Imagine waking up to the beautiful sunlight breaking through the windows, a proper cup of coffee, and the lovely smell of refreshment in the air.
Nothing beats starting the day with the smell of a clean house and fresh air.
But what if you wake up and your whole house smells like dog urine? I bet this can be enough to ruin the entire day sometimes.
The Struggle With The Smell of Dog Urine
Whether you’re still training your dog or moved to a new home and found out this unwelcoming pet odors, we are here to help you refresh your home again and bring it back to the pleasant state you wish for.
If you have a pet dog, you probably had to deal with urine spots in different places. The odor and the cleaning process can sometimes be challenging. In some cases, the odor of dog pee sticks around no matter how much you clean the spot with soap and water.
What causes the urine odor to be this powerful? Can it affect your health? And how to get rid of the smell of dog urine?
That’s what we’re going to find out now.
How Can Different Smells Affect Our Bodies?
Smell is a very powerful sense in the human body. We are highly affected by the smells around us. To be in a pleasant smelling area can positively affect your mental and physical state. Both our memory and energy levels can be affected by the smells around us.
Our Memory
The areas in our brain responsible for processing the sense of smell is very close to those related to memories. This is why certain smells can evoke different memories, sensations, and emotions.
It’s as if we’re smelling our memories.
Think Forward
Being around bad smells can turn good memories to unpleasant ones. Or even hold you back from fully enjoying them. Make the tiniest details in your present pleasant to remember.
Our Energy Levels
The smell of fresh air and clean areas can boost our energy levels and encourage us to be productive.
Reasons Why Your Dog’s Urine Odor Is So Strong
There can be various reasons why your dog’s urine smells so strong and lasts even after initial cleaning steps.
1. Still in the Process of House Training
If your dog is still house training to pee in a specified place, peeing on the same spot on the floor or on the carpet can make it harder to get rid of pet odors.
A thorough cleaning for that spot is crucial to prevent the dog from going back and peeing in the same place.
2. Medical conditions
Different health conditions can affect the smell, frequency, and color of your dog’s urine.
If your pet is already trained but still has multiple accidents, this may be a sign for you to pay your vet a visit. Visiting the vet is also advisable if the smell of the dog’s urine is more pungent than usual.
The smell and frequency of a dog’s urine can really tell much about its health. It can be an indicator of:
Arthritis
Arthritis can cause your dog to be slower or too tired to go outside. This may lead to peeing inside instead.
Cognitive Dysfunction
This is almost like Alzheimer’s in humans. Finding out early can be extremely helpful in managing the disease.
Urinary Incontinence [in female dogs]
Urinary incontinence is more likely to happen as female dogs get older. It can be only a few drops of leaking urine or a whole urination.
- Bladder infections
- Bladder stones
- Kidney diseases
- Old Age
- Dehydration in some cases of concentrated urine.
It is important to take these possibilities into consideration, but do not panic. Go check with your vet to know whether your pet is struggling with any of these diseases.
If not, then you can refresh your dog’s memory and revisit the house training procedures,
What Remedies Can I Use To Neutralize the Smell of Dog Urine in My Home?
The smell of dog pee can be neutralized through acids. But the type of acidic product or ingredient you need varies depending on how pungent the scent is.
First, you should find the exact spot where the dog did its business. Dogs usually follow the smell of their urine to urinate in the same place. Keeping a close eye on your dog for a day to find out the exact spot will help you start cleaning more efficiently and get rid of the stain odor.
If you can’t, maybe you can use these tricks to clean the whole house.
Homemade Remedies for Dog Urine Smell
Cleaning the whole house thoroughly does not necessarily mean using chemicals. There are some natural ingredients that can be very helpful to get rid of dog urine smell.
Vinegar and Water
This is a good option to remove old stains (more than 24 hours) of pet urine, where the urine has turned into alkaline. Vinegar and water is a really efficient mix to neutralize the bad smell by then. This method is usually preferred on the floor or other surfaces without fabrics.
You will need:
- White vinegar
- Water
- Paper towels
- Spray bottle
Mix 1 part vinegar with 2 parts water in a spray bottle. Spray or soak the paper towels in the mixture then put them on the spot you want to clean.
Let it sit for a few minutes and then scrub it out with a sponge and detergent.
Baking Soda
Baking soda can work with fresh and old pet urine stains. It naturally neutralizes bad odors. It also works on fabrics and carpets.
- Sprinkle the baking soda powder onto the spot you want to clean.
- Rub the baking soda gently into its fabric.
- Let it dry overnight.
- Vacuum the area.
If you’re dealing with a more pungent smell, you can apply the two methods. You can clean the area with vinegar and water method and then follow it with the baking soda method.
Store-bought Products
Sometimes you just prefer buying some cleaning products ready to use instead of mixing ingredients at home. In this case, don’t worry, there are different options and products for you.
Supermarkets
You can check your nearest supermarket if they have a pet-corner. There you can find products made specifically for cleaning pets’ urine odors.
Online
You can also find different products online. If you usually shop online, or short on time to pay the supermarket a visit, you can look for such products in the pets’ products online sections.
- There are some products to clean both the pet stain and the odor.
- Others are all-purpose cleaners that work for pet urine stains and odors, even in carpets.
- Products made specifically for dog urine stains.
Professional Help
Seeking professional help can be a little bit more costly, but it can be a great option if you want.
You can check out the cleaning services or a professional carpet cleaner in your area. They can come in and clean the place for you.
You can also send carpets for specialized cleaning places to clean it for you.
Quick Solutions
Some of the mentioned cleaning options take some time to start working and treat the problem.
In the meanwhile, you might want to use some air purifiers to get the pet odor out.
Natural Air Purifiers Options
In case the cleaning process took longer than expected, or you can still feel the smell is around, you can use some air fresheners. There are different options from which you can choose your favorite.
Essential Oils
You can find air purifiers where you can put inside them whatever essential oils you prefer, and they fill the air with the amazing smell you choose.
Natural Mixtures that Act as Air Fresheners
Boiling some water with different natural ingredients can fill the air with pleasant natural smells.
Some different mixes are:
- Vanilla and orange peel.
- Vanilla and cinnamon
- Lemon peel and cinnamon
- Lemon and basil
You can be creative and try different ingredients.
Use an empty spraying bottle to use the mixture in different rooms. The actual boiling of the mixture acts as an air freshener in itself.
Beeswax Candles
Scented candles may be helpful and an excellent option to fill your home with pleasant scents. Using more than one candle is advisable to see a satisfying result.
A safety warning is essential here. Make sure to be around when you light them and keep them away from curtains or any easy to catch fire objects.
It is also important to make sure that your pet is safe while lighting the candles.
- You can put it in a high place and make sure that your dog can’t reach it.
- Make sure that it will not fall down.
- You can light it while your dog is busy eating, sleeping, or on a walk.
- You can light it when you can pay full attention to your dog to prevent any accidents.
Air ventilation is also crucial here. Make sure that your house gets to see enough fresh air and natural light every day.
Final Thoughts
It’s not easy to feel comfortable and at ease when the whole house smells like dog urine, but now you know how to get rid of the pee smell.
You can also revisit the house training techniques, this will help your dog stay on track.
We also encourage you to visit your vet and make sure that your pet is okay if this is a recurring accident. It is important not to panic, but checking on your dog’s health regularly and taking into account the changes in its behavior, will help you find out about any medical condition sooner.
You can also use the cleaning tips and air purifiers to help eliminate pet odors from the house and keep the smell of the house continually refreshing.
