MY HOUSE STINKS!

PET ODOR PROBLEMS

 

If your home has pet odor, whether from a cat who urinated everywhere or your dog’s last explosive diarrhea reaction after the family BBQ,  then you are in for one of the toughest cleaning tasks ever!

 

That doesn’t mean it can’t be done. But let’s accept the reality of this job. It’s just not going to be fun. It’s going to stink. And it’s going to require a fair bit of work.

 

 

STEP ONE: CLEAN, CLEAN, CLEAN

 

This step is the most obvious. Clean it up! Clean any contaminated areas as thoroughly as possible. That does NOT mean do a quick vacuum or run your hardwood with the Swiffer. These areas need a deep clean. For hard surfaces, scrub and mop (perhaps use a vinegar or baking soda solution).  In carpeting, you may want to hire a pro. If you do, though, make sure they use the hot water extraction method (“steam cleaning”). Seems obvious, but some pros don’t. And ask if they use a truck-mounted unit, which do the best jobs at cleaning extraction (better than any unit you can rent to do it yourself).

 

REMOVING THE URINE ODOR

Use an enzymatic cleaner and odor remover such as:

Cleaners that work:


            URINE OFF - there is a formula for dogs and one for cats


           Anti-Icky Poo!


            Eco-88


 
Odor removers (to use after cleaning):


            F.O.N.


            Elimin Odor Feline


            Cat-Off Odor Concentrate

 

But do NOT use the enzymatic cleaner like carpet shampoo.  The stinky area needs to be soaked. Allow a long time for the area to dry (we actually want it to dry slowly), whether you are treating carpet, masonry or hardwoods. Do not use a fan. Let it air dry. Consider putting a piece of cardboard over the treated area to slow down the drying. This allows the enzyme enough time to work!

What if you already tried cleaning your carpets and wood floors as noted above? Bad news. They might need to be replaced. L This can be costly. But when faced with living with this odor long term, it may be well worth the investment.

 

Pet odor in the ducts?

Look at the floor vents. First you need to figure out if one of your pets might’ve urinated down there. This means you have to get a black light. Be ready to get scared. Urine glows under black light. If you find urine stains around or in the vent then clean this with one of the cleaners noted above or a solution of 1 part vinegar and 1 part baking soda.

If this doesn’t work, then call in the professional to clean the ducts.

 

Picture sources:

Pic#1: http://bit.ly/1EB0v4f

Pic#2: http://bit.ly/1J5HPS3

Pic:3: http://bit.ly/1KsssA9

Post by Zoe Forward, DVM, Dipl. ABVP