Cleaner for Dog Messes?

[SterlingAcres]

I'm not sure where I should post this, so I'm c&p to the recipe section too, since there's household threads there.

Within the next week, we're supposed to be signing papers for the new house. I don't have the move in date yet, but since it's being sold 'as is' it needs a serious cleaning before we move anything over there. It's a farmhouse on 3.25 acres and the previous owners quite literally bred pittbulls and let them run amuk on the first floor. The kitchen's been tore out, it was so trashed. The dining room and bonus room are tile. The living room is carpeted (which I'm sure might have to be ripped out), the kitchen gutted to the bones so cleaning and subflooring again will be easy.

My question is, the place smells like a kennel downstairs. What would you recommend to get the smell out and disinfect it? I've been told that baking soda, vinegar and bleach solution will work magic on it. I'm not sure.

Any ideas are welcome

Thanks so much!

 

[snugglepup]

Ugh... I feel your pain! We purchased this house 2 years ago from some truely hideous people. Chain smokers and golden retriever "breeders". Similar issues. The house STANK.

Depending on the surface I was cleaning, I used Nature's Miracle(great stuff), white vinegar, murphy's oil soap (lots of nice old hardwoods), or baking soda/water solution. Worked pretty good. I don't like putting bleach down unless I think something is growing. After we were done cleaning, we left a bunch of those baking soda fridge packs sitting out, and we found some activated charcoal plug-in thingies. All in all, worked pretty good, but took some serious elbow grease.

 

[TeaLady]

Try the Planet Urine stuff: http://www.planeturine.com/. Don't know what they were thinking when they named the stuff, but I'm finding it works MUCH better than Nature's Miracle. Wish I'd known about it before I used vinegar to try getting the cat pee smell out of the leather chair (my very favorite chair ever!)

 

[snugglepup]

Cool! Never heard of that stuff... I'll have to check it out. With the number of rescue cats and dogs that come thru our house, I am always looking for good ways to clean up pee. LOL!

 

[Sherry]

We use Odoban at the vet clinic.

 

[SterlingAcres]

Thanks for the replies! Where would I locate Nature's Miracle? I checked the Planet Urine site and I'm not really thrilled about having to spend $100 on a kit, plus shipping, plus waiting for the mail... I'd like to just pick something up and start scrubbing. LOL I'm hoping I can find something like that, given how bad the place is....

So gross. How the heck can you let your house get like that?

 

[snugglepup]

I think you should be able to find natures miracle at just about any pet store... Petsmart etc.

 

[Sequin]

My personal favorite spray is Pet Pee Be Gone(dorky name, I know). In my carpet cleaner and when mopping floors I use Bi-O-Kleen products. I try to go as natural as possible. Vinegar is supposed to be one of the best natural products to use, but I don't think I could use it on everything in my house. Anyway, when I had to clean up after my cat(who pee'd Everywhere in my bedroom when I was on vacation), I pre-treated with an enzyme cleaner and let it really soak into the carpet. Then I came back and cleaned with my carpet cleaner. Finally, I sprayed Pet Pee Be Gone over every inch of my carpet so it really got into the fibers. It worked really well. However, we also had a Fabulous carpet pad underneath our carpets. It kept spills and moisture from reaching the floor boards. Your place might not be so lucky, and once urine soaks into the floor boards the only way you will Really get rid of the smell is to replace the flooring. Good luck with your new home!!! I am sure you will make it into a dream home and it will be just perfect!

Congrats on the new place.

 

[2boxers]

Good luck. I have a friend who had this very same problem. On damp, humid days her house still smells doggish. She used a Bissell, but instead of carpet cleaner solution, she used a strong bleach + water mixture. She figured the carpets were ruined anyway, so bleach wouldn't hurt.

For hardwoods, the Murphy's Soap+elbow grease would be your best bet. If that doesn't work, rent a sander & go for it.

 

[SterlingAcres]

Thanks guys! I'm going to get some Nature's Miracle and use that in the shampooer instead of water. Think it'll work? If not, I'll try something else.

I'm hoping it's not as bad as I think it is, I don't want to have to replace everything including floor joists. Ugh.

Thanks for the congrats too

It's my 'dream' home, it's just in crappy condition right now. LOL