We love our pets but, let’s be honest, sometimes we don’t love how they smell. Even worse, we definitely don’t love how they can make our homes smell.

Eliminating bad odors from your home is incredibly important…especially if your trying to sell it. You want to make sure you’ve removed pet odors (or any other odors) before putting it on the market. One of the first things buyers notice upon entering your home, is the scent or lack thereof. If there’s an odd odor, it instantly puts them off. No matter how beautifully staged and presented a home is, strong odors (good or bad) or stale air can make your home unappealing to prospective buyers. Opening windows and exhaust fans will only go so far in removing foul odors and rarely eliminates them completely. Follow these odor eliminating tips to ensure your home smells and feels fresh and new so buyers will fall in love with it.

Don’t Use Artificial Freshening Sprays

Don’t make the mistake of spraying artificial room freshener sprays in hopes that it will remove the bad odor. Deodorizers quickly fade, and only mask the smell. Sometimes in an overwhelming way and even negative way. When a buyer walks into your home, your air freshener can cause a bad reaction, like a runny nose, sneezing or a headache. In addition, it will make them suspicious of an underlying foul odor. Instead of trying to mask it, locate the source of the bad odor and get rid of it completely.  The best thing to smell coming into a home is nothing at all.

Best Pet Carpet Cleaners for Accidents

We all love our furry friends, but unfortunately, they can get your home pretty smelly. Whether the smell is on the carpet, furniture, or even on the walls – it’s essential to have it removed. Most odors stem from accidents. You always want to attend to the accident right away. Blot them with a paper towel and use mild dishwashing liquid to help remove the odor. Once completely cleaned, blot again with fresh paper towels to dry the spot. If the accident is not recent, use an enzyme cleaner to eat the bad bacteria. Nature’s Miracle is an example of one many pet owners swear by.  Another great idea is to use activated charcoal. It is a form of carbon that has been activated to make it extremely porous. You can get activated charcoal meant for pet odors at most pet stores.

Green Cleaning Products

Using natural odor eliminators is a great green alternative to most of the chemicals sold at stores. One of the most recommended products is to use baking soda. You can place an open box of it in a room to help absorb unwanted smells. It also helps to remove musty aroma in dark spaces, like a basement. On top of being used to remove pet odors, it also works great for cigarette smells. If you don’t wish to use baking soda, most pet supply stores will have green cleaning products that help remove odors, while still being safe for your household.

Distilled white vinegar is another inexpensive and green option to help eliminate pet and other odors.  Give an empty litter box a deep cleaning with it by covering the bottom of an empty box with it.  Let it sit for at least 20 minutes and then air dry before putting fresh litter back in the box. You can also use a mixture of a 1/4 cup of vinegar to a quart of water for pet mess clean up. Just dab the mixture on the mess with a wash cloth to clean it up and prevent the odors.

Pet odors don’t have to be a big hurdle to selling your home.  The solutions I suggested are all fairly simple and inexpensive.  I’d love to know what’s worked for you in getting rid of pet (or other) odors in your home.  Feel free to share in the comments below or email them to me at Rachel@RachelKayla.com.  Also, feel free to contact me if you have any other questions about preparing your home to sell.  As always, I’m here to help.