My House Smells Like Wet Dog: What To Do
No matter how much you love your dog, you may not always love the way it smells. Dogs are messy, and they sweat and drool as much as or more than the average person. Eventually, your house will smell like wet dog, and not all new dog owners expect it.
Bathe your dog with a shampoo formulated for canines to ensure your house doesn’t smell like wet dog. Clean your bed and furniture if you let your dog sleep on them. Replace your home's air filter every 30-90 days, run an air purifier, and clean the floors to reduce bad dog smells at home.
After cleaning your dog and the house, it helps to cross-ventilate the space by opening windows on opposite ends of the room. Wet dog smell is an unavoidable part of being a dog owner, but that doesn’t mean you must put up with it. Follow along as we explore what to do when your house smells like wet dog.
How To Get Rid Of Wet Dog Smell
There’s no way to permanently prevent your homw from smelling like wet dog, but you can get rid of it when it happens. The wet dog odor will come back, as your dog will always sweat, drool, and get dirty. The key is to keep up with maintenance and take care of your dog so the smell won’t take over your house. You can make your house smell better by following a few key steps, such as:
1. Regularly Bathe Your Dog
Every dog owner is familiar with the smell of a musty, wet dog. Even if your dog isn’t wet, it's going to smell distinctly bad if you haven’t bathed it in a while. Ideally, bathe your dog once every 4 to 6 weeks, or else your house may smell like wet dog. Canines produce sweat and excrete skin oil, roll around in dirt, debris, and even their own waste in some cases.
Some dogs produce more skin oils than others, which can also explain why they smell bad. Bathe your dog with specialized canine shampoo that is formulated specifically for dog skin, which makes it more effective than baby shampoo, which some people use. Thoroughly dry your dog after a bath to ensure your house doesn’t smell like wet dog.
2. Wash Dog Toys And Bed
Even if you regularly bathe your furry friends, your house can still smell like wet dogs if that's all you do, because your dog’s toys and bedding may be the source of the odor. Your dog’s bed is likely covered in drool, sweat, and skin oils that have built up over time. A dirty dog bed canalso also trigger your allergies and asthma.
Pet dander gathers on a dog bed and toys. Ideally, you should wash your dog’s bed twice a month if possible. These days, you can find washable dog beds that fit in the washing machine, although you must hand-wash many old-school dog beds and toys.
3. Clean The Floors
No matter how much you love your dog, it can create quite a mess. Whether it's the dirt and debris they track through the house or the saliva they drool, messes are unavoidable and can explain why your house smells like wet dog, but it's not difficult to fix. All you need to clean dog messes off your floor is distilled white vinegar and water.
White vinegar has a high acetic acid content, which is why it’s so great for cleaning pet messes. You can also put a few drops of mild dish soap in the mixture to boost its effects. Otherwise, you can use enzymatic cleaners, like Nature’s Miracle and Enzyme Wizard. Don’t wait to clean up after your pets until you’re moving, or else it will be unnecessarily difficult.
4. Run An Air Purifier
It’s worth investing in an air purifier if you have pets. It help address bad smells, and also take care of airborne pet dander. An air purifier can make a big difference in your home’s air quality, which is important for those with asthma and allergies.
Air purifiers with HEPA filters are especially useful, and they’re easy to find. That said, don't slack on bathing your pets and washing their beds after getting an air purifier. Your house will still smell like wet dog if you stop bathing them, even if you run the world’s best air purifier.
5. Clean Your Furniture
There’s nothing better than cuddling with your dog on the couch while watching your favorite show. However, that couch may smell like wet dog even after bathing your dog if you haven’t washed it in a while. Many people never wash their furniture, which makes sense considering some materials shouldn’t get wet. You can wash furniture made of synthetic materials without damaging it.
You can find commercial products made for cleaning furniture. DIY enthusiasts often prefer using mixtures of mild dish soap, water, and distilled white vinegar. Carefully inspect the tag beneath the cushions, which will have cleaning and washing sinstructions. For example, it may say that you can only wash the couch with water.
6. Prioritize HVAC Maintenance
HVAC maintenance is important for pet owners. While everyone should do this regularly, the HVAC system of people with pets gets dirty much faster. If your house smells like wet dog, inspect the air ducts and replace the air filter. HVAC professionals recommend replacing the air filter and furnace filter every 30 to 90 days.
Many people do that, but they don’t always think about air ducts, which get dirtier much faster with hair and dander. Hire professional HVAC technicians to clean the ductwork every 3 to 5 years. Doing so can improve the indoor air quality, reduce the risk of mold, and extend your air conditioner’s lifespan.
7. Ventilate Your Home
Even if you wash your dog and clean the floors, the residual wet dog smell may still permeate the air. In that case, ventilate your home and to introduce fresh air to remove bad odors. Cross ventilation is the best option, which involves letting air move through a room from both sides. Wherever possible, open windows on the north and south sides of your house.
Air will flow through your house and push out stale odors. Keep all the interior doors open during this process to maximize airflow and get the best results. It also helps to point small fans toward the open windows to get rid of smells. You only need to cross-ventilate your home for 5-20 minutes at a time in most cases. However, there is no limit.
Summing It Up
If your house smells like wet dog, you should bathe your pet at least once every 4 to 6 weeks. It also helps to wash their toys and bedding every 2 to 3 weeks to keep them smelling fresh. Run an air purifier, clean your furniture, and regularly replace your home's air filter to keep bad dog smells at bay.
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Nick Durante is a professional writer with a primary focus on home improvement. When he is not writing about home improvement or taking on projects around the house, he likes to read and create art. He is always looking towards the newest trends in home improvement.
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