How to Get Rid of Dog Smell From Your Car.
As dog owners ourselves, we spend a fair amount of time cleaning the car. However, there are a few things you can do to prevent build up of doggy smell in the first place. Holidays4Dogs offers some hints and tips for keeping your car smelling a little less like a damp dog! Read on for tips on getting rid of dog smell from your car.
The joys of winter dog walks!
Dogs are the most wonderful creatures and it’s great to be able to take them out and about in the car. But, they can be quite smelly too – and more so in wet weather.
After a week recently in Devon visiting beaches and moors with Floss the dog in tow, the poor old car had a distinct dog kennel aroma when we returned. It was time to think about getting rid of dog smell from the car!
If you have an estate or hatchback car, a dog crate is a good way to contain hairs and mud. You could also invest in a crate cover to go over the top – (you could just use a throw, or blanket, which will also help). Crates can be periodically washed to help get rid of dog smell from your car. They also prevent your dog from rubber stamping the windows with dog slobber from their noses!
If your car is a saloon, depending on the size of your dog you can still use a crate on the back seat. Remember though, this must be secured using the seat belt.
Some have special straps that are secured around the headrest. Some designs are open at the top, with the dog secured by an attachment inside the crate to prevent him jumping out. It goes without saying, of course, you should never leave your dog in a hot car.
N.B. dogs must now be legally restrained while travelling in the car, so always check that your dog is safely and legally secured.
Other solutions to keeping dog hair off car fabric, is to use seat covers. Some are designed like hammocks which attach to front and rear headrests. Again, make sure you choose a design that incorporates your dog being securely attached to the seat belt.
Pet safe natural cleaners.
Avoid using air fresheners, or household odour removers. While they may seem a solution for getting rid of dog smell, they can be too strong for a dog’s delicate sense of smell. They can even create more anxiety for a dog that dislikes car travel. Instead, try a home made citrus based odour removers. You can find the recipe in another of our Holidays4Dogs articles, here.
One unusual tip we had not heard of before, is to use of slices of bread in the car! Apparently, bread absorbs smells. Once the smell has dissipated, you can throw the bread to the birds.
Baking soda.
Baking soda works well as a deodoriser and a good natural way to get rid of dog smell from your car. Place a bowl in your car overnight and you should notice that the car smells fresher the next day. Don’t forget to remove these items before you put the dog in the car again!
Of course, cleaning your car on a regular basis will keep smells at bay. Remove anything you can from the car such as mats, seat covers, or blankets you use for the dog to sit on. Wash everything separately.
Vacuum and vinegar.
Vacuum loose dog hair and clean the inside of the windows with a vinegar solution and kitchen roll. Wipe down all hard surfaces with a solution of warm soapy water.
Don’t forget the towels!
Remember to take a couple of towels on each trip – especially during the autumn/winter months.
We sometimes forget to take towels and that’s always the day the dogs choose to take a dip in a muddy puddle!
On the other hand, if we do remember the towels, its sometimes easy to forget to remove them from the car to wash and dry them. So, by the time we come to use the car again, we have to drive with all the windows down to escape the pungent smell of sopping wet, smelly, dog towel. Yuk.
Final thoughts.
We hope you’ve found these tips useful for getting rid of dog smell from your car. Happy travels with your dog! – If your dog isn’t keen on car travel please take a look at our other Holidays4Dogs article ‘Getting your dog used to car travel’.
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