The Best Pet Odor Eliminator Sprays in 2024 · The Wildest

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Best Pet Odor Eliminator Spray

Pets can be stinky. You can fix that.

by Rebecca Caplan
March 12, 2024
Young woman crouching and wiping off her Weimaraner puppy's pee, the puppy is feeling remorse.
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Obviously, we all know and accept our pets as perfect beings with literally zero flaws. That said, these perfect beings don’t exactly have zero smells. Quite the opposite, in fact; pets produce a myriad of unique smells such as: 

  • Vomit/pee/poop on the carpet

  • Vomit/pee/poop on hardwood 

  • Vomit/pee/poop in a secret location you will smell but never find

  • Stepped-in garbage on a walk, causing the house to smell like garbage

  • Fritos

As pet parents, we accept that we might encounter these smells — but do we have to live with them? The answer, thankfully, is no (except for Frito, which everyone secretly loves). However, you won’t be able to eliminate these types of odors with a spritz of Febreze. 

To effectively eliminate pet odors, you will want to consider opting for products with enzymatic formulas, as they effectively break down and neutralize odor-causing molecules. When choosing one of these formulas, you will also want to make sure you consider the surface you are using it on — such as carpet or hardwood. Furthermore, if you choose to go the natural route, which can be highly effective, you will want to carefully choose a product that is effective and safe. 

If it feels as overwhelming as the vomit smell emanating from your bath mat, take a deep breath (away from the bath mat). We’ve made things easy with our picks for the best pet odor eliminator sprays.

Best pet-odor-eliminator spray

Pet-odor-eliminator sprays for carpet

For some reason, pets seem to prefer the luxurious experience of expelling their bodily fluids on cozy, comfy carpets. While nothing screams pet parenthood like cleaning bile off your shag rug at 3 in the morning, these odor eliminating sprays can make this precious milestone a little less smelly.  

Pet-odor-eliminator sprays for hard surfaces

While easier to clean than carpets or upholstery, hard surfaces can still hang on to smells — especially porous ones, like hardwood and stone. To eliminate these odors and ensure the upkeep of your hardwood surfaces, these sprays are gentle yet effective enough to get the job done. 

Zero Odor Pet Odor Eliminator

Bathrooms are often the easiest to clean when it comes to pet odors — except for one: skunk. If you’re in the unfortunate position of having to deal with a skunked pet, reach for this spray by Zero Odor. Not only is it confirmed to work against skunks by the company, multiple reviewers mention its effectiveness in dealing with this smelly situation:

“My dog had a run-in with a skunk,” one writes. “As usual, they run into the house before you are aware of the situation. No matter how much you scrub and clean the skunk odor lingers. I used Zero odor and it actually seemed to eliminate the odor. I asked several visitors the age-old question ‘Does the dog smell like a skunk?’ and the answer was ‘no.’ So, I guess it works pretty well.”

Sprinkle & Sweep Pet Mess & Odor Cleanup

Touted as a “hands off approach” to dealing with pet odors, this product by Sprinkle & Sweep is a mess-free alternative to traditional odor sprays. To use it, cover the odor-causing mess with the product and sweep the dried bits into a dustpan. Designed with “Stink-Lock Technology,” this product really does make it less gross to deal with the gnarliest messes. And, while the stink lock “technology” really does work, we recommend following up with a regular or odor-eliminating cleaning spray to ensure a full clean-up.

Natural pet-odor-eliminator sprays

Natural or plant-based odor eliminator sprays can be just as effective as their non-natural counterparts. Keep in mind, however, not all natural products are safe for use around pets simply because they are clean or plant-based. Certain odor eliminators contain essential oils, which can be toxic for pets, even in small doses. It’s important to stick to products that use pet safe ingredients, like the ones in this list. 

Factors to consider when choosing an odor-eliminator spray 

When choosing an odor-eliminating spray for pet smells, it’s crucial not to opt for traditional cleaning products. These products are designed differently than odor-eliminating sprays, with some even containing urine-mimicking smells, such as ammonia, which can encourage pets to mark, causing even more odors.

Instead, always choose products, like the ones on this list, that have an enzymatic formula designed to molecularly attack odors. Not only will these products evaporate smells for you and your fellow humans, but it will eliminate odors that are detectable by pets to minimize repeat accidents. 

How to use pet-odor-eliminator spray

Every pet-odor-eliminator spray will have different instructions to follow and may recommend leaving the spray on the spot to soak longer, depending on the type of stain and how long it’s been there. Follow the instructions on the back of the bottle, but as always, make sure the spray you use is safe for your dog to be around; otherwise, keep your pet away from the spot.

FAQs (People also ask):

Do air purifiers eliminate pet odors?

Air purifiers can be helpful in reducing pet odors, especially those caused by dander. There are even some air filters designed especially to combat pet odors, such as this one by Colorfil. That said, air purifiers and filters are not ideal for addressing odors set in carpets, floors, or upholstery.

How to eliminate pet odor from a couch?

Most carpet safe odor eliminators are also safe for furniture or upholstery. Make sure to check the instructions on the spray of your choice, as they will most likely include specific steps for furniture or upholstery. 

How to eliminate pet odor from concrete?

For porous hard surfaces like concrete, sprays designed for indoor hard surfaces should also do the trick. For concrete surrounding landscaping or lawns, opt for outdoor safe sprays like this one by Simple Green. 

rebecca caplan

Rebecca Caplan

Rebecca Caplan is a writer based in Brooklyn whose work has been featured in The New Yorker, Reductress, and Vulture. She lives in Brooklyn with her perfect, toothless dog Moose.

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