Your four-legged friends can bring a whole lot of joy to your household…but they can also bring bad odours which can be very difficult to get rid of!

But, instead of leaving your furry family members outside when you have visitors, try these tips to banish pet odours from your home and leave your pets looking and smelling fresh.

Vacuum, Vacuum, Vacuum!

Not sure if we expressed it enough, but vacuuming is the key to eliminating smells. Vacuum your floors, carpets, rugs, furniture, under furniture, cushions and any other area where your pet spends a lot of time. This will remove smells caused by your pets leaving fur, mud or traces of urine and faeces around the house. Vacuum at least twice a week to keep smells at bay.

Wash Pet Beds

Vacuum your pet bed once a week and wash them every other. Most beds can be put in the washing machine on a regular cycle and then tumble dried. For larger beds, remove the cover and put it in the washing machine then sprinkle the stuffing with baking soda. Leave for a minute then vacuum the soda away and place the clean cover back on. Smells will be eliminated and your pets will thank you for it too!

Cover Furniture

Your pet will have claimed their favourite spot on the armchair or maybe even your bed! Try placing a washable blanket or cover on the area so you can wash it regularly and don’t have to worry about smelly furniture. If your pets take up the whole sofa, try a slipcover which can be easily washed and prevents stains or smells.

Clean Furniture

Even if you have a cover or blanket, you may need to give the furniture a wash every now and again as pet smells will hide in the material. Always check the care label before cleaning, but in most cases, you can use a standard cleaning solution or a special leather cleaner for leather furniture.

Keep Your Pet Well Groomed

A well-groomed pet not only smells good but looks good too! Pets love to play outside, which means they will get into a lot of mess and bring it into your home. Regular bathing, brushing and nail trimming will reduce pet smells and keep your home fresh. A great way to prevent dirt coming into your home is to wipe your pet’s paws whenever they come inside, that’s if you can catch them!

Clean Toys and Accessories

Your pet will most definitely have their favourite toys they won’t want to part with! But, leaving them unwashed could create unpleasant odours in your home. Wash fabric toys, ropes, collars and leads in the washing machine, and rubber and hard toys in the sink with soapy water.

Clean Messes Immediately

Cleaning up your pets’ urine, faeces and vomit isn’t anyone’s favourite chore! But leaving these until later can make bad smells spread through your home and be difficult to get rid of. Clean it straight away with a specialist cleaner which will not only clean up the stains but prevent smells from lingering.

Keep Smells at Bay

When you’ve done your cleaning, you’ll want to make sure these pesky odours stay gone! Here are some tips to ensure your home stays fresh:

• Keep windows open to air out any bad smells.
• Use an air purifier to reduce dust and dirt in the air. These are great for allergies too.
• Spray air fresheners or invest in automatic ones to reduce odours and leave a fresh smell in your home.

For more tips on keeping your house fresh and clean, take a look at our advice on when and how you should be washing these household items.

Tags: Cleaning Tips, Pet Odours