How to Get Dog Odor Out of a Couch

Dog odor in the couch can be unpleasant, but when you have company, it's downright embarrassing. The good news is that you don't have to go to the expense of buying a new couch in order to remove the dog odor. Dog odor in furniture can be eliminated quite inexpensively. In fact, you probably have all the necessary items in your house. The better news is that it's easy to do.

Things You'll Need

  • Paper towels or clean, dry cloths
  • Baking soda
  • Vacuum cleaner with an upholstery cleaning attachment
  • Sheet or blanket (optional)
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Instructions

    • 1

      Identify the odor. Dog odor is a rather broad term that can be broken down to three categories.

      The first is the odor associated with pet dander, more commonly referred to as wet dog smell. Dogs emit more odor when they're wet, but they can be stinky when they're dry, too.

      The second is the odor of the dog's saliva, or what most of us would call the scent of dog slobber. Dog slobber scent is stronger than wet dog smell and is often accompanied by a wet spot if it's fresh.

      The third dog odor is from urine. Every dog owner knows that the smell of canine urine is the most powerful of all and is the hardest to get out.

    • 2

      Blot the spot. If the odor is combined with a wet spot (wet dog, dog slobber, or canine urine), blot the spot. Blotting is achieved by placing a dry towel (paper or cloth) over the wet spot and pressing gently. When the paper towel (or cloth) is saturated, use a fresh one. Continue to do this until your blotting towel comes up dry.

    • 3

      Sprinkle the tinkle, and everything else. If there's just one stinky spot on your couch, sprinkle baking soda only on that spot. If your whole couch reeks of dog, sprinkle baking soda on the whole couch. (Baking soda is non-toxic, doesn't stain, and absorbs odors.)

      Allow the baking soda to sit for several hours, then use the upholstery attachment on your vacuum cleaner to suck it up. The baking soda will have absorbed the odor, so your vacuum will take up the baking soda and the odor.