I’ve Tested Dozens of Candles, and This Is By Far the Best for Getting Rid of Pet Odors

Written by

Britt FranklinCommerce Editor
Britt FranklinCommerce Editor
As a blogger turned journalist, I love tapping into curiosity that drives us to curate spaces that truly embody our vision. I test products for a living, which puts me at the forefront of trendy and innovative gadgets and gizmos to make life at home more fun and efficient.
published Jan 14, 2025
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Dweller sitting on sofa with dog in book filled living room.
Credit: Viv Yapp

As much as I love my dogs, I’ll be the first to admit that, sometimes, they stink. Besides the fact that they enjoy rolling around on whatever strikes their fancy (once or twice, it was a worm), we also get a decent amount of rain here in Louisiana, and that wet dog smell isn’t pleasant. Between dealing with muddy paws and shedded fur, I’ve tried more than a few products to help keep my home clean with furry friends running around.

Beyond grooming supplies, it’s just as important to have room fresheners that effectively handle pet odors. I’ve found linen sprays and pet odor diffusers that have done the trick, but I love the ambiance of a candle. That being said, I have so many candles at home that the extras I’ve stashed in cabinets seem to be overflowing. Still, when I received the Pet-Pourri Pet Odor Eliminator Candle as a gift, I couldn’t resist trying it out right away.

What Is the Pet-Pourri Pet Odor Eliminator Candle?

The Poo-Pourri brand has expanded in the lifestyle space, adopting several variations of its name. Under the ~Pourri moniker, you’ll find Home-Pourri, Baby-Pourri, and Pet-Pourri in addition to collections for cars, shoes, and deodorant. The Pet-Pourri line consists of odor-eliminating room sprays, pet wipes, a dog coat refresher, litter box spray, and, of course, candles. You can also score home fragrance bundles that include room sprays and candles for under $35. The products in the Pet-Pourri collection are extremely popular — several boast thousands of purchases on Amazon in the past month alone.

In Pet-Pourri’s plant-based candle collection, there’s a bamboo-scented candle specifically designed for cat odors, a coconut-scented candle for dog odors, and the all-encompassing Pawsitively Fresh candle with notes of jasmine, fresh air, and pear. Each 7.5-ounce candle has a burn time of up to 45 hours and pulls double duty by not only eliminating odors, but also freshening the air in your home. Free of synthetic fragrances, the candles come with ~Pourri’s Funk Lock guarantee, are soy-based with a blend of food-grade paraffin, and incorporate essential oils to achieve their home-safe scents.

Credit: Britt Franklin

Why I Love the Pet-Pourri Pet Odor Eliminator Candle?

When I received my Pawsitively Fresh candle, I figured it would make my living room smell nice, and that’s it. However, once I placed the candle on my coffee table and let it burn for a few minutes, I could tell that something was noticeably different. While my home didn’t overwhelmingly smell like my two dogs at the time, there wasn’t a powerful fragrance wafting in the air to mask it, either. The reed diffuser I had going at the same time was doing its job, but its only purpose is to look nice and smell good — it’s never eliminated pet odors in the past.

As soon as the Pet-Pourri candle started doing its thing, it gave off a wonderful fragrance that was just the right amount of airy and sweet. What I didn’t expect was that the low-key, lingering dog odors began to disappear. The candle scent didn’t just cover them up — it got rid of them entirely! My living room smelled like I’d spent the morning sprucing it up, and the only signs that there were two dogs in my home (other than actually seeing them) were their beds and toys scattered on the floor.

After that first day with the Pawsitively Fresh candle, I’ve started burning it practically every other day. Not because my home smells that bad, but because I like the scent of the candle just that much! The fact that it takes out the pet odors is a bonus — especially while we had relatives visiting throughout the holiday season.

After testing so many candles during and before my time here at Apartment Therapy, I didn’t think any could surprise me anymore. I’m happy to say that ~Pourri proved me wrong!

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