GET RID OF PET ODORS

MORE TO THE POINT - GET RID OF PET ODORS BEFORE YOU SELL YOUR HOME!

True Story

After living in their home for 20 years, Stephen & Sarah need to sell because of a job change for Stephen that requires them to move out of state. They recently finished some cosmetic updates to the kitchen and bathrooms with new surfaces, fixtures and tiles, and repainted the whole house with a neutral color. In order to sell the home, each room was decluttered and extra furnishings went into storage in order to open up the spaces. They scrubbed and polished their hardwood floors. The carpets were professionally cleaned. The photos and videos of their home look great and they did feel great about the possibility of the home selling quickly until the first showing.

Even though they did all their real estate agent suggested, there was still a problem. The first three showings went poorly and they have discovered through the feedback of the potential buyers that the home has an overwhelming pet urine odor that makes the house less appealing. Stephen and Sarah love their pets and, unfortunately, they have grown accustomed to the odor from several years of their pets living in the home.

Something has to be done, other than masking the odor with candles and freshly baked desserts, so they asked their agent (me) to help them come up with some affordable and effective solutions to get them back on track with selling the home.

Smelly Pets

The best thing to do is treat pet accidents as soon as possible in order to keep your flooring and furniture from absorbing too much of the urine. Sometimes this is not possible if you are not home to notice right away. Cat pee lingers longer because it is more concentrated than dog urine. Damp spots under the carpet can linger for years after a cat has been in the home. The longer dog or cat urine sits and soaks into flooring, the worse the problem becomes. Bacteria builds up, and the urine can soak through into the carpet pad below. It can even go as deep as the wood floors and the sub-floor in some cases, making cleanup a bit complicated. 

There's are proven methods to utilize that help in getting rid of the smell. There are also things you don't want to do to get rid of pet urine odors. Below are some important products and tips to help.

Time Wasters

Ammonia should be avoided. Urine already has a distinct ammonia-like odor, so adding more makes the smell worse. In fact, cats will keep returning to the same area because they are attracted to that ammonia smell. It is very important to know that mixing bleach with ammonia is extremely dangerous. The fumes can be deadly.

Some household items that are commonly used such as vinegar, peroxide, dish detergent, or baking soda all work to a minimal degree. However, they are not permanent solutions to the persistent and stinky smell.  You'll need better solutions.

Too Hard

One way that fixes the problem permanently is replacing the affected areas down to the sub-floor. This is very effective because it removes every piece of material tainted with the offensive scent. But, truthfully, this is a big project and most do not have the patience, time, nor the budget to tackle this kind of project. There are easier solutions.

Easy Peasy 

One of the easier and more affordable solutions is to use an enzyme-based product that breaks down the bacteria in the urine, effectively "eating" the urine and neutralizing the odor. These odor removal products are available online or at your preferred pet stores. You may need to treat the area with a product more than once but it does a decent job. I have provided a few affiliate links to preferred products on Amazon.

It is important to note that it is typically not recommended to use detergents or any home-based remedy before you treat with the enzyme products. Please use the manufacturers method of treatment.

'HOW TO' STEPS TO FOLLOW:

Instructions vary for different products - please read manufacturers instructions.

1. Saturate the area with the enzymatic cleaner.

2. Blot it and let air dry.

3. Repeat. 

4. For carpet you can finish the area with an extracting carpet cleaner that shoots water down into the carpet fiber, then sucks the dirtied water back up again for disposal.

For your convenience, here are a couple of great options for two machines that I actually own and use quite often to clean pet accidents and other spills from children and visiting relatives (rolls eyes - ha!)...

Even in Concrete?

You might not always be aware of exactly where your pet peed, especially if the little fluffy, furball of joy is making secretive use of your basement, garage or enclosed porch when you're not there to notice.

Your first hint would be the faint odor, especially on warmer, humid days. If you can't see the stain then use a black light wand to scan the floors and other likely spots such as lower portions of walls or support columns. It will reveal the hidden stains. As you know, male dogs usually lift their legs to pee and un-neutered male cats will mark their territories on walls as well.

Another 'HOW TO":

-Wash the spots you find with one part vinegar and one part water, and two teaspoons of baking soda, then treat the areas with an enzymatic cleaner of the same type you used on your carpet.

- This time don't rinse the cleaner away. Instead, barricade or cover the spots up and let the cement/concrete soak overnight for 24 hours.

- Now, you're ready to clean up the mess you made!

You might think of using BLEACH to clean the concrete floors (after removing any urine-stained carpeting, if present), but bleach does not kill the odor. It only disinfects. Remember, bleach is harmful to breathe, especially while in closed up spaces. It's also toxic for your pets. Poisons & Toxicity List

Technology

If enzyme cleaners don't work, it's worth the investment to purchase a portable ozone generator or hire a professional ozone company to tackle the problem on a scientific level. These amazing tools can also remove pesky odors such as cigarette smoke and cooking smells. There are safety protocols that need to be followed, as with any tool, so please learn to use your machine safely as the manufacturer suggests in order to protect yourself, family members and pets. 

FINALLY - Just Ask

Pet urine is one of the worst smells for a homebuyer to encounter. Even pet lovers can be turned off easily by the smell of dog urine, cat pee, or just the sight of a litter box. Before you put your home on the market for sale it is always a good idea to ask a friend or your real estate agent to give you an honest assessment of any odor issues. If you don't get the answer you want then own up to it and take the necessary steps to fix it - a quick sale may depend on it!