Dogs may be cute and cuddly (at least when they want to be), but that doesn’t seem to stop them from making our homes a bit stinky. Just because your home smells like “dog,” that doesn’t mean you don’t keep house well. It just means that your pet is overwhelming the space. So, how do you know if your house smells like dog, and what can you do about it? Check out this effective action plan.

How to Tell If Your House Smells Like Dog

Since you live there and spend time there daily, it can be tough to tell if your house smells like your dog. It likely just smells like home to you. However, if your house does smell like “dog,” chances are that visitors will pick up on it. So, you can ask people to come over and provide you with honest feedback on the topic—or you can save yourself the time and just assume that your home does smell like a dog and take steps to eliminate the problem.

The 6 Tips on How to Clean the “Dog Smell” Out Of Your House

1. Maintain a Grooming Schedule

One of the most important things that you can do to keep your house from smelling like a dog is to create and maintain a grooming schedule for your pup. Take the time to brush them outside a few times a week to get rid of loose hair and dander, both of which can carry bad odors. Give your dog a sniff once a week, and bathe them if necessary. Use no-rinse shampoo a couple of times a week to keep them smelling nice. Whatever odor their coats emit is the odor that they will transfer to surfaces in your home. So, no-rinse shampooing them will at least help ensure that the odor is pleasant.

---

2. Vacuum More Often

Dog hair and dander are always falling off, so the gunk gets embedded into the carpeting of their home. The less often a house is vacuumed, the more time this stuff has an opportunity to get deep inside the fibers where it stays and emits undesirable odors. Also, dogs tend to lie around on carpeting so their unpleasant odor can rub off onto the surface of the floor. A great way to make sure your carpet isn’t a source of bad odor is to simply vacuum more often. Try for three times a week, but if you can only manage once or twice, it will still make a difference. You can apply a carpet deodorizer before vacuuming for a boost.

---

3. Invest in Odor-Neutralizing Products

Various products available on the market are designed to not just cover up bad odors but to neutralize and eliminate them altogether. One impressive product to consider is an enzyme spray, which can be used to tackle potty messes and smelly beds and freshen up the couches whenever necessary. Then there are pH-based products that can help keep flooring free of odors. Something as simple as a room spray can also cut down on bad odors, especially in small rooms. Using products like these regularly can help keep your house from smelling like “dog” at any given time.

---

4. Let More Fresh Air Into the House

An inexpensive and easy way to reduce the smell of dogs in your home is to air it out often. Even if for just an hour each morning or evening, open as many windows as possible each day to let fresh air replace the stale stuff that’s trapped inside with the bad odors. If you don’t have the time or inclination to do this, try keeping a window cracked just to keep air circulation moving. It can do wonders when it comes to keeping bad odors from being compiled.

---

5. Regularly Wash Bedding

Your dog’s bedding can quickly become a source of bad odors because it gets slept on so often throughout the day and night. Therefore, it’s a good idea to wash your pup’s bedding once a week or so. This will help keep the bedding fresh, and therefore, make your home fresher overall. Consider having a backup bed to use while your dog’s main bedding is being washed so they still have somewhere comfy to sleep until the good stuff is dry.

---

6. Consider the Use of an Air Purifier

Although there is limited research on how well air purifiers work in terms of eliminating contaminants and odors, such machines can likely remove at least a few indoor pollutants to make the air feel fresher and smell cleaner. HEPA air purifiers are designed to get rid of odors by filtering things that create odors like mold, pollen, dust, pet dander, and other particles out of the air. Certain models can filter up to 219 square feet of space at a time, which should be enough to keep your main living space fresh and clean smelling.

Conclusion

Dogs do have a way of stinking up the house, especially if special precautions are not taken to keep the odors under control. Several steps can be taken to get rid of “dog” smell in the house without having to force the actual dog to live in the yard. Not all the steps listed must be employed to keep your house smelling fresh. However, the more techniques that you employ, the more success you’re bound to have.

---

Featured Image Credit: New Africa, Shutterstock