What are your methods to remove pet odors?

Question

I have a property where one bedroom was used as a 'kennel' or pet 'outhouse'. I am having trouble getting rid of the smells.

Concrete floor. Carpet is gone. Tack strip is gone. All solid matter has been removed. Bleached entire area. Cleaned concrete with diamond bit floor maintainer. Sprayed entire area with pine sol. Sprayed entire area with white vinegar. Sprayed entire area with odo-ban. I have painted walls, ceilings, doors and trim.

And lastly, I have painted the concrete with two coats of paint.

Smell is much better but still present. My best guess is that the base plates on the walls are the problem now.

All suggestions are welcome.

Jeff S. · Answer

Had identical problem in a basement not long ago and tried everything you did w/o success. Get shellac (and a special respirator) to seal in the smells. Regular paint is a waste of time. The next best bet is oil based primer.

Concrete is porous and really soaks that stuff up.

Account Closed · Answer

Paint doesn't cover or block pet damage odors. It just masks it for a while.  A concrete floor doesn't always need that much prep if you go right to oil based Kilz. If you just painted over moulding and dry wall with damage (typically the lower 24"), that's likely the source of your odor. There maybe damage to the studs.  Once those are affected you really need to remove the drywall and treat the studs with Kilz and replace drywall.  For sure the base moulding should be replaced.

Patricia Hinojos · Answer

I wish I'd know that you should try to get rid of the odors (with any/all methods above) BEFORE  you replace floors, paint etc.  If any odor/urine lingers in surfaces, any coating/painting/repairing work you do may only mask the odor ...temporarily.

I'v already replaced all flooring with porcelain tile ( on slab that was probably not cleaned good enough), Kilz ceilings and wall surfaces, replaced windows and all base boards and odor still lingers.

My last ditch effort will be a heavy duty Ozone machine I am renting. Arriving later this week.

TIP:  Make every effort to rid the odor AFTER demo and BEFORE you start replacing with new!

Mark Langdon · Answer

Don't forget using ozone. You can find cheap ozone generator on ebay. I find that works well after I rip everything else out. Nothing beats a box fan in the windows and constantly airing it out also.

Ben Skove · Answer

I agree with @Jeff  S. - I've had better success with B-I-N shellac-based stuff at blocking odors, whether pet or smoking related.

Aaron Carter · Answer

We just purchased a foreclosure for our primary residence and they did "pet rescue," needless to say the smell is terrible. We close on it next Wednesday and I have done quite a bit of research on how to get out the smell.

I purchased a product called " Mister Max Anti Icky Poo" weird name I know, but this is an enzyme that will break a lot of the chemical bonds in the urine. Received a lot of good reviews on Amazon.  If you have already tried other detergents then you need to do a "P-Wash" before using this product as the enzymes cannot get to the urine. It is recommended to air out the place really well as you let the enzyme sit because it will release a lot of ammonia. Supposedly this gets rid of about 80% of the smell.

I also ordered another product called "Stink Free Instantly,"which works as an oxidizer rather than an enzyme and will supposedly treat any left over smell that is left from the enzyme treatment.

After that I am going to use ORIGINAL KILLZ, as this is oil based rather than the water based latex in killz 2. Supposedly the Killz 2 will actually make the smell worse.

I will be treating our home after closing on Wednesday and will let you know how it goes.

William Avery · Answer

I also have a no pet policy on my rentals. This was a distressed property that I bought. The lovely smell helped me get a good price. :)

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Pete T. · Answer

All good methods, but my favorite is the no pet policy.  Sure you miss out on some good tenants and some will always try to sneak one, but so much of the small damage falls into wear and tear, smells, and other pains that just arent recovered.

Mat O'Grady · Answer

Hello Will,

I had a tenant that kept his dog in a small closet with wood floors and dry wall with baseboard. I am sure, the dog went to the bathroom in there plenty of times. The smell was disgusting. We sprayed the walls, the baseboard, the floor, the ceiling and the shelf with double strength Febreeze multiple times. I washed the walls with a bleach cleaner and then I used Killz 2 the oil based primer on the walls, and baseboard. We stained the floor and put on three coats of sealant.

That was about a week ago and the closed does not smell any longer.

Hopefully, it will stay that way.

What are your methods to remove pet odors?

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