9 Ways How to Get Dog Smell Out of a Couch

You may be wondering how to get dog smell out of a couch.

While we all love our dogs, it’s inevitable that certain pet odors will get inside our homes.

There are many solutions to remove these smells whether you use DIY treatments or purchase a product.

In this blog post, I’ll give 9 trusted ways how to get dog smell out of a couch.

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1. Buy a Pet Odor Eliminator

The first and most convenient option is to buy a pet odor eliminator. Oftentimes, these products have enzymes or other chemicals to break down, neutralize and remove odors. You’ll want to make sure that the product is specifically safe for pets.

One popular brand is Nature’s Miracle Stain & Odor Remover Spray, which is an enzymatic spray that is safe to use on many different surfaces.

Another popular brand is Febreze Fabric Refresher, Pet Odor Eliminator. It uses their OdorClear technology which is supposed to eliminate odors and neutralize them.

These sprays usually come with a pleasant scent that remains after neutralizing the initial odor.

2. Use an Upholstery Cleaner

If you’re looking for more of a long-term and cost-effective solution (over time), you should consider getting an upholstery cleaner. Not only will this help with pet odors, but it also helps remove dirt, stains, and spills. These devices can often clean other areas as well such as carpets.

Since couches are made of different fabrics, you’ll need to check what type of cleaner is most appropriate for your situation such as water or solvent-based cleaners, or just vacuuming. Steam cleaners are popular as a non-chemical way to clean your couch.

One popular model is the Bissell Multi-Purpose Portable Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner.

3. Launder Everything That’s Washable

The most obvious solution is probably the best, and that is to regularly toss everything you can in your washing machine. This includes bedspreads, blankets, comforters, pillowcases, etc.

If you can safely launder your chair and sofa cushion covers, wash those too. By using a strong, scent-neutralizing laundry detergent you’ll be able to mitigate a lot of the pet odor in your home.

How many dogs you have and whether they’re strictly indoor pets or spend time outdoors as well, will determine how often you wash everything.

You may need to do this once a week if you have multiple dogs that bring in dirt from outside. Or you may only need to do this once a month if you only have one tiny indoor dog.

This works best as a preventative measure and is much less effective if things aren’t washed on a very regular basis.

The problem is waiting too long between washings because the scent can seep into the cushions and pillows themselves. If this happens, more aggressive actions may be necessary.

4. Baking Soda May Be Required for Deep Cleaning

If there are lingering odors after laundering everything, you will need to take a more aggressive approach with baking soda. This is one of the most common products found in households and can be purchased in any supermarket or grocery store.

Baking soda is known for being very effective at eliminating odors. Many people even leave open boxes of baking soda in their refrigerators and microwaves. So, why not use baking soda to lift pet odors from your sofa and bedding?

Spread baking soda generously around the entire surface of the area being treated, enough for a noticeable layer. How long you let it remain depends on how strong the odor is.

A slight odor may require only fifteen minutes, but with much stronger odors you may want to even leave it on overnight. Baking soda can lift odors from various types of surfaces, especially porous ones.

To remove the remaining residue of baking soda, use your vacuum cleaner. If you can still smell an odor, just repeat the process.

5. Spray with Vinegar

Another common household product known for its ability to eliminate odors is vinegar, and pet odors are no exception. Although vinegar may be good at neutralizing odors, there is a problem, which is that vinegar doesn’t smell very good either.

Fortunately, the odor left behind by vinegar can be mitigated. Just dilute by taking ¼ cup vinegar and mixing in ¾ cup water plus ½ cup of nicely scented dish soap.

Another problem with vinegar is that it’s acidic, which means it may leave a stain. You can avoid this by testing it first on a small section of your sofa, maybe on the backside of the flounce where it can’t be seen.

Let it sit there for two or three hours. If it doesn’t leave a stain, you can safely spray the rest of your sofa. Once finished, vacuum the entire surface.

6. Mix a Solution of Baking Soda with Vinegar

If using baking soda and vinegar separately doesn’t do the trick, try combining them!

Maybe you haven’t been successful with either baking soda or vinegar, or your pet odor areas are starting to become visibly noticeable, you might have better luck combining these neutralizing products.

Take a spray bottle and pour in 1 cup water, ¼ cup baking soda, and ½ cup vinegar, and shake aggressively.

Mixing these together will create bubbles, so let them subside before using them. In the meantime, vacuum the problem area before spraying it with the solution.

For maximum effectiveness, let it sit overnight. Vacuum the area again the next day, and the odor and stain should be gone. Don’t forget to test this solution on an unseen area of your sofa first to make sure you’re not adding insult to injury.

7. Use Fabric Freshener

Fabric freshener is more of a maintenance item because it really cannot prevent or eliminate pet odors. But if you use a fabric freshener on a regular basis you can at least keep your furniture smelling nice.

There are quite a few brands on the market and although most contain chemicals, they are almost always advertised as pet-safe. Just choose one with the desired scent and then spray your armchairs, sofas, blankets, pillows, and comforters.

If you do this on a weekly basis, you can eliminate a lot of the odors left behind by your pets on furniture and beds. We are not recommending this as a replacement for more aggressive methods but doing this will reduce your overall workload.

Also, you may notice that your dog(s) do not like certain smells, which may cause them to seek out other spots to curl up and relax.

8. Regular Pet Grooming Helps

While this is more of a preventative measure, grooming your dog(s) on a regular basis while doing all the other things mentioned above will make a huge improvement in how your furniture smells.

How often you should groom your dog depends on the breed, so this is something you should research or talk to your vet about.

To keep your home as clean and odor-free as possible, regular brushings are needed. Many breeds require this daily as their fur holds dirt and debris that can cause a buildup of odor on your furniture, not to mention shedding.

Learning to eliminate pet odors is just part of the battle. Once you’ve done this, maintain the freshness as long as you can reduce the workload.

Dogs are incredibly loyal companions, and they require a certain amount of maintenance and upkeep, just as your home does.

9. Have It Professionally Cleaned

If you’re not in the mood to clean your couch by yourself, you can always hire a professional service to handle the job and remove odors.

You’ll eliminate some of the worry about damaging the material of your couch with their professional expertise.

Carpet cleaning services usually offer upholstery cleaning services as well, including for your couch. For example, ChemDry, which was acquired by Home Depot, is a nationwide carpet cleaning service that offers upholstery cleaning.

Conclusion

Well, I hope one of these 9 solutions will help remove the dog smell from your couch.

I’d recommend trying one at a time until you find the best solution.

Do you have your own tried-and-true method to remove dog smells?

Share it by leaving a comment down below!