We all love our pets, but can likely do without the odours that come with them. In this article, we will share a comprehensive guide to dealing with pet odours straight from the expert provider of cleaning services in Toronto: Maid4Condos.
Put Your Vacuum on Overtime
You likely only pull out your vacuum once a week (hopefully, at least once a week!) to manage your weekly cleaning chores. However, when you have pets, you need to put your vacuum on overtime, using it every day or two to contend with pet hair and dander.
Believe it or not, fur, dander, and hair all hold onto odours that stay in your home. Using a vacuum with a hand-held option is a great solution, as you can tackle hair on all surfaces, not just the floors.
Include Your Pet’s Items in Laundry Duties
From soft toys to their sheets and blankets and pet beds to anything they use that is laundry-safe, tossing your pet’s items into the laundry will do a world of good.
Their belongings are likely covered in everything from pet slobber (we’re looking at you, Mr. Bulldog) to little traces of poop and pee and the aforementioned stinky hair and dander.
Weekly laundry is the best way to keep their favourite security blankets, toys, and more smelling fresh. Don’t forget things like fabric-based leashes and collars, as these can also carry bacteria that can make your pet sick.
Use the Dishwasher for Appropriate Items
Things like rubbery toys, water and food bowls, and rubber mats that wash off paws after walks are often dishwasher-safe. Tossing them in the dishwasher for a weekly clean cycle is a quick and easy way to remove odours and eliminate germs.
Bathe Fido Based on Your Vet’s Recommendations
This is obvious, but because it tends to be a huge hassle for a lot of doggies, you might avoid baths at all costs. However, the pet stink is coming directly from your dog and really needs to be addressed physically.
Speak to your vet to confirm how often you can bathe your furry friend without causing irritation, and then follow their advice to a tee. Thankfully, kitties can take care of their own baths!
Sprinkle Some Baking Soda Around
Baking soda is a pet-friendly odour-killer. It can be sprinkled onto dry surfaces, from furniture to carpeting and pet beds to blankets, to absorb odours quickly. Just let it sit for about 20 minutes, and then vacuum it up.
Dispose of the powder by emptying the canister or bag so the odours don’t hang around or get redistributed the next time you use the vacuum.
Use Vinegar for Oopsies
If your nose is telling you there was a pet oopsy involving pee or poo that you missed while you were out, find the source quickly so you can eliminate the smell. Vinegar can work well in these situations, diluted with some water in a spray bottle.
First, remove any “remnants,” avoiding rubbing, and then spritz the area with the vinegar mixture. Let it sit a while, and then use a clean, absorbent towel or cloth to remove the excess.
You might have to do it a few times to get rid of the smell. If it hasn’t worked as well as you’d hoped, add some baking soda, let it sit to help absorb the stink, and then vacuum it up.
Tackle the Tough Jobs With an Enzymatic Neutralizer
This sounds like a mouthful, but it works. These solutions are available in most places you find household cleaners. They’re specifically designed to tackle pet odours, including that aromatic cat pee.
Keeping a bottle handy will provide a secret weapon that uses enzymes to break down the soiled area, addressing the specific elements that cause the smell.
Also, citrus is a natural enzyme that can do the same kind of work with a pleasant natural smell. The only thing is you have to make sure it doesn’t stain, so it’s best to mix it with some hydrogen peroxide to do the trick. Spot test first!
Invest in a HEPA Air Purifier
An air purifier can help control pet odours using a fine mesh to trap pet hair and dander. However, it captures other tiny debris, such as dust, which also tends to hold onto odours that can contribute to the smell. Using a vacuum with HEPA filters helps, too.
Steam Your Carpets
If you have carpeting, steaming it twice a year can reduce odours. You can do it yourself with a rental or a purchased steam cleaner, or call in the pros to do it for you.
Professional cleaners have access to superior equipment with better-extracting power to suck up all the liquid, so nothing is left behind.
Act Fast
As soon as you notice a soiled surface, you should jump into action to clean up the mess. The longer you wait, the more time the odours have to settle in. Some quick steps to follow include the following:
- Carpets: Remove solids by scooping whenever possible. Rubbing just works the solids into the surface. For pee, use paper towels to absorb as much as possible. Apply an enzymatic cleaner according to the instructions.
- Area rugs: You can follow the above instructions with one exception. Before you begin, lift the area rug and place a thick stack of newspapers, a towel, or paper towels underneath the stain. Otherwise, as you press to absorb the pee, it will push through to the floor below.
- Soft furnishings: Use the same steps as mentioned for carpets.
- Hard surfaces: For hard floors like wood and unsealed tiles/grout, these surfaces are porous and can absorb urine quickly. Use a grout cleaner for tile surfaces, and keep a hardwood floor cleaner handy to gently remove messes without damage to the surface. You might think you can ignore these stains, but it will absorb right down to the floorboards if you don’t act fast.
For sealed tiles and grout, either dish soap and water or half water, half vinegar can be used. If the pee has been there for a while, allow the cleanser to sit for about 15 minutes before scrubbing and rinsing the mess.
Disinfect
Disinfecting services like GermBlasters provide effective disinfection for your home, using a highly powerful, yet safe solution. This allows you to target germs as well as harmful substances such as pet soiling and odours.
Contact the Cleaning Experts
These pet odour-removing tips from our cleaning services in Toronto will help keep your home smelling a lot fresher.
When all else fails, Maid4Condos offers GermBlasters disinfecting and deodorizing treatment, which you can add to a Deep Cleaning Package for a full and thorough cleaning to keep your home fresh.
Call us at 647-822-0601 or contact us here for a free online quote.
Share , Like & Engage On Social Media:
