Are you sick and tired of smelling doggy funk all over your house? Worn down by the little gifts that your furry friends keep dropping like it’s hot? If you’ve got a four-legged fur-friend, chances are it will create ridiculous amounts of funky smells, and if you’re anything like me, you’ve spent hours online researching how to eliminate these odors. But when you Google how to get rid of dog smells in your house, there are literally millions of hits. 

Full disclosure: When it comes to the dog funk, I’ve tried practically everything, and as a total skeptic of what works and what doesn’t, I can say that a lot of products and remedies come with big claims on how they can eliminate foul smells and stains, but do they always live up to the promises? Nah. Plus, some natural remedies work better than others, but even they have limitations. After trying just about anything possible, all with varying degrees of success, here’s what I’ve learned along the way.  

Store-bought deodorizers are not created equally 

Okay, so we’ve established your house smells a bit like the local kennel. Does it matter to you? Maybe not, but it matters to your guests. If you’re looking for a quick cover-up that lasts a couple of hours, any store-bought deodorizer will do the trick in a pinch, but do they actually eliminate smells in the long term? Nope. You'll just be temporarily masking odors, leaving your home smelling like a floral-scented doggy funk cloud. 

Does baking soda remove dog odor?

Baking soda might seem to work at first, but in reality, it’s a quick fix for smells, and is even less likely to work on intense stains or stink. Also, using too much baking soda on soiled areas can create a pretty gross paste that you’ll find yourself scraping off your sofa or your floors.

Vinegar is a temporary fix for a permanent problem

Traditional household cleaning products such as vinegar, baking soda, soap, and the like seem to work at first because they eliminate some of the components of your pet’s urine. White vinegar in particular is highly alkaline, which means it can act as a deodorizer for spaces marked with dogs' urine. But dog urine stains are tough because they actually have organic enzymes that won’t be removed by vinegar alone, so although it might solve the problem temporarily, it won’t solve it long term. 

But what about carpet cleaner like powders and liquids?

Unfortunately, most carpet cleaners only mask the smells, and quite frequently, they cause  the smells and urine to saturate even deeper. So what works best? Sometimes the only thing that can truly defeat the funkiest smells and stains is an enzyme cleaner. 

For the deepest dog stains & odor, use an enzyme cleaner 

When there’s a build up of pet mess, inevitably it goes deeper into your subfloor and can make cleanup both complicated and pricey. So the longer your pet’s urine or poo soak into your flooring, carpets and fabrics, the worse the problem will get. When you’re dealing with funky dog odors that seem indestructible and want a product you can rely on to completely eliminate smells in the air or on surfaces with confidence, try a product like Angry Orange’s Enzyme Cleaner. It’s a great product for the price that can actually get the job done for the grossest pet stains. 

How enzyme cleaners work versus the other guys

Enzyme-based cleaners use the power of bio-enzymatic cleaning to attack and destroy your dog’s uric acid. Sounds super sciency and complicated right? Not really. It’s just a process that works by using good bacteria and enzymes that basically “eat” the organic matter. That’s a fancy way of saying the good bacteria eats the poop, pee, vomit, and blood stains left behind by “man’s best friend.” Gee, thanks for the gift, Fido. The good news is, once the enzymes consume the matter, stains and odors disappear. 

Why is that so important? Well, for a lot of reasons, but mainly because uric acid is what makes your pups return to the same area to pee time after time. Enzyme cleaners completely eliminate deep stains and smells, helping to lift the odors and stains, not simply cover them up. It’s really the most effective way to eliminate and prevent serial poopers and pee-ers from returning to the same locations for a potty break. 

The Final Verdict?

Trial and error has taught me that sure, a lot of methods may work temporarily, but there are only specific products that can neutralize and eliminate the smell for good. Here are some key take-aways: 

• Your dog creates odor everywhere, not just funky pee and poo smells. Remember that some of those smells could lurk in beds and on furniture. 

• A dollar-store air deodorizer will temporarily mask dog smell, but it definitely won’t destroy it. 

• Understand the limitations on old school traditional cleaning methods like baking soda and vinegar. 

• For the deepest stains and smells, invest in an enzyme-based product that works specifically for pet stains.