How To Remove Pet Stains and Odor

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Tips For Removing Pet Stains and Odor Control

"Gee, it smells like a wet dog in here!" Well, look around. If you're in my house, it just might be a wet dog!  Houses that are homes to humans and pets (dogs, cats, hamsters, and the rest) often suffer malodorous and outright foul smells.

The bad smells don't originate just from the animal, either. Have you ever opened a bag of fish-flavored kitty kibbles? Yikes! The smell is enough to knock your socks off and cause your throat to burn!

Usually, however, when you think about pet stains and odors, people just naturally think about urine and feces stains and removing the stains and the smells. Cat urine is especially offensive and very hard to get rid of especially when the sneaky little buggers always find an out of the way upstairs corner to do their business in. You will certainly smell it before you find it!

Dogs are not so devious. If they're going to wet in the house, it'll be where you see it or step on it.  In fact, if it's a male dog, he's liable to lift his leg on the furniture leg right in front of you!

Train Your Puppy To Go Outside

Begin training your puppy to do his business outside as soon as you get him (or her) home. The sooner the "accidents" quit happening in the house, the better. There are a lot of helps in pet stores for potty training puppies, along with a lot of books and articles written with practical advice.

In the meantime, you must make every effort to immediately clean up the puppy's mistakes. If you don't, the pup will return to the smell and make the same mistake again and again. Then you've got a real problem.

As with any stain, removing urine and feces stains are easiest when they are fresh. When you see the puppy squat, try to grab him and put him outside before the deed is done. If that isn't possible, then grab a paper towel or soft, clean absorbent cloth and blot up as much as possible of the urine.  If the accident is feces, then pick up the solids with toilet tissue and flush it down the toilet.

Fill a plastic bucket with a soapy solution using 1/4 cup of powdered dishwashing detergent or 1/4 cup of powdered laundry detergent to a quart of warm water. Stir to dissolve. Then put on a pair of rubber or vinyl gloves, get an old household sponge and moisten it with the soapy solution; apply to the stained area and scrub it gently. Be firm but not so rough that you destroy the sponge, if that's what you're using.  Squeeze the water out of the sponge often in the bucket, and reapply the solution a couple of times. Then blot it all up getting as much of the soapy solution off your floor or carpet as possible. Using the same method of application, rinse the area with warm clean water until you are confident the offensive urine or fecal matter is washed away.

Keep Your Kitty Litter Clean!

Interestingly, cats are born with an inherent instinct to scratch a shallow hole, do their business and then cover it up. That's a characteristic that makes them very desirable pets for apartment or condo dwellers. They are also popular with folks who love animals but don't want the responsibility of having to take the critter on walks either for exercise or for their body functions. It's always a delight when the new kitty comes home and immediately seeks out the box with the sand or litter, then squats and "relieves" himself.

Unfortunately, there are exceptions and I had one of those cats. Cats don't always void in the litter box - for various reasons. They are notoriously subject to urinary tract infections which - as in humans - causes the urge to eliminate frequently. And the older cats get, the more prone they are to find a corner and "let 'er rip." Cat urine is very smelly and you need to treat it as thoroughly as possible to remove the odor.

Number one rule is to keep the kitty litter box clean. Litter today is formulated to clump up when the kitty has gone potty so that you can simply "dip" the lump out of the litter with a specially made tool. It's like a spoon with slots in it that allows the clump to be removed, and the unsoiled litter falls back into the box. However, the whole box of littler needs to be replaced weekly or bi-weekly as even the clean litter will absorb and retain odor from urine and feces.

Removing Pets Stains And Odors

Pets that are allowed inside and outside, create stains and odors that are unrelated to urine and feces. Just as there are "wet dog" smells, there are "wet cat" smells, too. Even though cats are not known to love jumping into lakes or swimming pools, they do get wet - usually from rain - and smell almost as bad as the D-O-G! Then, like the dog, if they aren't dried off with a towel, they'll go curl up in their favorite spot to sleep leaving hair, moisture stains and dirt. It's a good idea to line their "assigned" bed with a regular towel that you can remove easily and toss into the washer.

While little dogs are not as much of a problem as larger dogs that spent a lot of time out of doors, they all have doggy odor from time to time. Dogs are easier to train to sleep in an assigned bed than cats are. Again, keep a washable blanket or towel in the dog's bed so that you can wash it frequently to avoid doggy odor.

Both dogs and cats can be bathed. Use a mild shampoo specifically formulated for the animal and follow the directions. Be sure to rinse off ALL of the shampoo. That's a very important part of the bath - proper and thorough rinsing. Then use a thick and thirsty towel to blot off the excess water and dry the animal well. Professional dog groomers use blow dryers but if you bath your dog or cat yourself, you may want to just settle for toweling dry. Cats can do a lot of damage with their claws and will even bite if they are upset with a hair dryer. Dogs are probably a little easier to get along with but you'll have to make that decision yourself.

There are a lot of good products on the market today that virtually eliminate and counteract the odor of dog and cat urine. These can be purchased at pet stores or from your favorite grocery store. Of course, you'll probably find a much better selection for your particular type of animal at the pet store. Be sure to read the directions and warnings carefully on the product, and follow the manufacturer's instructions.