help prevent odors from building up before they become a problem. 

Mopping And Hard Floor Cleaning

If you have wood or another hard surface floor throughout your home, mopping is necessary for ridding your home of pet smells. It’s important to use pet-safe cleaning products when tackling your floors. Whether it’s a natural or chemical product isn’t the main concern; focus on whether the product is pet-safe! 

A general rule of thumb to help keep house smells at bay is to clean up spills and accidents immediately. This makes it less likely for the spill to go forgotten and doesn’t give the smell a chance to seep into your floors. 

Best Practices For Cleaning Dog Bedding, Blankets, And Toys

Fabrics latch onto smell-causing particles, making cleaning your dog’s bed, blankets, and toys essential for preventing smells in your house. Aim for washing these items weekly since they quickly accumulate smells due to frequent use.

Like with cleaning supplies for your floor, it’s important to wash your dog’s bedding and toys with pet-safe and non-toxic laundry detergent. These types of detergents have become incredibly popular, so there are more options now than ever before. Pick a gentle detergent that is safe to use on your pooch’s toys to get them clean and odor-free.

Once you’ve washed all of the dog toys and bedding, make sure to store them properly to prevent them from becoming smelly over time. Put them in bins that can easily be wiped clean to get rid of any lingering odors that remain from the dirty toys.

Grooming Your Dog For A Fresher Home

Another important way to keep your home smelling clean starts at the source itself—your dog. Here are some tips on how to groom your dog to keep them from smelling bad and stinking up your house!

Regular Bathing

A dog’s coat can accumulate oils quickly and carry around urine or dirt. Regular baths are the best way to fight these smell-causing microbes. Opt for dog-safe shampoos that neutralize odor. Most pet stores will carry various shampoos that fit the bill, so make sure to choose one that fits your budget and preferences. Then, put it to work by bathing your dog regularly.

Brushing And Coat Maintenance

As mentioned above, a dog’s coat can get smelly quickly. Incorporating regular brushing into your grooming routine is a great way to remove dirt and dead skin cells from your dog’s fur, which helps to freshen them up and reduce stinky smells. Plus, because you’re brushing out the dirt and dead skin, these cells are less likely to lodge in your carpet or furniture.

Dental Hygiene

Anyone who has owned a dog is familiar with their hot, smelly breath. So it’s not surprising that bad dog breath affects the smell of your house. To combat this, try brushing your dog’s teeth regularly to keep odors at bay. Alternatively, give your dog dental chews to freshen their breath, keep their teeth healthy, and help prevent dental health issues from developing. 

Air Purification: Keeping The Air Fresh

Air circulation and purification are excellent for keeping your home smelling fresh and clean. Keep the air fresh with HEPA air filters, open windows, or natural freshening solutions.

Air Purifiers With HEPA Filters

Air purifiers work by pulling in dirty air, capturing dust and particles in a filter, and then circulating the purified air back into the room. These machines are simple in nature and can have a significant impact on the freshness of your home. 

If you have pets, it’s recommended that you choose an air purifier with HEPA filters. These filters catch more than 99% of particles in the air, making them one of the best ways to trap the dander, dust, and other odors your dog brings into the house. 

Ventilation

Opening the windows and doors is one of the best (and most affordable) ways to freshen up the air in your home. To effectively air out your living space, open up the windows and use fans to circulate the new, clean air throughout the house. Of course, this option can be difficult depending on the climate and region you live in, but if it’s accessible to you, it is one of the best ways to get those pet odors out of your house.

Natural Freshening Solutions

Keep your house smelling fresh naturally. Essential oils are a popular way to naturally freshen the air in your home. However, be careful about using them; essential oils are poisonous to dogs, so ensure your diffuser is set on a shelf your pet can’t reach. Another alternative is air fresheners. You can find pet-safe air fresheners online, in most home goods stores, or in pet stores.

Preventive Tips to Keep Your House Smelling Fresh

Now that you know all the cleaning tips and tricks to keep your home smelling fresh, it’s time to put them into action. Try these preventive tips to keep your house from smelling like a kennel.

Set Up A Dog Cleaning Station

Having your dog cleaning supplies in one place is a great way to prevent dog odors from taking over your house! This cleaning station doesn’t have to be complicated. Simply keep towels, a brush, and other cleaning supplies near the front door, in the garage, or entryway. This way you can easily wipe their paws off after walks or clean their coat before they enter the house.

Cleaning excess dirt and grime off your dog immediately ensures they don’t drag odor-causing dirt into your clean-smelling home!

Designated Areas For Dogs

If you can designate dog-friendly areas in your house, do it. Limiting your pooch to certain rooms is one of the best ways to keep dog odors at bay. It’s recommended that you keep your dog in areas with easy-to-clean flooring, preferably rooms with hard surfaces that can be mopped.

Regular Odor Inspections

Smells can accumulate quickly, especially if corners, nooks, and crannies aren’t cleaned regularly. By checking corners, behind furniture, and in other hidden spots, you’re able to clean these areas before smells become a problem in your house.

Final Thoughts

Though we love our four-legged friends, dogs are undoubtedly smelly and can quickly cause your house to smell less than ideal. Regular cleaning is the best way to get rid of dog odors and prevent them from coming back.

Between mopping and vacuuming, laundry, and taking preventative steps to limit smells, you’re able to not only rid your house of dog smells but also keep them from cropping up again and again.