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How to rid house of dog smell

lisa77429
17 years ago

I'm doing a temporary rental (sold my house finally YEAH) and dog smell in the lease house is horrible! The carpets have been cleaned by a commercial company and they even came back to do a refresher - to no avail.

Any ideas? I'm sick of masking it with sweet scents, candles and sprays.

Comments (31)

  • lisa77429
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    I forgot to mention - it isn't urine smell. More like wet dog smell EVERYWHERE.

  • lindac
    17 years ago

    Dogs don't really leave a smell like that....I suggest it's something other than dog...
    Is there a basement or a crawl space? Did something crawl in somewhere? or in the duct work?
    Linda C

  • lisa77429
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Well? LOL! That's what it smells like to me. The prior tenants had large dogs. Did I mention flea infested too? I did some checking around on the net and found a number of complaints re: "wet dog smell" but there was nothing really new about ways to get rid of the odor. Even found liquid meds/juices to give to dogs to stop that particular odor. So it must exist right? However, can't do that as those dogs aren't mine and are long gone. I'm not the only one that smells it either. The landlord smells it as well and like I said above, a commercial carpet cleaning company came out twice trying to remove the "wet dog" smell. There were only two rooms that the dogs were not allowed in and those rooms don't smell.

    There is no basement and all the ducts were cleaned within the last month. It just flat out reeks of "wet dogs". It's driving me crazy too.

  • centralcacyclist
    17 years ago

    Large dogs with oily coats like Labs that are not bathed routinely will leave behind their odor. It might be helpful to replace the padding. I think that you might be smelling some old accidents as well. Carpet cleaning will not get odors out of the padding. Anyone who doesn't have dogs will be more sensitive to the smell.

  • fixizin
    17 years ago

    Yep, most landlords are going to charge a substantial extra deposit for large dogs. Unfortunately this landlord is spending it on cleaning (LL *is* paying for the cleaning, right?), instead of replacement, or at least replacing the padding. Time to insist on that next step.

    Not sure what landlord-tenant laws are in your city/county/state, or what's in your lease, but I'm pulling for you to have a de-odorized abode. ;')

  • lindac
    17 years ago

    Never knew a dog smell to survive carpet cleaning and surface wipe down....but then I have a toy poodle! LOL!
    Linda C

  • lisa77429
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    fixizin, my LL only charges $200.00 for a pet deposit. I was truly figuring on paying an equal month's rent. He pretty much got scre*ed with his last tenant. He has already spent $500.00 trying to get the NEW carpet cleaned and the smell gone and has offered to have them come back out. Since I downscaled and lost over 1,000 sq. ft., I'm so wall to wall here with furniture, etc. that I told him it would be impossible to clean again - would only be a half job. What good would it do anyways? They've already been out twice prior to me moving in. For now, I'm hoping on: continuous use of the ac, charcoal odor ac filters (used them before), baking soda type carpet powders, and a couple of containers of stuff that supposedly soaks up odors (yeah right lol).

    Tomorrow and next Friday, his pest control people are coming out for a total flea eradication program - quite expensive.

    He's very nice and insists he wants to make it right for me. Too late for me but he said he was kicking around removing all carpeting and installing hard flooring. I think it's smart in strictly rental homes.

    So, yes, I'm still trying to get my abode deodorized. It IS smelling better I must admit. Just not there yet though.

  • cindyx
    17 years ago

    Hi, saw your post and just wanted to add... you can go directly to a Pet store and buy special formulated neutralizing cleaners. They work great for animal smells and stains for that matter. Nature's Miracle is a good brand. Different pet stores will carry different lines, but these type products are specifically formulated for pet odors and stains in floors and carpet. Follow directions on container. Of course for a carpet you'll need a good moisture extractor to remove the liquid after it's done it't job.

  • mjmr
    17 years ago

    I used to use Natures Miracle and it was good but I think some big company bought them and it doesn't seem as effective as it used to be. Found OutSpot which is the best thing ever! Label says keep it wet, hubby says that's how the enzymes do their work...and boy do they work! Lots of pet stores and my natural grocery carry it

    Here is a link that might be useful: OutSpot

  • lisa77429
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    thanks cindyx but a very well known carpet company has already professionally enzymed and returned for a refresher. There are zero stains - just wet dog smell and fleas. They (former tenants) kept the dogs in the garage all day while they were at work. It stunk just as bad as the house did. The landlord let bleach soak the concrete, repainted the walls in the garage and then aired it out. The garage is smelling fairly good now. I think using continuous ac, charcoal odor ac filters, baking soda type carpet powders AND my own cooking smells (haha), it is getting tolerable. Or, maybe I'm just getting used to it? I don't know.

