How to Air the House With Pet Odor Control for Zero Odor

The offensive smell of pet urine, especially of cats, over time, can infuse itself into floors, carpets and walls and linger to such an extent that zero odor from litter boxes becomes nothing more than a dream on the part of the owner and pet odor control becomes a necessity to enable occupants to remain in the house. There are many products on the market for pet odor control but none of them are perfect and rarely can zero odor from the effects of old cat urine be obtained. I'm going to focus on some tricks on how to apply different methods of airing out the house to remove what remains of your pet urine odor problem.

1. Keep litter boxes scrupulously clean to maintain zero odor. Use clumping litter and scoop often. Top up litter daily and empty the boxes at least once every two weeks for the best pet odor control. Clean by soaking in bleach and water and replace with new litter. Remember to clean the outside of the boxes.

2. Air boxes out in the sun for several hours after soaking to remove bleach odor completely and before adding fresh litter. Cats object to various smells so odor control that maintains zero odor is best and encourages them to use the box instead of the floor.

3. Designate an area in the house for the litter. If possible, remove carpet and wood floors in litter area and replace with ceramic tile which is easier to keep clean and has zero odor after proper pet odor control measures have been put into place. Always use cleaners that are safe for pets.
4. If using a separate room for cat litter boxes, place a large fan in the window to vent the room air. If there are two windows in the room open one slightly and place the fan facing out in the other open window. When the fan is turned on it will pull air from the second open window to air out the room and provide pet odor control not only for the room but for the entire area of the house.

5. If using the above method with window fans, close the air and heating vents in the room so as not too lose too much energy while airing out the room.

6. Create cross circulation for pet odor control by using decorative screen doors on rooms where free air circulation is a problem. Decorate door frames to compliment those rooms where they are installed. Use heavy gauge metal screen to deter cats from tearing it when scratching.

7. Add doors made from wood or plastic lattice on rooms where screen doors might not be appropriate to help allow air to circulate and clear nasty pet odors. Have kids help paint and decorate lattice doors to suit décor of each room where they are placed. With properly placed ventilation, zero odor remains from litter boxes and other pet areas.

8. Install pet doors in interior doors to allow pets to get into rooms for litter box use when it's not realistic to use lattice or screen doors. In this manner pet odor control can be maintained and isolated to the room in question without involving the rest of the house. Pet doors are available at most hardware stores.

9. Replace litter boxes at least once a year with brand new boxes. Most plastic will absorb the smell of cat urine over time in spite of continued cleanings and being able to keep them clean enough to have zero odor will become more and more challenging over time.

10. Never use citrus scents or other strong perfume scents for pet odor control around or in litter boxes. Cats don't like these kinds of scents and it will discourage them from using the boxes and force them to find other places in the house to urinate making pet odor control much more difficult to manage.

Tips

• It may seem like common sense but clean up pet urine accidents as soon as possible to avoid having the scent permeate whatever surface it gets on.
• There are many odor control products for pet odor control that promise zero odor on the market. Choose one that has no scent of it's own as most animals don't like scented products.
• Pet odor control is an ongoing challenge if you have animals. If considering a new pet, realize that there may be years of managing this problem ahead of you. Commitments made to pets to care for them for their lives should be kept and challenges in care must be taken into account before bringing a new animal home.

Do you have any special hints or tips to share about how you manage unpleasant pet odors? How about cleaning products you use that help reduce pet odor?