Dog smell in the house

[maggieb]

I LOVE my pups and would never think about banning them from the house or particular rooms BUT my house smells strongly of dog no matter how clean it is.  It's gotten to the point that I'm too embarrassed to invite people over.

My mother just told me about an air purifier she heard about that is suppose to remove the smell from the house.  They are very expensive! But if they work, I'd consider it for peace of mind.  Does anyone have any experience with these air purifiers and if so what kind?  Any other ideas for getting the smell out? 

[Miranda]

Febreeze! I use Febreeze like crazy!

[navarre1316]

I was anything the dog lays on constantly, and do my best to keep her brushed.  It's nearly impossible in the rainy season though, wet dog all the time!  Purifiers do work, you can also get a good filter for your air conditioner, that helps too.  Febreeze is fantastic!  But unfortunately, some dogs, no matter how clean....stink!!!  My boxer, short hair and all I have realized smells more than my shepherd ever did!  Good luck!!

[Miranda]

I've gotten lucky...for a long haired dog, Kingsley doesn't really have that dog smell, unless he's wet. Unfortunately, he does shed like CRAZY, and so I'm embarrassed to have people over because no matter how often I sweep and vacuum, there's always a layer of dog hair on EVERYTHING.

[K9ldy00]

Only invite dog people over, they won't mind hair or doggy smell 

[schelmischekitty]

if you have a LIGHT colored couch, you can sprinkle baking soda on it and then vacuum it off, i tried this with a darker one and ended up with a mess though.  also, we have pillows on our couch, and put dryer sheets on it, and replace every so often so when you *PLUMP* down on them, it smells like your dryer sheets, all nice and fresh! 

[patrick]

Add bleach to your cleaning solutions.  If mopping I also bleach the mop every time I use it  I have hardwood floors now so it is easier to keep the odor out  When I had carpeting I used bleach in the cleaning solution and steam cleaned frequently. 

[aggghgmom]

It may not be practical but we had our rugs removed from the rooms that Harley goes in.

We put smaller area rugs around that are machine washable.

We also have a leather couch so that doesn't retain odors.

[marinafb]

It's never ending i have 2 short hair and 1 long i have to say my house does'nt really smell i have had people tell me that as well they told me i would have never guessed you had dogs. Now about the hair thats a different story. If i don't care for you i will let you sit on my down cover on the couch and watch you leave with hair on your butt! Glade or yankee candles leave a nice smell and anything covering the furniture that can be washed is a good thing i have asthma and other issues i was always told not to have pets you can see how well i listen. Without my dogs i would'nt be myself. Love them love there fur and smell ! Marina

[macybean]

My goal is a house full of hard flooring-wood and tile or stained concrete. Then I'll just put rugs down. Other than the carpet, the only thing that smells like dog is the cover on my bed. I keep the dogs on top of that instead of the sheets, so they smell just fine. Plus, it's washable. They aren't supposed to get on the couch I have now, so hopefully, it won't smell. One of my roommates says my house smells sweet. I don't know what that's from!

[The Brindle Pack]

My goal is a house full of hard flooring-wood and tile

lol... this is what we ended up doing.  Not only do we have the dogs that we have to deal with but living in the desert we have a dirt yard with very little rain to keep the dust down.

Three years ago when we bought we put carpet in the living room and wood/tile everywhere else.  The carpet lasted two years.  We also had a cloth sectional that had to be replaced with leather.  As for the dog beds we use crib mattresses.  They have a vinyl cover so all we have to do is wipe them down and wash the sheet(s).  Three mattresses can be covered with a queen size sheet.

I feel your pain.... for us we have decide no carpet and no cloth is the only way to go.

[CrazyLoveRosie]

Vacuuming everyday seems to be helping with our doggy-smelling carpet... it keeps the smell from sticking to it I think. But ultimately I think we'll have to start using Febreeze in between steam carpet treatments. Our Newf tends to start smelling like dog, as opposed to oatmeal and wild berry (her shampoo), after a few trips outside the house, and our carpet quickly inherits the dog smell.

[bluskygirl]

I am into aeromatherapy, and often what I do is take Borax powder as a base, place it in some kind of a shaker can and then add some drops of essential oils. I typically put Lavender in, sometimes a little sandalwood or patchouli, and tea tree often time will remove a bad odor.  Then I sprinkle it on the carpet before I vacuum.  It works really well, and if you already have the oils it's a fast and inexpensive way to freshen up you house.  It's always worse in the winter becuase windows and doors tend to be kept shut.

[EllieAndBlu]

I am into aeromatherapy, and often what I do is take Borax powder as a base, place it in some kind of a shaker can and then add some drops of essential oils. I typically put Lavender in, sometimes a little sandalwood or patchouli, and tea tree often time will remove a bad odor.  Then I sprinkle it on the carpet before I vacuum.  It works really well, and if you already have the oils it's a fast and inexpensive way to freshen up you house.  It's always worse in the winter becuase windows and doors tend to be kept shut.

Great idea! I already have a bunch of oils... I am going to try it.  Quick question, at the risk of sounding like a big dummy.... where does one find borax powder?

[EllieAndBlu]

You can get Borax at Walmart or anywhere that sells laundry stuff.  It works to kill fleas in carpet too!

Thanks Jenn - I am going to get some this weekend! Flea killing too ... it's lie a 2-for-1 special... lol