The back seat of my car has more than a slight dog odor issue, and I spend a lot of time in my car.
Sprays and fragrances used to hide pet smells often smell worse to me than the original odor. My lungs are sensitive to chemicals found in most cleaning supplies and “deodorizers,” so I avoid cleaning products when I can.
When Bill Vaughan from Earth Care Products contacted me about a natural pet odor eliminator called Clear the Air, I was interested. I tried my free sample of Clear the Air on multiple trouble spots in my house.
In the long run, you’re going to be better off paying $200 to have your carpets professionally cleaned. However, for $10 Clear the Air is worth a shot to at least temporarily remove that “dog odor” or cat urine smell from your carpeting. It also works on furniture.
Clear The Air is designed to eliminate chemical odors, animal carpet odors and indoor pollutants, according to Earth Care Products.
The odor remover is nontoxic, biodegradable, hypoallergenic and safe around children and pets. That’s good, considering both my dog and cat walked in it, put their faces in it and probably tasted it.
I thoroughly clean the carpet every time Ace throws up (a common occurrence) or whenever a dog has an accident. But no matter how well I clean, animals can still smell where the urine once was. That’s why I really wanted to try Clear the Air to get rid of those “invisible” odors.
I used the pet odor remover on:
1. The back seat of my car
That’s where Big Black himself likes to ride.
2. Multiple spots on my carpet
A foster dog had an accident on my carpet more than a year ago. Since then, that spot has been a place where visiting dogs want to mark. Other areas of my carpet just have that gross “dog odor” from Ace existing.
3. The scratching post that two visiting dogs decided to pee on
The better choice might be to throw this particular scratching post away. But, it’s worth a shot.
4. Ace’s bed
No matter how many times I wash the mutt’s bed, it still reeks like dog. It may be time for a new dog bed.
How does the odor eliminator work?
Clear the Air is simple to use. You sprinkle it on or near the soiled areas, leave it overnight and vacuum it up the next day. You do need a good vacuum capable of sucking up the fine particles.
Most of the spots I tried the pet odor eliminator on did not have very strong odors to begin with, so it’s difficult to say how well this product actually works. I used it hoping it would take care of any lingering odors left behind after a good cleaning.
The carpet in my office had the worst doggie odor, so I actually left the odor removal out for twice as long as recommended. That seemed to do the trick. For extremely smelly areas, it would help to do a second round of deodorizing and to be extra liberal when applying.
One reader who tried Clear the Air on his carpets said he was pleasantly surprised. He used it on the carpet in a room that smelled like dogs. After vacuuming up all the dog hair (twice) and then using the odor eliminater, the dog smell was completely gone. Nice, huh?
What’s good about this odor eliminator?
One advantage about Clear the Air is that the particles do not have to come in direct contact with the odor, according to Earth Care Products. The product works when sprinkled on or near the smell. An ion exchange will occur, supposedly eliminating the odor.
I appreciated that Clear the Air has no scent at all. It is also safe to use on all fabrics, including leather, and it did not leave a trace on my light carpeting.
What’s bad about this odor remover?
One disadvantage is that the product won’t make the odor disappear immediately. The longer Clear the Air has to do its job, the more effective it will be. And keep in mind that this product is meant as an odor remover, not a stain remover.
Clear the Air is almost as annoying as stepping in cat litter. If you plan on using the odor remover on your carpeting, plan on avoiding that area overnight and keeping pets away from the area too. This shouldn’t be a big deal if you plan ahead.
Have you used this particular pet odor eliminator? What did you think?
This was not a paid review.
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One interesting thing I have noticed with my dog is that she hardly ever smells….seriously. When my nose is touching her, I can smell her scent, but compared to other dogs, so hardly ever has a smell. She is quite a clean dog, comparatively. That is….unless she has rolled in poop or a dead animal. I would say it’s because she has shorter hair, but I think Ace has even shorter hair than Glory. Maybe because she’s a girl……girls never smell…..boys stink!
Yeah, my bloodhound is a smelly guy but I’ve been able to get my cars pretty clean with everyday cleaning products. I’m pretty good about keeping up with it and I think that is really key!
My old kitty was being rude once when I picked him up from an overnight vet visit. He had a monster accident (while giving me a dirty look so I think it was intentional). Luckily I had a towel and Toyota’s protectant on it’s newer car seats really works! There wasn’t a trace or a smell, even on light gray cloth seats!
Sometimes I think my dog doesn’t smell bad, but I’m pretty sure it’s just because I’m used to it! I think everyone else’s dog smells, so my dog must smell also.
I’ve been very lucky with having very good cats that are good about keeping themselves clean and always using their box.
I haven’t used this product, but an old, cheap trick I use to get stains and smells out of carpets is baking soda. Mix water and baking soda together to make a thick paste, smear it on the stain/smelly area and let it sit over night. It dries onto the stain/smell, so the next day just rub it with a dry cloth to break up the particles and vacuum it up. It’s taken out mud, blood and coffee stains from my carpet without a problem. Plus it’s safe to use with pets. I also keep an open box in the closet where I keep my garbage can to help absorb the odors. Considering the price of a box of baking soda it’s worth a try!
Thanks Amanda. That is a good reminder. I haven’t used baking soda, but I hear it works well. I sometimes use vinegar and water to remove stains and smells and that works but it still takes a lot of soaking, srubbing and repeating!
I tried Clear the Air as well, but luckily Biggie’s not too smelly so it was hard to tell how much of a difference it made. We also swear by Nature’s Miracle!
Thanks!
I never tried the one you’re talking about. But a product that does wonders here at home is Simple Solution. I looove it!
One of my cats has peed so much on one of my couches, I was thinking of getting rid of it (the couch of course). Then I found out about this product and started using it. I washed the couch pillows and then poured the liquid on the sofa. The smell was gone when it dried! Amazing.
Today I use Simple Solution for everything, even to spray the trash barrels outside when they get stinky. This liquid has an enzyme that eats bacteria. I am so happy with it I have a spray in each floor just in case one of my pets throws up or some piece of furniture gets stinky. I remove the debris (if any) and spray the area.
Thanks for the suggestion!
[...] Pet odor removal This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 16th, 2009 at 4:01 pm and is filed under clear the air, clear the air odor remover, dog odor, pet odor, pet odor removal. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. [...]
Pet odour can be awful for visitors to your house! You don’t realise it until some of your friends ask you what that smell.. WHAT smell? I smell nothing. OMG all those years going to school smelling like a dog
I learnt that keeping your dog clean is a good way to eliminate smell in the house. Baths once a week etc. I also use a air purifier which works really well to get rid of odour and as any dust/hair.
Kaz