We are a society that loves their pets. We cuddle them, walk them, bathe them, and sometimes, we’ll even create special rooms in the home just for our furry four-legged friends. One of the greatest benefits to owning your home is the ability to have a pet, but after a while, all of the cuddling on the couch, sleeping on the floor, and little accidents here and there can start to leave your house smelling a little less fresh.
When it comes to selling your home in the Triangle Area, you’ll need to make sure that it’s in the best possible condition for when a potential buyer comes along for a showing. You stash your belongings in closets and wipe the counters but odors can be a little more tricky to remove. Here are a few easy ways to get rid of the pet smell in your home before potential buyers arrive.
Remove Pet Odors & Stains From Carpet
For general scent removal on carpets, a big box of baking soda will usually do the trick. Sprinkle the baking soda evenly over the carpet or rug, then let it sit for around 12 hours to soak up the odors. Vacuum the entire area to remove the baking soda, which should remove the odors along with it.
If there’s still a lingering smell, you might have to rent a carpet cleaner from a nearby grocery or hardware store. When it comes to removing stains, it’s easiest to deal with them while they’re still wet but that’s not always possible. For these cleanups, it’s probably best to rent a carpet cleaner. You definitely don’t want to use a steam cleaner here. The high heat from a steam cleaner could actually set the stain, just like washing your clothes in warm water can set stains too.
You can try washing with an odor neutralizer like apple cider vinegar first, or visit your local pet store for odor removal products. These products can be expensive, so if you have a tight budget you should definitely try baking soda and vinegar first before resorting to the latter.
Remove Pet Odors From Furniture
Vacuum, vacuum, and vacuum. Firstly, remove anything that can be thrown in the washing machine. Like with the carpet, sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda on your furniture with fabric and let it sit for several hours before vacuuming up. Here, you need to get in to every nook and cranny because even small spaces can leave a lasting impression.
Bedding, pillowcases, small rugs, and anything else that can fit in your washing machine can be cleaned with a vinegar solution to remove the smell.
Do I Need Professional Cleaning Services To Remove Pet Smells?
In most cases, not likely. If you typically keep a clean home and bath your pets somewhat frequently, it should be easy to remove the pet odors yourself with a little bit of work. That said, if you’ve tried all of the above and smell is still there, then it wouldn’t hurt to bring in the professionals.
It’s very important to address the odors in your home before a buyer comes to tour it, not only because not everyone likes animals, but there are many out there who are highly allergic to cats and dogs. If a buyer can’t be in your house for more than 10 minutes without their allergies acting up, they might be less than inclined to return.
Have you found an effective method to removing pet stains and odors in your home? Leave a message in the comments below! For all of your Durham and Chapel Hill real estate, get in touch with the My NC Homes team today!
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Posted by Larry Tollen on
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