"Dear Apartment Therapy,
It being Pet Month, I thought I'd send you a question I've long had but have yet to find an effective answer for. I own a couple of large mutts who liked to park their behinds onto a favorite couch. They don't smell bad themselves, but over time the couch has taken a musty-funky odor (drool?). The couch has been replaced and moved to another room where the dogs don't come into, and now I'm trying to get rid of the years of dog smell. I've used pet odor sprays and Febreeze, but I can tell these just cover up the smell. I tested a patch with baking soda mixtures and also tried vinegar, but that didn't work well and just made a mess. Any other recommendations?"
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First off, we'd air out any of the pieces that are removable from the couch for a few hours at a minimum, giving them some good wacks with a broomstick or whatever you can use to dislodge as much of the dust being housed within. Then we'd thoroughly vacuum the upholstery using a HEPA vacuum, followed by a thorough soak using a pet odor removing formula like Nature's Miracle or Get Serious. You may want to also rent an extractor or wet vac from a local hardware store to thoroughly rinse out the formula using plain water.
We don't recommend steam cleaning if there is any chance urine is the cause of the smell, because the heat sets in stains. You might want to use a black light to look for invisible pet urine stains on your upholstery.
One bit of advice we've heard that makes a difference is using a HEPA certified air purifier while your washed upholstery is drying. A well designed air purifier should include an odor removing element; if you can afford it, there's nothing quite as effective as the IQAir models in our experience.
I also have a dog that smells pretty sweet, but over time can funk up a couch. I recently had my sofa cleaned professionally and they knew I had a dog and asked if I would like them to spray an antibacterial/microbial on it to help with any smells...Maybe you could call a local carpet/upholstery cleaner and ask them about that.
Good luck!
view Ta's profile
Did you try letting the baking soda sit for a few days? It takes some time to absorb smells. My little guy had a big urine accident on the seat cushion. I removed the covers to my seat/backs cushions and set an open box of backing soda in each of them for one week. It got the smell out. You could probably sprinkle baking soda directly on the fabric (from the inside) if you know your fabric won't fade.
Worse case, hire a professional cleaner and then, for prevention, use a blanket on top of the sofa when guests aren't around. Ruins the aesthetics for you but it's the price we pay for having four legged kids.
view dcaries's profile
One trick I've used for funky vintage clothing is a mixture of equal parts vodka and water in a spray bottle. The alcohol really helps erase the scent, rather than just mask it.
view vintageval's profile
the alcohol trick is a good one
Use 2 to 1 and rubbing alcohol (in place of vodka) to water, spray it on (its important not to soak the fabric it will just set the stain deeper into the stuffing.) and blot using something extra absorbent to draw the liquid... if you can get these they are the best:
http://www.dawginc.com/disposable-paper-wipers/towel-wipe-rag-replacement.php
but i have seen similar ones in automotive stores.
paper towels wont really cut it.
Do this 2-3 times letting it dry (like, BONE dry) and vacuuming the area in between.
i worked for a furniture restoration studio and we did this on every piece that came in. (spot test first and do NOT use on silk.)
view Anferny's profile
I wonder if the scent remover products that hunters use to wash their clothes would do any good?
view marid22's profile
Stripping and recovering is an alternative, but can be expensive unless you're handy that way.
view AZkathy's profile
Try Nature's Miracle from PetSmart or Petco. It worked great when a visiting cat decided to mark my brand new down sofa cushions. Test an area first for color-fastness, then saturate the surface pretty heavily and allow it to dry thoroughly. Repeat as needed. It's the drying part of the process that removes the odor. The largest size comes with a battery operated sprayer which works well for covering large areas like a sofa. Bonus: it doesn't leave a scented odor like Febreze or some other deodorizers.
view txbelle's profile
Rent a Rug Doctor with the upholstery attachment and use some Natures Miracle. I use one every few months for the sofa- with some really hot water. The process will make it smell worse on your first pass. You'll have to do it until the water comes out clean. Be prepared for seeing some seriously dingy water!
view Sparklebot's profile