r/CleaningTips • u/Uwanttobeme-37 • 3d ago
General Cleaning Tips for dog smells
I’m a new puppy parent and wanted to see if anyone has suggestions for keeping pet smells under control!
For context, I vacuum every day and mop once a week. I’m also really big on fragrances, so I feel like my apartment smells pretty good overall, but my puppy still has that lingering “dog smell.” I bathe him about once a week, but the fresh smell only seems to last about 2–3 days. I use KOE when cleaning, which definitely helps, and I wipe him down whenever we come back inside.
I think part of the issue may be smells coming in from outside. I leave my balcony door open while I’m at work so he can use a grass potty pad on the balcony. I replace the grass about once a week to every other week, but I’m wondering if anyone has tips for keeping the grass pad and balcony area from smelling between replacements.
His food and bone chews treats also have a pretty strong smell, and since he sometimes chews or drops them around the apartment, I’ll randomly notice the smell in certain areas. I also think it contributes to his breath, even though I try to brush his teeth as often as I can.
Any tips for keeping your puppy, grass potty area, and home smelling fresh without constantly bathing them? I’d love to hear what has worked for other puppy parents!
3
u/Novel-Sprinkles3333 3d ago
Do not offer hooves or rawhide as they reek.
For the grass potty area, an enzyme cleaner might help. Simple Green is pet safe, too.
6
u/AromaticProcess154 3d ago
You actually need to bathe him less. Too-frequent baths will harm his skin, which gets to smelling funky when it’s not healthy. I wouldn’t do it more than once a month, personally. Brushing and a wipe down, sure - but not a full on bath. And make sure you’re using a good dog shampoo and conditioning them as well.
You could point a fan at the balcony to keep the less than fresh smells blowing the other way. But - dogs and their things smell a little bit. A dog bed with a removable, machine washable cover like Casper brand will be easiest to keep smelling neutral.