Driving around with your pooch in the car is a one of dog owner’s perks, but doggies do tend to stink out the car. Even when the animal is properly sanitised and cared for, in time the infamous ‘dog smell’ will cling to the car’s interior making journeys a tat unpleasant for human occupants of the vehicle. There are ways to deal with the situation effectively, so your canine friend can still come for trips here and there without feeling guilty.
Why does the car develop that ‘dog smell’
In a nutshell, because of the dog of course. Man’s best friend is physiologically different to its owner and it is these differences that cause the ‘dog smell’
- Dogs don’t sweat in the same way humans do, they do perspire but through different tissues and parts of their body (usually hairless areas of the skin). It is the sweat that causes the smell after it begins to build up inside the car. To minimise that – keep your pooch fresh and bathed as much as possible.
- Dog hair/fur emits oils, these distinctively smelling oils are a way for your animal to be identified by other dogs and animals. These oils do smell also.
- Dogs’ behinds smell, it’s a fact of life, it’s how these animals identify each other which is why dogs are so busy sniffing one another’s behinds. Again this is one of the main causes of ‘dog smell’ in the car.
Removing or at least minimising dog smell from the car
There are a number of things to be done in order to remove or at least minimise dog odour from the car (besides of course taking the car to professional upholstery cleaning service every week).
- Regularly wash everything and anything removable that your pet comes and is in contact with, this includes blankets, mats, car seat covers etc. Usually low temperature machine wash should do the trick.
- Vacuum the car properly on a regular basis – this is important so don’t cut corners when vacuuming. Take the time and effort and clean everything properly – it will make a big difference in reducing ‘dog smell’.
- Scrub car interior surfaces which the animal comes in contact with using a suitably strong multipurpose detergent. Make sure you wipe down and clean all of it at the end. Use an ecofriendly product which evaporates and dissolves without trace or residue – remember dogs lick things.
- As a measure of precaution, and to keep dog smell at bay for longer, every now and then leave a bowl of bicarb soda under a seat overnight. Baking soda tends to absorb many strong odours and will help minimise dog smell too.
If most or all of the above steps and procedures are performed properly on a regular basis, the ‘dog smell’ problem should be kept at bay, and travelling in your car will remain a pleasant experience for both two legged and four legged creatures. Remember to groom and care for the health of your dog which also helps minimise unpleasant odours.
