How to Remove Pet Odor From Carpet

Dogs give us many pleasures, but one of them is not the odors they leave behind. Many homeowners spend large amounts of money on air fresheners, carpet deodorizers, odor killing sprays and candles just to remove the pet odors, but one of the largest and hardest areas to treat is the carpet. When there is a new puppy in the house, they tend to relieve themselves in various areas, many of which will go unnoticed because it can happen in the blink of an eye. By using a few tips and suggestions, homeowners can have the fresh smelling home they desire, as well as the lovable new addition to the family.

Things You'll Need

  • Towels Carpet stain cleaners Wet vacuum Pet odor neutralizer
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Instructions

    • 1

      Pat the area dry where the dog has just relieved itself. The faster the urine is removed, the less damage to the carpet and padding underneath there is. Pile on newspapers and/or paper towels and then stand on for about a minute, making sure to get as much off the carpet as possible.

    • 2

      Use a carpet cleaner or stain removal on the spot to remove discoloration. Be sure to use cleaning supplies that are more geared to pet odors, since they will have less of a chemical smell like ammonia. These chemical smells not only lack the ability to remove the smell completely to the dog, but it can actually encourage them to keep using that spot. The same rule applies to using a steam cleaner on pet odor spots, since the heat can seal in the smell making it a perfect location for dogs to continuously use.

    • 3

      Try a wet vacuum or Bissel to remove pet odors. These special vacuums can be bought from retail stores like Target or Walmart, or even rented at many grocery stores. The vacuums work like the traditional versions, instead they use clean water to clean the stains, and then the dirty water is sucked back up into a reserve bucket. These vacuums are very effective for pet odors on carpet, since they use plain water instead of chemicals and do a thorough job at cleaning the location.

    • 4

      Neutralize any odors that are left on the carpet by a dog that frequents the same location. Not all dog odors on the carpet are a result of urine, so using a neutralizing dog spray can keep things fresh in between vacuuming. Pet odor carpet powder can also be sprinkled around on the carpet before vacuuming, removing any odors into the powder for the allotted time it needs to sit. Vacuum up the powder, and the carpet is odor free.