Dogs are fantastic, loving creatures. They’re also messy, smell-prone pets that can wreak havoc on your home with their constant shedding. If your dog is a frequent visitor to your car and you have carpeted floors, you may be concerned about keeping the car’s smells neutral and fresh rather than stinky. As such, how do you get the dog smell out of the carpet in your car? Looking at the floor of an average car can reveal quite a lot about a person. Dirt outlines where shoes have brushed against the carpet; stains indicate spills or general mishaps; and odors reveal whether owners take regular cleaning measures or not. This article will help you eliminate dog smells from carpets so they’re fit for future canine visitors.
How To Get Dog Smell Out Of Carpet
Vacuum Regularly
One of the easiest ways to get rid of dog smell in your car is to vacuum regularly. This will not only remove dirt and dust, but it will also remove any dog hair that may be lingering on the floor. Dog hair can be a magnet for dirt, so removing it regularly is a good way to prevent smells from developing. If you have a carpeted floor mat, you can vacuum this by placing it on the floor of your bathtub or shower and running water over it while you vacuum. You can also use steam cleaning if you have access to one.
Spray with Vinegar and Water
If your car has developed a persistent dog smell, vinegar may be able to help. Mix one part vinegar with three parts water in a spray bottle and spritz the affected areas. Allow this to air dry and repeat as necessary until the dog smell is gone.
Clean with Baking Soda
Baking soda is another good option for removing dog odors from carpets in cars. Simply sprinkle some baking soda on the floor mat and let it sit overnight. In the morning, vacuum up the baking soda, which should remove any lingering odors.
Use an Air Purifier
If you frequently drive with your dog in your car, you may want to get an air purifier that can filter out pet smells as well as other pollutants in the air, such as smoke or pollen. This will help ensure that your car always smells fresh no matter how many times you drive with your pooch in tow.
Clean Upholstery with Vinegar
If your upholstery has taken on a musty odor from being near dog hair and dander for too long, try cleaning it with vinegar instead of harsh chemicals like bleach or ammonia-based cleaners that can cause allergic reactions in dogs (and humans). You can use a sponge or clean rag soaked in vinegar to wipe down upholstery or place a bowl of white vinegar on the floor of your car overnight so that it fills with fumes while you sleep.
Use a Carpet Shampoo
If you have carpets in your car, you can use carpet shampoo to remove dog odor from the carpets. This product is made specifically to be safe for pets and works by removing stains and odors without harming the carpet fibers. It will also help keep your carpets looking new by removing stains that may otherwise appear over time.
Remove Dog Hair with a Vacuum Cleaner
If you have an older car that has been sitting for a while, it is likely that it has accumulated pet hair inside it. You can use a vacuum cleaner to remove this hair from carpets and upholstery, which will help get rid of any lingering dog odor as well as any other dirt or grime that may be stuck on the fabric. You should also vacuum regularly so that your carpet doesn’t become too dirty and lose its ability to absorb smells effectively.
What Causes Dog Smells In Carpets?
Feces and Urine
The most common cause of bad smells in car carpets is feces and urine. While dogs don’t always use the bathroom inside, they do urinate and defecate while inside your car. If you’re a dog owner, you probably know that these substances can leave a powerful odor that takes time to eliminate. Dog feces are often mixed with other types of waste (grass, water, etc.), which can add more unpleasant smells to the mix.
Spilled Food
If your dog eats in the car and has accidents at times, food may spill on the carpeted floor of your vehicle. This food will eventually dry out, becoming a brownish or yellowish stain that no amount of vigorous cleaning will remove from your carpeting. These stains will only get worse as time goes by if you don’t take measures to prevent them from happening again.
Dog Fur
Dogs have fur all over their bodies, including their feet and faces. When it comes to removing dog smells from your car, this fur must be taken into account because its presence contributes to foul odors. Fur can become matted over time if not brushed regularly, which makes it even harder for fur-removing solutions to work effectively. Even when fur isn’t matted or dirty, just having it on the carpeting is enough to create an unpleasant smell that is hard to completely eliminate without removing it completely first
Dead Skin
Dogs shed their skin all the time, and this skin can be found in your car’s carpeting. As dead skin sits on the floor of your car, it begins to decompose, which leads to a foul odor that will make your car smell as if an animal died there. Dead skin is extremely dry, which means you’ll need a very strong cleaning solution to remove it from your car’s carpet.
Bacteria
When dogs urinate or defecate in your car, they spread bacteria from their bodies onto the carpeted floor of your vehicle. As this bacteria spreads, you may notice that the smell becomes stronger and stronger. Dogs have their own bacteria that is unique to them, which means that even after you clean up after them properly, the smell will remain to some degree.
Wet Dog Fur
Dogs are known for being wet creatures; they love water and don’t mind getting into puddles on rainy days as long as it doesn’t hurt them in any way (i.e., if they aren’t allergic ). This can lead to wet dog fur inside of cars when owners take their dogs with them on rainy days without realizing how much water they are bringing in with them. If the dog doesn’t shake off its fur before entering the car, then wet dog fur will form on the interior of your vehicle. This fur can make things smell bad very quickly, and it can also lead to mildew and mold growing inside of your car if left untreated.
Baking Soda And Vinegar
- The first step to getting the dog smell out of the carpet is to clean the area with a mixture of baking soda and vinegar. Sprinkle some baking soda into the carpet and let it sit for a few minutes. Then, pour some vinegar over the baking soda. Let it rest for a while before you wipe it off with a wet rag or paper towel.
- You can also spray down your car’s carpet with water, pour baking soda on it, and let it sit for 10 minutes before vacuuming up the mixture.
- If you have an odor neutralizer, use it in conjunction with the above steps to get rid of any remaining dog smells in your car’s carpeting.
- If you don’t have baking soda, use vinegar and a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water instead.
- If you have a dog that frequently rides in your car, you can place an open box of baking soda in the trunk or the back seat so it can absorb any smells the dog may leave behind.
- You can also make your own odor neutralizer using vodka, water, and lavender oil (or your favorite essential oil) by mixing 2 cups of vodka with 1/4 cup of lavender oil or a few drops of your favorite scent. Pour this mixture into a spray bottle and use it to spray down any areas that smell bad. The alcohol will kill bacteria and help eliminate smells while the lavender will give off a nice scent to mask any remaining smells.
Conclusion
Carpets are a common feature in many vehicles, and they’re certainly not going away. As such, they’re worth taking care of. To get rid of dog smells, be sure to use one of the above cleaning solutions at least once per year. The more you deal with the smells, the more they’ll persist. If you have a bad dog smell situation, however, you may need to employ a few of these methods at the same time. Still, it’s better to be safe than sorry, and with these helpful methods, you can make sure your carpet is always at its best.
