Last updated on January 20th, 2022
Few things compare to the pleasure of spending a fine summer afternoon on comfortable patio furniture outdoors. Picture yourself taking in the breeze while relaxing with your choice of beverage. It’s ecstatic. That’s the same feeling your dog gets when relaxing on that furniture too. Unfortunately, your four-legged friend leaves the upholstery smelling like a dog when he lounges on it. If keeping the dog off the sofa is no option, you must learn how to get dog smell out of outdoor furniture.
To remove the smell, regularly wash the cushions and other fabrics on the furniture with vinegar or antibacterial soap. You can also vacuum your furniture with baking soda often or use a carpet and upholstery cleaner to spray and suck up dog dander, fur, and smell trapped in the fabric. Alternatively, you could kill the smell with an enzyme deodorizer or mask it with a commercial or homemade odor remover.
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Why get dog smell out of outdoor furniture
An outdoor lounging area is a place where you spend some of the greatest moments with your friends and family.
If the cushions in your patio furniture are heaped with smelly dog hair, the experience will certainly not be the same. No one wants to walk around covered in fur – smelling like a dog.
You don’t want your guests wrinkling their noses while trying to lounge on your outdoor couch. That might not be very comfortable.
Furthermore, dog hair tends to hold moisture and can be an ideal breeding spot for bacteria and yeast. Pathogens like bacteria can lead to infections if they are left to linger around your furniture and blankets.
How to get dog smell out of outdoor furniture
While there are commercial cleaners that you may consider, trying one or more of these methods can save you money.
Thoroughly vacuum your furniture regularly
Using a vacuum with a brush attachment is an effective way to lift dog hair off your furniture. Do this often, and you can be sure to keep the smell associated with this type of dander out the door.
You can start by removing the cushions and smacking them outdoors to get rid of dust, fur, and dander. Then vacuum those areas beneath the cushions where debris tends to accumulate. The crevice tool and upholstery brush attachment should help you access those hard-to-reach areas.
Once you are done with these parts, replace the cushions and proceed to vacuum them. Don’t forget to clean the arms and legs too.
Thorough vacuuming will keep your furniture odor-free. This means removing the dust, fur, and dander trapped in virtually every upholstered area. Usually, it is these particles that are causing the smell.
We recommend using a vacuum such as the Dyson Cyclone V10 with powerful suction to lift off and pick up practically every hair and dander trapped in the upholstery.
Daily vacuuming should help remove dog hair and any debris that the furry friend drags in from outside.
Include baking soda to absorb odors
If you are not satisfied with the ambient air after vacuuming, you can sprinkle a bit of baking soda on the affected upholstered surfaces and vacuum to remove the odors. Always let the baking soda sit overnight before vacuuming it away.
Baking soda is sometimes used to deodorize refrigerators. It is a highly effective natural stench remover and will do the same to your furniture – getting rid of those funky pup odors.
You can perform this routine daily or as often as possible to keep your outdoor seating fabrics stench-free.
This simple tradition should keep your couch smelling fresh at all times. This salt is entirely natural and safe, so you won’t have to worry about it affecting your pets.
Invest in a carpet cleaner
The household product market is awash with varieties of upholstery cleaners that you can buy. Carpet cleaners come in a range of prices and features, all of which are more effective than vacuum on tough odors.
If you don’t want to buy one, you could consider renting a heavy-duty option like the Bissell Multi-Purpose Portable Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner for occasional thorough clean-up.
These upholstery cleaners have a powerful spray and suction mechanism that helps remove more odors and pet stains from your furniture. The equipment is maneuverable and easy to use around the house or patio.
The machines also use a non-toxic cleaning solution that is safe to use in places where your pet sits. The solution will neutralize the odors and clean any dirt, leaving your home smelling fresh and looking clean for entertaining your guests.
Whether you choose to rent or buy a carpet and upholstery cleaning machine, there are several easy-to-use brands and will make your cleaning stress-free.
Buy an enzyme deodorizer.
You should be able to get an enzyme deodorizer at any pet store near you. Enzyme cleaners are specialized liquid bacteria that produce enzymes responsible for digesting odor-causing agents on your furniture.
The product works to eliminate the source of the odor on your couch, making them effective against dog scents.
The active enzymes in this deodorizing spray will cut through the dog hair and dander trapped on your upholstery, eliminating any associated smell.
To use an enzyme deodorizer, spray the furniture with the product and allow it to dry thoroughly before vacuuming.
Spray it with Febreze fabric freshener
Febreze is a famous fabric freshener that can be a quick means of eliminating unpleasant pet odor from your furniture.
It can be a quick fix if you don’t have a lot of time for a more elaborate process, such as immediately before receiving guests. The spray works to remove odors at their source and will replace unpleasant scents with a fresh, clean fragrance within minutes of use.
Febreze fabric freshener is safe to use around pets despite having some chemicals in its formula. To use Febreze, spray it lightly on the affected couch, cushions, and throw blankets – and leave it on to dry.
If your pet does not like the smell of Febreze, it will be a double win for you as he will find someplace other than your furniture to sit.
