How to Clean Smelly Dogs Without Water

A bath leaves your dog smelling fresh and clean, with a coat and skin that feels better. Bathing your dog too frequently can cause dry skin by removing the natural oils, but a stinky dog isn't pleasant to be around. In between baths, you can keep your dog feeling and smelling fresher with cleansing methods that don't require water. This type of cleaning is particularly helpful for dogs that don't care for baths, even when they're needed.

Things You'll Need

  • Bowl
  • 1/2-cup baking soda
  • 1/4-cup corn starch
  • 1/4-cup rice flour
  • Jar with lid
  • 3 drops lemon essential oil
  • Dog brush
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Pour a 1/2 cup of baking soda into a bowl. Add 1/4 cup of corn starch and 1/4 cup of rice flour. Stir the three dry ingredients together until mixed well.

    • 2

      Transfer the dry ingredients to a glass jar. Add three drops of lemon essential oil to the dry ingredients. Close the jar and shake it to mix the oil with the baking soda mixture. The lemon oil adds a pleasant scent that also helps repel mosquitoes, fleas and ticks.

    • 3

      Sprinkle the dry shampoo over your dog's fur, avoiding the head and ear area. Massage the dry shampoo into the fur, ensuring that it gets down to the skin where dirt and oils tend to collect. Leave the dry shampoo in your dog's fur for 20 minutes.

    • 4

      Brush your dog's fur to remove the shampoo, dirt, oil and smell. Make sure to brush down to your dog's skin to remove the powder. Start at the neck and work your way down and around your dog's body to ensure no areas are missed.