How to Minimize Dog Odor in Your Home
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With the weather getting warmer we are spending more time outdoors and especially our fur babies. That means our dogs bringing in all the smelliness. I cannot tell you how much I dislike the smell of a dirty dog in the house. I do understand this comes with the territory of having this addition to the family, but it shouldn't overpower the smell of the house.
My dog Milo loves being out in our backyard when it’s warm he takes advantage of sunbathing. He also shares a room with our oldest. They are thunder buddies, it's the cutest. Milo is special, he suffers from seasonal allergies that affect his skin and fur, so he gets very smelly faster than normal. (He has been a monthly allergy shot which is not cheap, yay!)
We are constantly trying new things to do away with any bad odors from our big fur kid. Also, there was a time that he was sprayed by a skunk and someone (who will go unnamed) thought was a great idea to let Milo back in the house.
Here is what works for us to keep any unpleasant smells away.
1. Washing the dogs bed on a weekly basis.
We are constantly washing the dog beds we have, which includes any blankets. This should be on the same schedule as your weekly laundry loads. Just like we wouldn't go a whole week sleeping on dirty sheets, the same goes for the dog. I also invested in beds (like this one) that can have the covers removed to wash separately. Use dye-free detergent (it's the only kind I use for the girl's sensitive skin) and dryer sheets.
Another thing we do on a daily basis is the bed that is in Adeline’s gets taken outside to air it out.
2. Light candles.
Let me tell you I swear by the Yankee Lavender Lemon candle. You can buy it directly in the Yankee store or through Amazon if you need it, ASAP. This was the best thing ever when the whole house was tainted by the skunk smell. It is also my favorite spring and summer go-to candle. This candle is a miracle maker and cancels out any unpleasant smells.
3. Washing rugs and carpet.
We don't have carpet on the two top floors, but we do in the basement. I don't recommend washing the carpet every week because it can decrease the longevity of it. I recommend washing the carpet and rugs every three-month. You want to make sure that if you buy a carpet cleaner it also has a dryer. (Here are two to choose from - Bissell and Hoover) the last thing you would want is mold building up from the constant washing.
4. Air fresheners and sprays
I love myself a good plug-in and spray that works. I've gone through so numerous brands trying to find the best one that lasts the most. When it comes to odor-eliminating sprays I highly recommend the Febreze Air Heavy Duty. It does wonders with canceling any unwanted odors. This is the plug that I love the Febreze Plug Air Freshner Odor Eliminator the Gain scent.
5. Regular dog baths
During the summer Milo gets weekly or biweekly baths, it all depends on what he gets himself into.
6. Clean the house
Weekly cleaning of the house and anything I can do in between is what works in keeping any smell from lingering. There are different levels of cleaning, the weekly ones are the ones that help the most with the smells. The deep cleaning is done monthly to target areas that are not done weekly.
Even though we have to do additional work to have our fur kid, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. He makes our lives so much fuller and more fun. #adoptdontbuy