Consider homemade odor repellents.
Moving away from commercial products, you can use some of the things you already have in your pantry to prepare your spray solutions.
Baking soda and vinegar solution
Both vinegar and baking soda are natural household products effective against odors. You can combine them to get even better results.
Create the solution by mixing one cup of water, a half-cup of vinegar, and a quarter-cup of baking soda in a large spray bottle.
You want to go for a big spray bottle to have extra room for the foam that this mixture will produce as it bubbles. Mix the solution well and let it settle before using.
Once settled, spray the solution on an inconspicuous spot and allow it to dry, and check for any reaction. If the fabric does not react, spray it lightly onto the upholstery and dry it overnight.
In the morning, vacuuming and repeating the process is necessary to remove any unpleasant odors.
Essential oil deodorizing spray
Here is a recipe for a pet-friendly deodorizing spray.
In a large spray bottle, mix a half-cup of water with five drops of lemon essential oil, two drops of eucalyptus essential oil, a cup of baking soda, a half-cup of apple cider vinegar, and one teaspoon of table salt.
Allow the mixture to settle for approximately 3 minutes, then do a spot test on an inconspicuous area to ensure it is safe for use on the fabric.
Spray the solution lightly on the cushions, arms, and blanket (if any), then let it sit overnight. In the morning, vacuum the furniture to remove any dog hair, solid dirt, and baking soda residue.
Steam clean the affected couch
Pet odors often come as a result of bacteria. A steam cleaning equipment uses hot moisture (steam) to kill such bacteria.
A steam cleaner can deliver powerful steam as hot as 135 degrees Celsius. This can kill nearly 100 percent of the bacteria, fungi, and other pathogens present on the furniture.
Steam cleaning means that you’re not using any harsh chemicals. It will leave your seat and cushions feeling fresh and safe for your family and pets.
Buy a pet-specific odor remover
There is a wide range of products formulated to remove pet-specific odors in the market. For instance, Angry Orange Pet Odor Eliminator for Dog and Cat Urine is rated 4.5 on Amazon for removing scents.
You could also try out Nature’s Miracle 3-in-1 Odor Destroyer, a popular odor eliminator that works magic on fabric and other surfaces.
These products will break down organic odors and eliminate them rather than mask them up with another pleasant scent.
How do you get dog smell out of outdoor cushions?
The methods already discussed are all effective ways to remove pet odor from outdoor furniture. Still, you may want to give your outdoor pillows and blankets the washing they need to remove the animal scents.
Wash pillows and blankets at least once a month to remove unpleasant pet odors
Start by taking any blankets and pillows out of your patio furniture and wash them as often as possible.
If your dog has developed the habit of sitting only on the blanket, your work could be cut out for you. The blanket is likely to contain dog dander and odors, so you only need to wash the blanket and not everything.
You could consider having only pillows with removable slipcovers on your patio furniture. These are easier cushions to wash. You just need to remove the covers and throw them into the washing machine.
Always check the labels on your cushion seams to ensure the covers are machine-washable before throwing them in.
You would have to take your covers for dry cleaning or wash them by hand if machine washing is not recommended.
Once the cycle is complete, check to confirm that all odors have come off. If not, put the covers back into the laundry machine for another cycle. You could add a special antibacterial soap or a half-cup of vinegar to fight off the stubborn scents. Then air-dry the fabric before replacing the cushions.
If washing by hand, you will need to apply the cleaning agent (antibacterial soap or vinegar) directly to the stinking fabric with about 1 gallon of warm water.
Does Febreze get rid of dog smell?
Febreze is pretty effective in removing scents from fabric. If your cushions or lounging seat smells of your pup, spraying them with Febreze can be a quick way to turn things around. The fine mist works deep in the fabric to get rid of unpleasant odors.
Febreze fabric freshener is formulated to be safe for use around pets. This product works quickly to mask nasty smells, but you may want to apply it more than once to get the best results.
How to prevent your furniture from having dog smells
One way to keep your seats from sustaining pooch smells is to clean the fabric and cushions regularly. You can go for dry cleaning or washing the covers and outdoor blanket(s) that your dog uses.
You could also use any of the methods we have discussed in this guide for removing doggy smells. Practice one or more of these methods regularly, and you can be sure to keep unpleasant odors out.
Start with a clean dog.
Canines with a rock-solid cleaning routine are likely to smell less. Such a dog will leave less pooch smell behind on your furniture.
Consider brushing out your dog frequently. Dead hair tends to trap more odors, which can quickly transfer to any fabric the animal touches or sits on.
Conclusion
Having a dog at home means there is a pet odor to deal with. It does not, however, mean that your sofa has to stink.
With the abundance of tips for removing dog smell in this guide, there is no reason for you to let foul odors ruin your cushions or break your outdoor experience.
Use the information on this write-up to find the right cleaning agent and method for keeping your cushions fresh and odor-free.
You can identify one or two methods that you find more appealing and use them alternatingly or simultaneously. Alternatively, you could use a combination of several ways to keep your home and furniture free from unpleasant smells.
