How to remove dog smell from carpet

Step by step

1. 1

   HEPA-vacuum thoroughly

   Vacuum the whole carpet slowly with a HEPA-filter vacuum, with extra passes where the dog lies.

   Why: Hair and dander work deep into the pile and carry much of the odor. A HEPA filter keeps the fine particles from blowing back out.

2. 2

   Deodorize with baking soda

   Sprinkle baking soda over the dry carpet, leave it several hours or overnight, then vacuum it up thoroughly.

   Why: Baking soda absorbs and neutralizes leftover odor from dry carpet fibers. It doesn't fix urine.

3. 3

   Black-light for urine

   At night with the lights off, scan the carpet, edges and corners with a black light. Mark every glowing spot with tape.

   Why: Old urine is the most common cause of a pet smell that keeps coming back, and it's often invisible in daylight.

4. 4

   Rinse and extract each spot

   Blot fresh spots with towels, pressing rather than rubbing. Rinse with cool water and pull it back out with a wet-dry vacuum or carpet-cleaning machine. For old spots, rent a machine to flush them first.

   Why: This removes as much urine as possible before the enzymes go on. Rubbing pushes it deeper into the pad.

5. 5

   Saturate with enzyme cleaner

   Apply an enzyme cleaner made for pet urine generously enough to reach as deep as the urine went, follow the label's dwell time, and let it air-dry. Don't use a steam cleaner on urine.

   Why: Enzymes break down urine residue in the backing and pad. Steam heat can set the stain and odor.

6. 6

   Dry under a weighted pad

   Lay a thick layer of white towels or paper towels over each treated spot with something heavy on top, and replace them as they get damp.

   Why: The weight wicks moisture up out of the pad, so it dries faster and doesn't turn musty or wick a stain back up.

Why carpet holds pet smell

Carpet is pile over backing over a cushion pad, and it acts like a sponge. Hair, dander and skin oil settle into the pile, and liquids go straight through to the backing and pad, where surface cleaning can't reach. Urine is the big one: it soaks into the pad, keeps smelling, and humidity can make an old spot smell again. The Carpet and Rug Institute also notes urine can change carpet dye colors, sometimes weeks or months later.

So there are two jobs. General dog smell is handled by vacuuming and baking soda. A sharp or recurring smell means urine, which needs extraction and enzymes. See pet odor for where the smell comes from.

When the pad has to be replaced

If urine soaked deep into the padding, especially from repeated accidents in one spot, enzyme cleaner may not reach all of it. Humane society guidance is that the affected section of carpet and pad may need replacing.

For surface stains left by urine, see dog urine on carpet and cat urine on carpet.

By situation

General dog smell, no accidents

HEPA-vacuum regularly, use the baking soda step every few weeks, and put a washable throw rug where the dog sleeps. Wash it weekly in hot water.

Fresh urine on carpet

Blot right away from the outside in, rinse with cool water, extract, then apply enzyme cleaner and dry under weighted towels.

Old urine smell

Rent a carpet-cleaning machine or use a wet-dry vac to flush the spot, then saturate it with enzyme cleaner and let it air-dry. Expect to repeat on old spots.

Cat smell in carpet

Cat urine is strongly scented and cats may return to the same spot. Black-light thoroughly, enzyme-treat each spot, and replace pad that's soaked.

Without an enzyme cleaner

The Carpet and Rug Institute's spot method is ¼ teaspoon of non-bleach dish detergent in 1 cup of lukewarm water, blotted on and rinsed, then a solution of 1 cup white vinegar to 2 cups water, blotted, and dried under weighted towels. Test in a hidden area first.

What not to do

• Don't rub or scrub urine spots. Rubbing pushes the liquid deeper into the pad.
• Don't steam-clean pet urine. Heat can set the stain and odor.
• Don't use ammonia-based cleaners on pet accidents. They can draw the pet back to the same spot.
• Don't overwet the carpet. Excess water spreads urine wider in the pad and can weaken the carpet's layers or feed mold.

Other methods that work

Professional carpet cleaning

A professional with hot-water extraction and pet-odor treatment can handle large areas or many spots.

Caution: Ask them to treat urine with an enzyme or urine-specific product rather than heat alone.

Replace pad and patch carpet

For a spot that's been soaked repeatedly, replacing that section of pad, and sometimes carpet, may be the only full fix.

Stain still there?

The smell comes back on humid days

Urine residue is still in the pad. Re-treat with enzyme cleaner, applying enough to reach the full depth, and dry under weights.

A stain appeared weeks after cleaning

Urine can change carpet dyes over time, or residue wicked up from the pad. Re-treat and dry under weighted towels; dye damage may be permanent.

Safety

• Test any cleaner on a hidden piece of carpet first.
• Keep pets off treated spots until they're dry, and never mix bleach with ammonia or vinegar.

Never mix cleaning products; see chemicals you must never combine.

Questions

Pet odor elsewhere

• Pet odor: what causes it and how to remove it
• Pet odor in a couch
• Pet odor in the house

Other smells in carpet

• How to remove mildew smell from carpet