    I really feel sorry for the dogs that used to live here. They must have been absolutely miserable :( Never seen so many fleas in all my life. It was so bad that my daughter was here for about one hour last week and when she got home, she found FLEAS on her HEAD. ACK!

    The landlord has already spent over $500.00 trying to make the carpet smell good plus another $300.00 yesterday to deflea front, back and the house. He's trying :) I bet he rethinks his $200.00 pet deposit on his other rentals after this experience.

  • nmorales
    13 years ago

    Pet smell in my new carpet apartment was my biggest nightmare, until my mom introduced me to the new line of vacuum filters that Febreze makes. i went on there website to read some more about the product on their website before I used the product. I liked what I read on the website, and the fact that a coupon is offered was FANTASTIC!!!! I went to my local Wal-Mart picked up the vacuum filters and tried them that day. I LOVED IT!! AND I AM A LOYAL FAN NOW!!! it works wonders and i recommended it to all my friemds. Check it out!! good luck!!

    Here is a link that might be useful: Febreze Home Site

  • gr8daygw
    11 years ago

    That's too bad, it seems like he could have replaced the carpet nearly by now. Something not really expensive but still nice. It might be the only way!

  • emma
    11 years ago

    I had a friend whose home smelled strong of dog, when she opened the door to let me in the smell was awful and it was just the dog odor. She had two dobermans. I quit going over there, couldn't stand it.

    I think your best bet is opening doors and windows as much as you can. I can get rid of strong smoking odors by setting small bowls of vinegar in each room.

  • miss_yell
    11 years ago

    Steam cleaning a carpet that has dog odour ingrained into it will only make it worse, the house needs a deep clean by the sounds of it. Carpets and underlay chucked out, bare floor scrubbed with boiling water and strong disinfectant. Also the smell can soak into the walls so maybe gloss your woodwork and emulsion the walls. x

  • Tmnca
    11 years ago

    It could be something else - like the air ducts for the HVAC? Have you had the air ducts cleaned? Some molds can also smell like "doggie" smell or even cat urine.

  • Vertise
    11 years ago

    Use Kilz Original oil based primer on the subfloor before any flooring goes back in. It has a strong odor but is Low VOC. It seals stains and odors.

  • littlebug5
    11 years ago

    /we bought a house from people who had a dog and a cat. We replaced ALL the flooring but one - we moved one existing carpet that was pretty new from one bedroom to another and laid it over brand-new pad. That carpet still smells of dog. It's been steamcleaned twice.

    Its not as bad as it was, but if it's damp/raining outside, we smell dog inside. I have resorted to Renuzit odor-eliminators. They kind off work.

  • stir_fryi SE Mich
    11 years ago

    My DD has a friend with three dogs and, sorry to say, their house just stinks to me.

    Now, they have mainly hardwoods that look like they haven't been vacuumed and mopped in a long time.

    So, make sure that it is not the hard floors that are retaining the odor, not the carpet. Mop'em good and even wipe down the baseboards.

  • Gabby101
    11 years ago

    Sorry, but some dogs do smell doggy. You might get used to it if you have dogs, but other people don't.

    I have the same problem with our house. We rented it and I haven't been able to get rid of the dog smell. We have hardwood floors and I have cleaned them several times and have wiped down the floor boards, but there is still a lingering smell. There are some areas like under the washer/dryer that I cannot clean and I'm wondering if that's where the smell is lingering since it's especially strong in the laundry room. I'm assuming that it will eventually go away since there are only hard surfaces. I can't imagine what it would be like if we had left the carpet in.

    In my experience with cats, it's better just to recarpet than to spend so much money on cleaning which may/may not work.

  • jannie
    11 years ago

    Open windows at least 15 minutes a day, weather permitting. My experience is that, eventually, good clean fresh air will eventually get rid of all bad smells. Since you are no longer adding bad smelling dogs, the leftover smell will eventually disappear. I suggest you tell your landlord, so you will not get charged a fee when you leave. good luck!

