When a house smells like pets, it’s rarely one spot. Pet odor builds up in layers: dander and body oils in fabrics, urine in carpet pad and grout, a dirty AC filter that keeps spreading it around, and walls and baseboards that soak up smells over time. You get used to it, but guests notice right away. This guide walks through the whole house in the order that works best, and links to our step-by-step guides for each problem.
Step 1: Start With the Pets Themselves
- Bathe and brush regularly. A lot of “dog smell” comes straight from the dog. A strong, sudden smell from a pet’s ears, mouth or skin is worth a vet visit.
- Wash pet beds, blankets and toys every week or two.
- Keep up with litter boxes. See litter box smell.
Step 2: Find and Treat Urine
Urine is the smell that keeps coming back, especially on humid Florida days. Use a UV (black light) flashlight at night to find old spots on floors, carpet, baseboards and furniture, then treat each one with an enzyme cleaner. Avoid ammonia-based cleaners, which smell like urine to pets. Full steps: how to get rid of dog and cat urine smell. If a cat is marking walls and doors, see how to get rid of cat spray smell.
Step 3: Room by Room
- Carpet and rugs: deodorize the fibers, and treat urine deep enough to reach the pad. See how to get a smell out of carpet, including pet odor.
- Couches and chairs: check the care tag before using any cleaner. See how to get a smell out of a couch.
- Beds: pets on the bed means the mattress holds smell too. See how to get a smell out of a mattress.
- Hard floors and grout: urine can settle into grout lines and the gaps between planks. Clean with an enzyme cleaner, and check the seams.
- Walls and baseboards: wipe down the lower part of walls, door frames and baseboards where pets rub and mark.
- Curtains, throws and pillows: wash them. They hold more smell than people expect.
Step 4: Don’t Forget the AC
In Florida, the AC runs most of the year and moves the same air through the house over and over. Pet hair and dander clog the filter fast. With pets, check the filter monthly and change it as often as it needs. If the house smells worse when the AC kicks on, see why your house smells when the AC turns on.
Step 5: Keep It From Coming Back
- Vacuum often with a vacuum that has a good filter.
- Clean accidents right away with an enzyme cleaner.
- Keep humidity down by running the AC. Damp air makes pet smells stronger.
- Skip heavy air fresheners. They mix with pet odor instead of removing it. See odor eliminators for a whole house, compared.
For a general dog smell, see how to get rid of dog smell in your house.
Moving Into a Home Where Pets Lived?
When the smell was left by someone else’s pets, the source is usually in the carpet pad, subfloor or baseboards. Replacing badly soaked pad and cleaning the subfloor often has to come first. See the house smells after moving in. Landlords, see odors between tenants. Selling? See odors before you list.
When the Whole House Still Smells Like Pets
After the cleaning is done and soaked spots are handled, pet odor can still hang in the air, the AC system and soft surfaces throughout the home. Our whole-home odor removal treatment treats the air throughout the entire home, including one AC system and an attached garage. People and pets need to be out for about 8 hours. It’s an odor treatment only. Urine that soaked into pad or subfloor still has to be cleaned or replaced first, or the smell will come back from it. Smell something different? See our smell-by-smell guide.
Whole-Home Odor Removal in South Florida: $997
Our Whole-Home Odor Removal Treatment is $997 and includes one AC system ($550 for each additional AC unit). You can buy and schedule it online, or call 877-224-2532 to request a free visual inspection. We answer 24/7; when you call, we’ll tell you honestly when a technician can be there based on that day’s schedule. Hablamos español.
About the author: James Rice-Peña is the owner of FL Cleanup and a Florida-licensed Mold Assessor (MRSA4035) and Mold Remediator (MRSR4158). He has worked in property restoration in South Florida since 2012, and FL Cleanup has earned 200+ five-star Google reviews.
