Living with dogs can be joyful and bring happiness to your home. However, dogs can also make your house smell. Even if you don’t notice, your guests will. In case you would like to still have visitors in your house and eliminate strong odors from your sofa, soft furnishings, and floor, you might just need to change your cleaning routine, and nobody will notice that you are sharing your home with four-legged family members. Below you will find a few tips on how to keep your home smelling fresh despite dogs being dogs.
Odor – Resistant Bed
The main source of dog smell is likely to be your four-legged friend’s bed. They will do all sorts of things in there, and jump in and out, take food and chewy toys with them when settling down. If you have a washing machine with a special program, you might want to wash your dog’s bed regularly. If not, your other option is to get an odor-resistant pet bed. This will improve your home’s comfort level and prevent foul smells.
Lavender Cleanser
To restore the nice, fresh smell of your home, you could wipe all the surfaces with a mixture of water and lavender essential oil. Spray it on surfaces, and rub it in soft furnishing regularly. Lavender doesn’t only get rid of the smells, but also calms your dog, so they will be more happy and content while staying indoors. You can get a spray bottle and some lavender cleanser to use in and around your house regularly.
Air Purifier
A good way of getting rid of harmful bacteria, dust, and even smells is to install an air purifier in your home. There are some carbon filter ones that have a low energy consumption and noise level, and they will help you eliminate the odors and pollution at the same time. If you have friends with dog allergy, they might even be able to stay in your house without having to deep clean your house every time they visit.
Wax Melt
To cover up the smell your dog makes regularly in the house, and enjoy a fresh-smelling home, you might also want to invest in a wax melt air freshener that will help you enjoy the best smells and get rid of the ones you don’t like a lot. Wax melts come in different sizes and capacities, and you can get various scents that will work well within your doggy room.
Upholstery Cleaning Routine 
While you can vacuum every day and even remove pet hair from your sofa, the smells are likely to stay. You might want to invest in an advanced carpet shampooer that has hand held tools to clean soft furnishing and upholstery. Add some antibacterial cleanser to the mixture when you are cleaning your upholstery, and make sure that you are using pet-friendly, natural cleaning products, so if your dog decides to lick the cushion or the seat they don’t get an allergic reaction.
Baking Soda
To eliminate odors from your carpet, you might want to sprinkle baking soda on it and brush it in. Leave it to set for 15-30 minutes before you vacuum, and you will notice a difference straight away. Make baking soda or soda crystals a part of your cleaning routine. You might even want to put it on your dog’s bed and toys, but make sure that you remove it carefully, or you could cause an upset stomach. Baking soda will leave your surfaces shiny, too. Use it on your floor, in the bath, and on floor tiles.
Bath
Regularly bathing your dog and drying them carefully can also prevent bad odors in your house. Make your dog’s bathtime fun, and give your dog their own bath towel they can cuddle up in to dry. Bathing will get rid of fleas and ticks, and help you control shedding as well. Use a shampoo that has natural ingredients and is not likely to irritate your dog’s skin or stomach when they lick their hair. Give your dog a bath outside, if you can, and if the weather is warm enough, so you don’t have to clean up the spills and remove the hair from the bath after.
Bad Breath Remedies
Your dog might suffer from gas or bad breath from time to time. This is usually due to indigestion, and you can prevent the smells using home remedies. Find some fennel to treat dog bad breath and some natural remedies for gas and indigestion. There are some dental treatments you can use to get rid of bad bacteria in your dog’s mouth. If you suspect that indigestion is causing your dog’s bad breath, however, you should talk to a professional.
Vinegar
Vinegar is a natural disinfectant, and is safe to use around dogs. You can spray it on surfaces, or simply use it to wipe your walls and your furniture. It will make your home smell fresh and get rid of the bacteria and particles that cause the smells. Mop your floor with a mixture of hot water and vinegar, and you can keep the smell and bacteria under control.
Pet Vacuum
Those planning on living with pets should get a pet vacuum. A Hepa filter version that has a special hand held tool that will gather pet hair and go deeper into the carpet will be needed to keep the smells under control. You can get some filters and air freshener inserts that you can add to your bagless vacuum to freshen up the air in the house while using the device.
Your dog should be a family member and looked after in your home. However, it doesn’t mean that your house should smell like a kennel. Use natural cleansers, such as vinegar and baking soda to eliminate odors from your home. Give your dog a bath regularly, and invest in pet-friendly air purifiers and air fresheners. Pay attention to the dog bed and soft furnishings, as it is hard to remove stubborn smells from them.
