Traveling with your pet can be fun. But they can be stinky, especially in confined places like cars. Well, you cannot miss taking your furry friend on a road trip. But, you can certainly have a solution to deal with their odor. Here’s how.
A TIP to start: Note that just cleaning your vehicle properly is, sometimes, more than enough to get the pet odors away. Merely masking them with fresheners will not give effective results.
Tips to Remove Pet Odor from your Vehicle
1. Vacuum Thoroughly
Any traces of pet activities and their dirt and dust ought to stink. So make sure you clean all the surface dirt with a handheld vacuum. Don’t miss the corners; here’s where most pet dander lies.
2. Wash out The Removable Parts of your Vehicle
When you take the pet inside your vehicle, it’s likely that their smell will spread all over the interiors. The dirt they bring and the loose pet hair falling all over the place creates a musty smell. This will make everything including seat fabric, carpets, and other hard surfaces smelly.
So, remove all the floor mats and any detachable seat covers, and pet blankets from your car. Give them a thorough wash in your washing machine. (See if the material allows washing.)
3. Wipe the Hard Surfaces with a Multipurpose Cleaner
Surfaces like steering wheels, dashboards, buttons, etc., need a wipe to get rid of the odor. Spray the cleaner and wipe everything thoroughly. Thereafter, you can also use a carpet cleaner on the vehicle floors for a better smell.
Just ensure the cleaners you use are safe for your car and follow their instructions.
4. Utilize Baking Soda
Keep an open bowl of baking soda in your vehicle overnight. This natural odor absorbent will soak up all the bad pet odor and neutralize your vehicle interiors. Repeat this for strong smells.
Along with baking soda, there are many natural remedies to remove unpleasant car odors.
5. Effective Vinegar Spray
This strong acidic neutralizer is the best way to get your car pet-odor free. Make a mixture of vinegar and water in a 1:1 ratio. Spray this solution all over your interior surfaces thoroughly. Allow them to dry completely.
You’ll see much of the odor will disappear as the vinegar has neutralized them.
6. Eliminate Urine Stains
This is the most common cause of why your car must be stinking.
If the accident is fresh, blot it as much as you can. Firstly give it a cold water rinse and dry it with a wet/dry vacuum. If the stain goes away easily, it won’t stink anymore.
However, if it remains, sprinkle some baking soda over it. Then pour a mixture of 3% hydrogen peroxide and 1 tsp of dish soap. Scrub the spot with a brush and let it sit for around 15 minutes. Vacuum the dried residue and get the urine smell out of your vehicle.
7. Ventilate The Vehicle Properly
Keep the windows of your cars open while the pet is inside. This will instantly provide enough air circulation to easily take away any musty pet odors.
8. Spray your Car vents with Freshener
Take out the cabin filter of your car and give it a brush. Then, spray the filter and the air intake with an antibacterial air freshener. This will also help eliminate pet odor and freshen up the vehicle’s atmosphere.
9. Air-freshening Bomb
This is one of the effective ways to get the pet smell out of your car. Roll up the car’s windows, stick the bomb in the center console, and close the doors. Read the instructions while you use it. Once you have set it to release, leave the car and let it work for the instructed duration.
Once done, let the vehicle air out for 30 minutes and you’ll see a fresh-smelling vehicle with never-returning odors.
10. Hire Professionals
When your vehicle gets extremely stinky, it’s difficult to eliminate it with regular deodorization. In this case, it’s best to hire professional car odor removal services. With their effective process of odor eradication and complete disinfection, they can deliver a pet odor-free environment in your vehicle.
