For as much love dogs bring into a home they can also bring unwanted odors from their fur. When a dog sheds, its fur will get into everything, and so will the smell that is attached to each hair. Preventing a dog’s odor from spreading throughout your home begins by treating the dog and ends with deodorizing the carpet and air.
Homemade Dog Shampoo
Combine 1 cup water, 1 cup liquid Castile soap, 1 tsp. glycerin and 1 tbsp. aloe vera gel in an empty plastic shampoo bottle. Add three to five drops of lavender essential oil to the mixture. Screw on the bottle’s cap and shake vigorously until the ingredients are well incorporated. Wet the dog with warm water and work a generous amount of the homemade shampoo into the dog’s coat, beginning at the legs and working your way toward the head. Rinse out the mixture well with warm water.
Homemade Dry Treatment
Mix together 1/2 cup baking soda, 2 tbsp. table salt and 1 tsp. finely ground lavender. Set the dog into a bathtub or bring it outside to prevent making a mess. Brush the dog with a pin brush to remove any excess fur and tangles. Sprinkle the mixture over the dog’s coat and brush it into the fur with the pin brush, starting at the front and working your way back. Allow the shampoo to remain for five minutes, if your dog permits, before brushing it out with the pin dog brush. The dog shampoo will remove any dirt and excess oil from the fur and is ideal for dogs that are difficult to bathe with water and traditional shampoo.
Homemade Carpet Deodorizer
Create a mixture of 4 cups baking soda, 4 cups corn starch and 1/4 cup finely ground lavender. Sprinkle the mixture over the affected carpet and upholstered furniture. Allow the mixture to remain for at least eight hours, or overnight, before vacuuming it up. The mixture will deodorize stinky carpets, rugs and couches while leaving behind a fresh, light lavender scent.
Homemade Air Freshener
Add the peel of one orange, 1/2 cup white vinegar and 3 cups water to a plastic spray bottle. Tighten the bottle’s cap and shake until the ingredients are well incorporated. Allow the bottle to sit and for the liquids to absorb the orange peel’s scent for one hour. Spray the mixture into the air in any rooms that contain the offensive dog fur odor to remove the smell, replacing it with a light, citrus scent.
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Writer Bio
Residing in Chippewa Falls, Wis., Jaimie Zinski has been writing since 2009. Specializing in pop culture, film and television, her work appears on Star Reviews and various other websites. Zinski is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in history at the University of Wisconsin.