  • Tmnca
    11 years ago

    Cats don't smell, unless they have urinated on the floor and that's 99.9% of the time an owner-caused problem (unsuitable litterboxes, inappropriate diet leading to urinary tract disease). A lot of dogs so smell "doggy" especially labs, golden retrievers and similar dogs that have waterproofing oils in their coats. It's the oils that make the doggy smell so focus on flooring and low areas that could have been in contact with the dogs.

  • emma
    11 years ago

    I can't imagine spraying lemon juice even diluted all over my home. Lemon juice is sticky, it would make everything sticky, floors and furniture would collect dust and it would stick. I don't even spray pledge or anything like on furniture because of over spray.

  • jaceysgranny
    11 years ago

    Try sitting open containers of charcoal around like under furniture against the wall if the furniture is high. If it will clean the odor of rotted food from a freezer it will freshen anything. I use it and it makes a huge difference.

  • Karebear828
    10 years ago

    A few years back I had a 135 gallon reef tank that busted a seal and flooded the living room. I had it professionally cleaned the next day but the smell just continued to get worse. After trying everything I could get my hands on, I finally used a meat injector to inject a half and half mixture of alcohol and vinegar into the carpet padding. I spaced the "shots" about a foot apart and made a grid throughout the area. It worked wonders.

    At the moment, we have a very smelly English bulldog. I'm very sensitive to odors so maybe it's just me but I can't stand for the house to smell like him. Even with weekly baths with natural shampoo and the best food we can find for him, he still leaves the house with a doggy smell. The alcohol and vinegar solution is the only thing I have found that will kill the smell. We use it in the carpet cleaner. Good luck!

  • ladylavelle
    9 years ago

    Put bowls of salt and baking soda in every room and the dog smell will disappear. My friend told me the trick and it works very well. I have four dogs and my house now smells fresh

  • emma
    9 years ago

    Dogs do leave smells like that. I have been in two homes that do. One had 2 great danes and my sister's has a dozen small dogs in her house and it stinks...not of urine either. She is removing all her carpet and painting the walls. It will get rid of the smell but it will be back.


  • savitri1945
    9 years ago

    I'm having a similar situation with my furniture. We simply have lots of animals in the house, and one is a stinky beagle ~ smells doggy even shortly after a bath. I've purchased a UVC wand, which is purported to kill bacteria and to remove odors. I haven't tried it yet, because I want to get a good pair of shaded glasses to wear while I'm operating it. Just thinking you might want to try something similar.

  • zeberdee1
    8 years ago

    PLEASE HELP we have never had dogs in this house and have lived here 8 years prior to wet dog smell arriving! We have laminate flooring throughout the downstairs rooms, the rooms near the front of house (darker rooms as no sunlight + also street water runs towards our front so always damp outside there) smell of wet dog everytime we mop them, the ones at sunny side of house dont?? My real worry is because i started with some form of respiratory problem soon after this smell appeared and now my son seems to be showing problems too. Im wondering if there is some mold maybe under laminate or under house which is apparently sat on a floating foundation? (not a full cement floor but a smaller square in centre under it so it can flex safely? i think!) or even a problem in wooden frame of house as we have had 2 bad leaks, 1 above the rooms that smell, and 1 where it smells although both were 4 years ago, 3 years before smell starting. I have searched internet and can find no answers everyone seems to say its because of actual dogs but that is not the case here so what is it from? how do i locate cause with minimal cost? Or would the house insurance cover anything? the laminate is glued together so it will be ruined if i pull it up. Ive had a skirting board off and cant see/smell anything there...Or do you think it could just be a chemical in the laminate that reacts with water and creates this wet dog smell? please help i am going to have to do something soon so any ideas / advice would be greatly appreciated. thanks

  • rhdrico
    8 years ago

    Research carbon filters used in "grow houses/basements". I've bought a 6" inline duct fan (3 speed), flexible ducting, and a 6" 400 cfm carbon filter to "freshen" my closed attic. (or maybe carbon HVAC filters) Product reviewers are amazed at the amount of odor removed. Look for low fan noise in the reviews too. Used to recirculate or vent (outside and not annoy the neighbors) odor free air.


  • dorothypetito
    8 years ago

    We just moved into our rental . Bad dog smell , carpet cleaned .it's a cape style so when u walk in front door head upstairs the staircase is the worst there are gaps in the stairs thinking lots of doggie hair built-up in there how do we get rid of that smell