How To Keep Your House From Smelling Like Your Pets

Having pets is a blessing, but it isn’t without its challenges. That’s especially true for people who like their homes to look tidy and smell as pleasant and fresh as possible. Luckily, we assembled a guide to show you how to keep your house from smelling like your pets.

The best way to keep your house from smelling like your pets is to clean messes as you find them and regularly vacuum the floors. It’s also important to remove loose pet hair from your furniture, bedding, and clothing to reduce odors. Bathe your pets at least once every few months and run a HEPA air filter to reduce bad odors.

Most of these simple chores take little time and are easy if you stick to a schedule. Follow along as we explore how to get rid of and prevent pet smells in the house.

How To Get Rid Of Pet Smells In The House

Getting rid of pet smells has as much to do with spot-cleaning as it does with preventative maintenance. You can ensure your house smells fresh despite having pets by regularly conducting a few important pet-owner chores.

1. Clean Messes Right Away

After work, most people want to unwind for a bit and think about what to have for dinner. This decompression period can sometimes get interrupted by your pet having an accident. Whether it be your cat vomiting or your dog urinating on the carpet, you must clean it right away.

You can’t let liquid or solid waste sit on the carpet for too long without consequences. Doing so will ensure smells linger, and stubborn, hard-to-remove stains may form. Ideally, you should clean these messes right away to keep your house from smelling like your pets.

You can find many commercial pet stain removers, which typically cost between $5 and $20, depending on the brand and volume. Physically remove the solid waste before you spray the carpet or rug with a pet stain remover. It’s also important to soak up liquid waste with a paper towel or rag before spraying the area.

2. Keep Up With Loose Hair

Loose hair is an unavoidable part of owning a pet, and it can be hard to keep up with. Naturally, pet hair carries smells throughout the house, and it can become unmanageable if you don’t keep up with it. It can also negatively impact the indoor air quality and cause problems for homeowners with respiratory issues and allergies.

You owe it to yourself to regularly clean your house and remove the loose pet hair. That’s especially true if you have long-haired cats, as they shed a lot of hair each day. Loose cat and dog hair can cover your floors, couches, bedding, and clothes.

It’s also a good idea to check hard-to-reach areas, such as the sides of your refrigerator and other appliances. Loose pet hair can even work its way into your air ducts, so check the return vents and remove pet hair as needed.

3. Replace The AC Filter

A dirty air filter can make your house smell bad, whether you have pets or not. However, AC filters typically get dirtier much faster in homes with pets that shed a lot of hair. HVAC professionals typically recommend replacing your AC filter every 90 days. 

Factors such as your home size, how clean your air ducts are, and how old your AC is can affect the timeline. If your air filter is dirty, it will make your AC work harder than it needs to, which will make it even dirtier. Not only will this spread bad pet smells throughout your house, but it can also damage your AC.

Check your AC filter monthly to see what kind of shape it’s in, and keep spare filters at home. The filter may become clogged before the 90-day mark, and if so, you must replace it. Regularly cleaning loose pet hair can help keep your AC filter cleaner for longer.

4. Clean The Litter Box

Dogs come with some unique pet smells, but they’re not nearly as bad as a full litter box. Anyone who has had cats can relate to the rancid smell that forms when you wait too long to change the box. You can avoid this smell altogether if you clean the litter box frequently.

Ideally, you should remove the dirty litter from your litter boxes weekly to ensure the smell doesn’t get out of control. When you replace the litter, you can mix it in with some baking soda to help keep bad smells at bay. However, simply replacing the litter weekly isn’t necessarily enough to get rid of pet smells in the house.

You must clean the litter box deeply every month to keep your house from smelling like pets. This is also a sanitary matter, and your cats will thank you later when they don’t have to use a filthy litter box. All it takes is some warm water and dish soap or distilled white vinegar, and it’s worth the time.

5. Run A Purifier That Has A HEPA Filter

Not all air purifiers are as good as you may think, especially if your goal is to eliminate pet smells. In that case, you need an air purifier that’s equipped with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are great because they trap the smallest particles and allergens that you can’t even see.

Not only can it remove bad pet smells, but it can also help with respiratory issues and allergies in some cases. Ideally, you should put your HEPA filter air purifier in an area where your pets spend a lot of time. Otherwise, simply focus on rooms that consistently smell bad, and set the air purifier up in there.

Some air purifiers come with a HEPA filter and another filter, such as a charcoal filter. Carefully read the instructions to see how often you must replace each filter. HEPA filters must be replaced every 6-12 months in most cases, but charcoal filters sometimes need to be replaced sooner. 

6. Spot Clean Your Pets

The last thing you want to do is bathe your cats too frequently, as that can have negative consequences. However, it’s important to carefully inspect their hair from time to time and spot clean your pets as needed. For example, cats sometimes get gross clumps of matted litter in their hair, which they can’t always clean themselves.

All you need is a damp washcloth or paper towel to remove debris and dirt in many cases. Of course, you must decide whether a full bath is necessary, especially if it’s been a while since they had one. Otherwise, it’s worth spot-cleaning your pets as needed when you find dirt and debris in their hair.

7. Bathe Them

Spot-cleaning your pets is helpful, but you must bathe them regularly. That’s especially true for dogs, which need baths roughly every 1 to 3 months, or as needed. Dogs often get dirtier than indoor cats, as dogs roll around outside in dirt, mud, and even animal waste.

Conversely, you only need to bathe your cats every 3 to 6 months, unless they’re filthy. Cats constantly groom themselves, but that’s not enough to keep them clean. It’s worth hiring a professional if you’re not equipped to groom your cats and dogs.

8. Wash Their Bedding

Do you have designated beds for your dogs and cats? Many people do, and they also sometimes dedicate old pillows and blankets to their pets to keep them comfortable. Naturally, pet beds and the bedding they sleep on can smell quite stale and musty in no time.

Ideally, you should wash the blankets, pillows, and mats your pets sleep on once every 1-2 weeks. If possible, you should wash their beds every couple of months. Unfortunately, this can be inconvenient, as you can’t put most dog beds in a standard washing machine.

One solution is to get a large plastic container, fill it with warm water and detergent, and soak the bed. Carefully rinse it to make sure no detergent remains, then let it air dry. This should help get rid of pet smells in the house and freshen the bed.

9. Clean The Floors

Whether you have carpeting or hardwood and vinyl floors, your pets will probably get them dirty. Dogs and cats drag dirt, dust, debris, and even animal waste throughout your house, whether you see it or not. Many dogs and cats also drool and leave gross stains on the floors, despite how cute they are.

That’s why you must regularly wash your floors and vacuum throughout the house. Clean your hardwood floors with a mixture of warm water and dish soap each month to remove pet stains and smells.

It’s also important to vacuum the floors every 1-2 weeks, much to your pets’ chagrin. Simply put your pets in a nice, comfortable room until you’re done to help comfort them if they fear the vacuum.

Summing It Up

Regularly remove loose hair from your furniture, bedding, and floors to keep your house from smelling like your pets. You must also replace the AC filter every 90 days and wash your bedding every few weeks to keep pet smells at bay. If you have cats, you must replace the litter weekly and deep clean the box monthly, or else the smells will remain.

Related Guides:

• Home Cleaning Checklist For Pet Owners
• 13 Easy Ways To Reduce The Amount Of Pet Hair In Your Home