Over time you can get used to your home’s smell, be it good or bad. This process is called ‘sensory adaptation’, reduced sensitivity to things you repeatedly see, hear and smell[2]. In order to reduce the amount of sensory stimuli, the odour receptors in your nasal passage stop sending messages to the brain about lingering scents. This way your brain can focus on unique smells that are ‘out of the ordinary’ which could present a potential threat, i.e. smoke from a fire.
This is why guests in your home might be able to pick up the bad scent of pet odours more so than you. You may feel like a time consuming deep clean is the only solution to bad pet smells, but often there just aren’t enough hours in the day. Try some of our eliminate pet odour tips below, so you can stay on top of bad pet smells, replacing them with that clean feeling, bursting with fresh fragrances:
1. WASH PAWS AFTER WALKS
Regular dog baths can damage their skin and coat, instead try to wash and rub their paws directly after walks. Dogs can be quite active and if they are off the leash running around, you may not know what they have stepped in. Not only does washing their paws on their way in help to stop muddy paw prints, it also means you can be sure that whatever they have stepped in does not get tracked through your home, helping to
2. INVEST IN AN INEXPENSIVE BLACK LIGHT
Buying a black light might sound like a strange tip to keep on top of bad pet smells, but taking a forensic approach to hunting down the source is one way to help control lingering odours. Black lights can be bought for around £20 at home improvement stores and use UV light to show up any accidents your pet might have had.
Especially useful when toilet training your pet, black lights show up dried urine on virtually any surface - furniture fabrics, rugs, tiles, wallpaper & bedding. For the best results reduce the light in the room and wave the light over any surface your pet might have been, or where there are lingering bad smells. Phosphorus in the dried urine will glow under the black light and be much easier to spot. We recommend marking all the glowing spots with tape so you can come back to them and wipe them up once the lights are back on. This is helpful when trying to find tip on
3. REGULARLY WASH ANY BEDDING (EVEN IF IT’S YOURS!)
If you decided to invest in a black light you might be horrified to see pet bedding glowing bright under the UV light. Just like humans, some pets are can be creatures of habit, so if your pet has a bed, or even loves to lay on yours, there is a chance that this could be where some of the bad smells are emanating from. As best practice, for optimal cat smell removal, this bedding should be washed on a regular basis to tackle the bacteria that cause bad smells [5], as fabrics can hold onto smells easily.
4. REGULARLY WASH SOFAS AND CUSHIONS TOO!
In the same instance, if your pets go on the sofa, eliminate pet odours by washing any cushions or bed linen regularly to ensure unpleasant smells do not set into the fabrics.
5. CHECK THEIR EARS
The shape and size of a dog’s ears have evolved to increase their sense of hearing. With an increase in size comes an increased risk to infection which can be quite common. If you have bathed your dog and you’re still noticing a bad stench, or if they seem to be paying more attention to their ears than normal, they may have an infection. It is strongly advised you see a vet for a proper cleaning as ears are delicate and can easily be damaged.
6. DON’T FORGET ABOUT THE CAR
Let’s not forget about the car, where getting rid of dog smells may be harder. It may not be so easy to regularly wash your car seats, so try and lay down tarpaulin when you can, and of course have a bottle of Air Wick Pure handy for after the clean so you can have a burst of fragrance before setting off on your next adventure together!
7. USE AIR WICK
Air Wick can help leave your home feeling refreshed and you feeling relaxed. Air Wick has an array of products that can help ensure your home is always smelling its best and a vast range of fragrances that help you create the environment that you want.
With Air Wick® Pure you can give your home a burst of fragrance whilst eliminating the unpleasant smell. The Pure air freshener neutralises odours with less wet residue. The Air Wick special formulation has no added water, giving you a more concentrated fragrance to suit your mood.