We often grow accustom to the smells created by our pets in our home. Even a visibly clean house can have a lingering scent of wet dog or cat urine. This can be a problem when trying to sell a home as pet odors can deter potential buyers. Here are five efficient ways to remove pet odor from your home when selling.
1. Bathe your pets frequently
DogTime.com recommends bathing your dog at least once a month. If you have a dog with a more oily coat, bathing on a weekly term may be required. Cats, unless they have a limiting health condition, are natural self-groomers and require less frequent bathing. Be careful of yeast infections in both dogs and cats. Yeast infections in the ear are usually caused by buildup of ear wax or hair and they create a strong odor. Carefully clean your pet’s ears with a clean cotton ball to prevent a yeast infection.
2. Steam clean your carpet
Pet urine can be trapped in carpet fibers despite thorough wiping and vacuuming. The smell we encounter is released when bacteria break down the urine. There are a variety of ways to get rid of pet urine from your carpet. One way to eliminate stubborn carpet odor is to deep clean it with a rug shampoo and steam vacuum. Call a professional vacuum service if the job is too tough to handle alone.
3. Wash sheets and removeable covers often
Most pets, especially dogs, love sleeping on beds. The downside is pets are usually curious creatures who bring a lot of unknown germs from the outside onto your bed and pillows. Bathing your pets is one way to prevent these germs from transferring onto your sheets. Habitually wash your sheets, quilts, and removeable covers if they don’t require dry cleaning. Change your mattresses from time to time by looking at a good resource to find the best mattresses as per your need. Down and fiberfill pillows can be placed into the wash, too. It’s recommended to wash your pillows every six months. Please note foam pillows can’t be placed into the wash but you can still wash their removeable covers.
4. Use fabric spray for upholstery and mattresses
Some materials, such as upholstery and mattresses, can be hard to wash. Use a fabric spray to remove odor from these objects. Your best option is to vacuum pet fur from upholstery and mattresses and then spray it with the fabric mist. If necessary, try to train your pet to stay off of sofas and beds while showcasing a home.
5. Invest in an air purifier
If your odor problem persists, invest in an air purifier for pets. Some use activated carbon to adsorb odors, while others use odor neutralizing catalysts. This is a healthy way to remove pet odors because it keeps harsh chemicals from being released into the air. Air purifiers are a costly but effective method to removing persistent pet odors.
Have any tips on how to control pet odors? Share them in the comments below!
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