Cleaning property where previous tenant had dog?

Flea bomb's are particularly toxic, I would only use one if I had a flea problem. Vacuuming should be enough.

To deodorise, sprinkle Bicarbonate of Soda on the floor. Leave it to absorb the odours for at least 15 minutes or preferably overnight and then vacuum off. It's made by Dri-Pak for household use and comes in a large box. Can be bought for £1 in Home Bargains or Savers (not sure how many you'll need for area and will depend on size).

You could also try to clean wooden floors by mopping the area with a strong Soda Crystals solution (also Dri-Pak and can be bought for 65p a bag in Home Bargains). Indoor wooden and laminate flooring can be cleaned with Liquid Soap Flakes (made by Dri-Pak under the Wilko own brand, £1.50 a bottle). Mop with fresh water afterwards to remove the soap suds.

Anything else the smell could be clinging to? Take down curtains and have them dry-cleaned, nets or blinds? Nets can be hand washed or blinds can be vacuumed and/ or washed or given the bicarb treatment.

I'm hoping the dog hasn't fouled inside the property and that's leached into the floorboards because that can be very hard to remove.

Are you the tenant or the landlord? Because if renting, then I think the landlord should be taking care of all this.

TheMsTeal wrote: »

Thanks for your advise; I will give bicarb a try. ALL furniture, curtains have been taken out, only basically kitchen units remaining. To answer your question; I have sole responsibility for cleaning.

If the property is empty, chances are it's closed up and as the other poster said - I would think leaving the windows open for a day (or longer) once you've cleaned and moved in, would solve the problem.

To be sure, perhaps take the baseboards off the kitchen units to get underneath? But I doubt that's the culprit. What's on the walls? Dogs will rub against things, and washing down the paintwork might also help if you can't afford to redecorate. Obviously don't get wallpaper wet though and I'd re-paper or take it down and paint if it was me and the smell persisted.

Wizzbang wrote: »

Never, I repeat NEVER mix cleaning chemicals! That is the most dangerous 'advice' I've ever read. I mean seriously, it could KILL you and that's not an exaggeration!

http://www.dri-pak.co.uk/beware-the-potential-killer-under-your-sink/

actually those 4 together are fine.. but I didn't say they should use them all at once.. I said I would use them all at once.. so put on your glasses and unknot your knickers!

.. and I would use them together... and I have.. the woman who lived here before us was a troll and the house was the dirtiest place I had ever seen in my life... My mother has had a bucket of the above concoction in her kitchen for the last 20 years (changed regularly obviously!)

bleach and harpic.. no... big big no.. that WILL kill you!

and don't use dettol if you have cats as that is poisonous to them.

Tile floor... is there a tiled floor?

the grout holds loads of stink. There were terracotta tiles here when we moved in and despite daily scrubbing with various potions.. bleach, febreeze, flash, disinfectant.. (not all together, that would be silly!) more dog stink seemed to seep out of the floor.. in the end I had a slate floor put over the terracotta!

I have used white vinegar and a good squirt of aerial biological washing liquid in a bucket of water, apply liberally. It has taken doggy related odours out of floor boards. Nothing harmful or breath stopping in them either! You really need enzymes to get rid of doggy odours (assuming its pee related). i don't buy even the specialist shampoos for carpets anymore.