Pet Odor in Furniture: Causes and Solutions
Pet Odor in Furniture: Causes and Solutions
Pets are great companions in our homes, but when they stay on the couch or bed for too long, they leave odors that sometimes we can't stand. Pet odors may result from feces, saliva, urine, vomit, or body oil.
Fixing pet odors, especially urine, vomit, and feces, can be exacerbated when they dry or soak into the furniture fabric.
Worse yet, when your pet smells its urine, it thinks that's the right place to pee. Therefore, when you notice any pet odor on your furniture, it is essential to treat it promptly.
The method for eliminating pet odor depends solely on its cause, such as saliva, feces, vomit, or urine. Restore the freshness of your home with our pet odor in furniture solutions.
Causes of Pet Odor in Furniture Causes
As explained below, natural body oils, dirt, feces, and urine are among the major causes of pet odor on furniture.
Natural Body Oils and Fur
Pet odors, especially those of dogs, can result from various factors, including bacteria and yeast. The pet fur and organic compounds create moisture after your dog showers or gets wet from rain. When the moisture evaporates, it leaves behind a musty (wet dog) smell.
A dog that isn't wet could still smell; its skin and fur produce oils, which are key to its health. When your fur buddy rests on the couch or bed for too long, these body oils produce a distinctive odor that is difficult to remove using home cleaning products.
A dog's smell on furniture is exacerbated due to inadequate ventilation or high humidity levels.
Drool
Poor dental health and dog saliva can also contribute to pet odor on furniture. Dog saliva contains bacteria and enzymes that, when they settle on furniture fabric, develop into a musty smell.
Pet Fur
Pet dander in couches mixes with environmental bacteria, pet sweat, and oils, and embeds on your furniture, worsening odor issues.
Pet Messes
Even professionally trained dogs may occasionally pee or poop on the couch. Pet pee soaks fast into the couch fabric. Once it dries, pet pee develops into uric acid crystals.
When humidity levels rise in your home, uric acid crystals reactivate, releasing odor molecules again.
Pet Dirt
Pet paws and fur carry mud, dirt, and bacteria from outside. When they hop onto the couch, they leave the mess on it, which, over time, releases a foul odor.
Pet Odor in Furniture Solutions
An incorrect approach to a dog odor may worsen the situation or cost more to fix than ever imagined. Here's the correct way to fix pet odors.
Steam Clean
Steam cleaning is a pet-safe upholstery cleaning method. A steam cleaner deep cleans upholstery, effectively removing pet odors. Since a steam cleaner penetrates the upholstery fabrics, it successfully kills bacteria, viruses, and germs.
However, before you start steam cleaning, check the label to ensure it's safe for your upholstery type.
Better yet, hire Zerorez, the Experts in the Science of Clean™! Zerorez successfully identifies the type of material and the best, most effective cleaning tools and products for excellent results.
You should hire the experts because a steam cleaner is a powerful machine that could easily damage delicate upholstery fabrics, resulting in fading, shrinkage, or accelerated wear.
Enzymatic Cleaner
Pet urine has a very strong odor due to the presence of certain compounds, such as ammonia and uric acid. Ammonia and uric acid are the culprits behind the strong pet urine odor.
An enzyme cleaner can remove urine smell from couches. It breaks down the odor-causing compounds in urine, including uric acid, leaving your furniture odor-free.
Pet saliva contains enzymes such as lysozyme and armylase, which create a sour odor if left on your couch fabric. Enzymatic cleaners also break down compounds found in saliva, such as proteins and enzymes.
Vacuum Cleaning
After a thorough pet spot treatment, vacuum clean to remove dirt and pet hair on furniture.
Baking Soda
For surface-level odors, use baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). Since it doesn't break down uric acid crystals, only use it after thoroughly cleaning the surface using an enzymatic cleaner.
Baking soda helps to neutralize residual odors from urine, saliva, and feces after cleaning.
However, baking soda effectively fixes pet smells from natural body oils. Sprinkling enough baking soda on furniture, such as a bed or a couch, neutralizes the skin oils and fatty acids.
Replace or Wash Cushion Covers
If you can machine wash or handwash the mattress, bedding, and cushion covers, do so. Use strong detergent cleaners to fix strong odors.
For pets that spend considerable time outside or on the couch, regularly wash the mattress, bedding, and cushion covers to prevent odors and maintain cleanliness.
If the foul pet smell persists, regardless of what tools or cleaning products you use, consider replacing the furniture.
If your budget doesn't allow it or you're dealing with stubborn pet stains on new or high-quality upholstery or mattresses, hire a professional.
Our company offers excellent professional mattress cleaning services that fix pet odors and leave your mattress smelling fresh and clean for months.
Still, the company offers pet odor removal upholstery services, so you won't have to look elsewhere.
Use Household Products
Vinegar and Baking Soda solution
If, like me, you prefer making your own cleaning products, you can use baking soda (1 tablespoon), distilled white vinegar (1 cup), water (1 cup), and essential oils (5 to 10 drops).
The above combination is effective because: White vinegar neutralizes ammonia in the urine, baking soda absorbs lingering smells, and essential oils replace the mess odor with a pleasant, natural scent.
Heads Up: Avoid tea tree as it's toxic to pets.
Household cleaning products are also effective in cat odor removal from sofas.
Recipe:
Pour water and vinegar into a spray bottle
Add baking soda. It fizzes, so add it slowly into the mixture.
Shake gently and spray the solution on the odor spots. Wait five to ten minutes before wiping with a white microfiber cloth.
Activated Charcoal
Activated charcoal effectively fixes various pet odors on furniture fabrics, including saliva, feces, urine, and natural oils.
The tiny pores on activated charcoal effectively trap and neutralize pet odor molecules.
Simply sprinkle activated charcoal powder on the odor spot, allow it to sit for 15 to 30 minutes, and then vacuum.
Experts' Advice
If you're dealing with pet odors more often than you should, consider visiting your vet. He could help to determine if your furry friend has any underlying health conditions, such as dental problems, kidney disease, arthritis, or skin issues.
Also, consider adopting dogs that don't smell.
Finally, bathing and grooming your pet regularly helps maintain its hygiene, and training your dog helps reduce pet accidents in your home.
Hire a Professional Furniture Cleaning Service
While there are many effective ways to eliminate pet odor from furniture, hiring professionals is the most reliable and safe method.
The cleaning products and tools used to eliminate dog smell on furniture are effective. Since a team of professionals uses them, the results are mind-blowing and last longer.
That does not mean all cleaning companies offer equal services—not by a long shot! Hire companies with the highest cleaning ratings, excellent client testimonials, and many years of experience in the industry. Zerorez is the company that offers services you gotta love! Schedule your upholstery cleaning today!
Call us at 866-937-6739.
