Getting rid of dog smells

grimelda · 24 July 2007 at 2:47PM

Hi everyone. My bf and I are about to buy a house that needs a lot of work. The current owners are quite old and have really let the place go to seed. Aside from all of the junk everywhere and the overgrown garden, the whole house smells of dog. I don't think it's dog urine: I think it's just dog hair, food and dander.

None of the floor are carpeted; some of them are bare floorboards (in one room unfinished wood) and some are lino. The walls are wallpapered. We intend to rip up the lino in some of the rooms but we can't do this all at once. Has anyone got any suggestions for getting the smell out in the rooms which we won't be working on yet? Different products for washing the hardwood floors or lino? And as for the room with the unfinished wood floor, can anyone recommend a product that won't damage the wood?

Any other tips would be gratefully received as well. Thanks in advance.

MrsTinks · 24 July 2007 at 3:14PM

Place tubs of Baking Soda everywhere - if you feel like it then add some dried lavender with it and sprinkle everywhere and really rub it in if you can... then hoover up - that should help!
As you clean you should find the smell gradually going though to be honest but it sounds like it might take a little while to get through the whole house!

grimelda · 24 July 2007 at 3:53PM

Thanks Tine. I guess you would know about dog smell! I like dogs but am more of a cat person so have little experience with them.

Fortunately we don't have to live there full time so we have a while to get the smell out. I don't think I'll be able to bring the cat along until the dog odour diminishes a lot.

I don't suppose you know what would help if added to mop water? I was thinking dilute bleach or maybe vinegar but I really don't know.

Thanks again.

tiamai_d · 24 July 2007 at 6:06PM

Vinegar added to water will help after you use the bicarb.

But then it smells of vinegar! However, the vinegar smell goes after a day or so, and takes any lingering smells.

And get the windows open whenever you can!

Stardrops is another good one for general cleaning too.

Good luck!

LJD1_2 · 24 July 2007 at 6:11PM

I've had a problem with cat smells (sadly it was urine) in our house and was told on here to use biological washing powder and bicarbonate of soda. This got rid of most of the smell and I just keep attacking the floorboards. I will beat it!!! Good luck in your new home xx

grimelda · 24 July 2007 at 7:41PM

Funny thing. Nowadays I live in Sweden. I just went looking for bicarb in the two local supermarkets, and could only find it in small sachets (about 20g). I searched everywhere but they don't seem to stock it in boxes here.

I have had the same problem finding plain white vinegar in big bottles, vanilla essence (they sell vanilla sugar instead) and evaporated milk. There are so many kitchen basics that Swedes just don't seem to use. It is so frustrating. I'll have to get my mum to post some over.

elite_2 · 24 July 2007 at 7:48PM

Biological washing powder works wonders...

catshark88 · 24 July 2007 at 8:18PM

Try TotalCare spray from Animalcare. You can get it at vets but its way cheaper on one of the vet supply websites. It deals with the enzymes that make the smell and works even better than biological washing liquid. My cat has just had cystitis and it worked a treat on "accidents". Tesco own brand Flash is good too.

MrsTinks · 25 July 2007 at 1:21PM

Ah yes - shopping in Sweden

(I'm danish but spent a wee while in Sweden and also lived in Norway) infact I have the opposite problem... I can't get vanilla sugar here so have to make my own LOL Oh and loads of the other foods I can't get here... I have to import them when I travel to see family or have it posted over...
Right vinegar you might struggle to get out there - it's not something scandinavians use a lot of - but a large supermarket might be able to get you some - I believe in swedish it's called ättika. Whether you can get WHITE vinegar... I have to admit I've never seen it in Denmark now I come to think of it...
Ok an alternative MIGHT be biological washing powder dissolved in luke warm water. Get one that has a nice fragrance

As for Baking soda... hmmm again you might need to get that posted over... I spoke to a swedish friend here in the offie and she looked at me blankly - I THINK the danish nearest equivalent is called Natron... if it's the same in Sweden... no idea!
You can of course always add some lavender essential oil to some plain water and spray that around - lavender is a natural antibacterial so should help

welshflipper · 25 July 2007 at 11:58PM

just use a good old fashioned disinfectant like dettol or zoflora if you dont mind the smell must be better than dog

Mr_Proctalgia · 26 July 2007 at 12:20AM

If you have real Lino (Marmoleum) then think twice about chucking it. It is now a very expensive upmarket product. It does clean up well and responds to being "fed" with raw linseed oil.

(Which I think smells great)

HTH

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Getting rid of dog smells

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