How To Get The Smell Of Dog Out Of Your Car

30th September 2018

Dogs are lovely creatures. Loyal, fun and affectionate. Unfortunately, they smell. Most of them also moult. That's a lethal combination in a car, especially when you come to sell it, or rather, unfortunately, buy a vehicle with the lingering aroma of damp dog. So what can be done?

How To Maintain The Value Of Your Car

Get Rid Of The Dog Smell: Clean The Interior

Quite obviously the interior of the vehicle needs a thoroughly good clean. A simple clean isn’t going to be enough, it's a good idea to borrow or hire a carpet cleaner.

You simply add water and cleaning fluid and apply to the affected areas. Effectively it sucks up all the muck in the carpet and then deposits it into the clear plastic receptacle. That means the water turns to mud.

Repeat this until the water runs clear, or at least as clear as it will ever be.

Turtle Wax Pet Mess

Get Rid Of The Dog Smell: Buy Specialist Products

There are lots of specialist products you can buy such as the Turtle Wax Pet Mess Kit. It has a paw shaped sponge to pick up stray hairs and a small odour spray and a surface cleaner.

A more sophisticated solution could be something like a Valeo ClimSpray Cabin Purifier. All you have to do is put the air con on recirculation and full blast. Press the button on the can and shut the doors. Run your car and air con for 15 minutes, then return to the vehicle and open all the doors to let the fresh air in, and in theory the smell should be gone.

Get Rid Of The Dog Smell: Alternative Remedies

There are some alternative remedies and some are better than others. Pour white vinegar into a bowl and leave it overnight in your car and it is supposed to absorb the smell. Bicarbonate of soda is another remedy that is supposed to work.

However, if anyone suggests fresh grass cuttings in a box in your car overnight, don’t ever do it. And don't try sprinkling instant coffee on the carpet, not because you might prefer tea, but it can melt and cause more issues.

To sum up, there is no substitute for a deep clean and possibly the easiest approach is to pay a valet company £50 - £100 for a professional job - they will usually come to you. Ideally, we recommend never buying a car that has carried a dog, or buy a vehicle to carry pets and never sell it.