Does Your House Smell Like Your Dog?

Does Your House Smell Like Your Dog?

If you’re like many pet parents selling a home in Tampa Bay, you know that your house might smell a little like your four-legged family member – but that’s exactly what you don’t want buyers to smell. This guide explains how to tell whether your house smells like your dog and what to do about it if the answer is yes. 

Does Your House Smell Like Your Dog?

The best way to figure out whether your house smells like you live with an animal is to ask a close friend, relative or your Tampa Bay REALTOR® to let you know, because eradicating that smell will help you sell your home. 

So what can you do if your house smells like a kennel instead of a comfortable, cozy place to live? Use these five tips:

• Vacuum your dog bed every few days
• Wash your dog bed every week
• Vacuum your floors every other day
• Wash hard surface floors weekly
• Cover up furniture that you and your dog share

If you’re doing that and it hasn’t quelled the odor significantly, the following sections are for you.

Humidity and Dog Odors: How to Squash the Smell

Sometimes humidity brings out dog odor with a vengeance – and we live in Florida, so there’s a good chance humidity has affected your home. You can ensure your air conditioning system stays on at a comfortable temperature – say 72 degrees F – and combine that with the hard work a dehumidifier does to keep dampness to a minimum. Most of the odor is likely coming from your furniture, though it can also come from carpeted floors. (If you suspect that’s the case, have your carpets cleaned by a professional as soon as you can.)

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$485,000 Pending

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Cleaning Products That Really Eliminate Pet Odors

Many cleaning products say that they’ll eliminate pet odors, but all they do is cover it up temporarily. Even products marketed specifically for pet odors – some big names that claim to cling to odor particles – don’t work as they say they will. They’ll fix things up if you’re in a pinch, like when your REALTOR calls and says some prospective buyers will be there in 15 minutes, but you should try products that really work to eradicate smells.

Baking soda is a great odor eliminator, and so is white vinegar. You can sprinkle baking soda on your furnishings, let it sit, and vacuum it away after at least 15 minutes. If that’s not possible, you can let a bowl of white vinegar sit near anything giving off an offensive odor; wait 15 minutes (or longer, if you can), then pour the vinegar down the drain and wash the bowl (so your kitchen doesn’t smell like a pickle factory). 

Related: 4 home staging tips from the pros

Do Air Purifiers Work to Eradicate Pet Odors?

Some air purifiers, such as those that contain HEPA filters, can help clean some pet odors from the air in your home. However, they won’t eradicate bad odors that are embedded in your carpets or furnishings. 

The same is true with plants. They can pull toxins and dangerous chemicals from the air while releasing oxygen, but they’re not a complete solution. You’ll have to combine air purifiers and plants with thorough cleaning to get the best results. 

Related: Should you live in a community with a homeowners association?

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