Removing Lingering Dog Odors from Your Car: Effective Tips and Tricks

Dogs can be great companions during our lonely drives to the grocery store or on cross-country adventures with family. That said, dogs can create a wide variety of scents. Dogs can have bad breath, smelly anal glands, or even just fur that needs to be washed. Unfortunately, your dog’s unpleasant odor can stick to your vehicle, even if you drive with the windows down.

What Causes Dog Scent to Stick?

Most dog odors are usually caused by molecules created by yeast and bacteria from your dog’s fur. These microorganisms can continue to create the smell as they’re left on your vehicle’s seats, floor, and carpet. If your pet peed inside your vehicle at some point, lingering microorganisms can linger and create a nasty smell.

How To Get Dog Smell Out of Your Car

To get rid of your pet’s foul odor, you’ll need to either get rid of or neutralize the molecules causing the smell. To do this, you’ll need to destroy the microorganisms creating the molecules. Covering up the smell with an air freshener spray or canister will only temporarily hide the smell. Without tackling the root cause, the smell can persist and come back later. Don’t worry. Here are some tips on how to get rid of dog smell in cars.

Get Rid of Leftover Fur

You might be tempted to immediately deep clean your vehicle’s interior using solvents, sponges, and brushes. However, you should first vacuum your pet’s excess fur from the carpet, dashboard, seats, and seat backs. Be thorough since fur tends to float around and get everywhere. Even if your pooch doesn’t sit in the driver’s seat during travel, their fur can still end up there. Getting your vehicle vacuumed at your local car wash is a good idea since these are typically equipped with powerful vacuums that can suck up hair trapped in hard-to-reach areas.

Neutralizing Odor-Causing Molecules

There are several methods to destroy or neutralize the odor-causing molecules in your vehicle.

Water and Vinegar Solution

White vinegar is a natural odor remover that will effectively eliminate bad smells from your car. Mix the vinegar with water and use a spray bottle. This will allow you to cover more ground in less time. Spray it onto the surfaces where  the odors are coming from. You can also soak a rag with the solution and scrub everything inside your vehicle.

Baking Soda

Leave baking soda inside your vehicle overnight so that it can absorb all the odor-causing molecules. Baking soda is a pH neutralizer that can get rid of most acidic smells. If your vehicle continues to smell bad, you should repeat this process across multiple nights.

Charcoal

Charcoal is another alternative for baking soda. You can take a piece of charcoal normally used for grilling and put it inside your vehicle for a couple of days. You use a bag full of charcoal and put it inside your vehicle. That said, make sure the bag has holes so that the charcoal can absorb the odor.

However, using charcoal or baking soda is time-consuming. If you want to get rid of your pet’s odor immediately, you should try the other methods on this list.

Using Upholstery Cleaners

Upholstery cleaners are formulated for your vehicle’s upholstery and cabin. You’ll need to spray the cleaner on your vehicle’s upholstery. Afterward, brush your upholstery with a bristle brush in small, circular motions. Make sure to be gentle to avoid damaging your upholstery. You can leave the cleaner to soak to ensure that stubborn scents are removed.

Ozone Generator

Using an ozone machine can also eliminate any unpleasant cat or dog odors because this machine eradicates bacteria, viruses, and odors on a molecular level.

Change Your Cabin’s Air Filters

Cabin air filters are also effective when it comes to removing unpleasant scents inside your vehicle. However, an old air filter might not effectively do this anymore because air filters can get clogged with dog fur. A clogged air filter can end up creating foul odors instead of removing them.

Keep in mind that changing your car’s air filters regularly can be time-consuming and costly, especially if you frequently drive with your dog in the car. We recommend investing in some washable and reusable air filters. These air filters should be washed and oiled every 50,000 miles. This requires much less maintenance than disposable air filters, which should be changed every 15,000 miles. Reusable air filters are more expensive, but they can save you money in the long run.

If your friend ever says to you “I bought a car that smells like a dog,” you can pass on these tips. Alternatively, if you want to continue bringing your best friend inside your vehicle without their smell sticking to your cabin, then you should practice good caretaking habits. This includes laying a blanket on where your dog will sit or immediately cleaning up any accidents that they might have. These efforts are a modest price to pay for the pleasure of traveling with your dog.