How to Fix Pet Odor & Damage on Furniture

Pets are an important part of the family, but like babies, they can make a mess, destroying furniture with their teeth and claws. Puppies and kittens often don’t know better and may vomit or relieve themselves on your furniture, causing untold damage to your beloved pieces. But no matter what Fido or Kitty do to your furniture pieces, there are ways to remove pet odor from furniture, take out fabric stains, and repair chewed wood or ripped upholstery.

Here’s our guide to repairing pet-damaged furniture and living with the everyday messes your beloved dogs and cats cause.

Odors Galore

Many pets have a natural odor that permeates your furniture, but removing pet odors left behind on furniture from urine or vomit takes some work. Make sure you’ve removed all the solids and then vacuum everywhere. If your pillows or sofa have removable covers, launder them with detergent and white vinegar. If you can’t launder parts of the sofa, or it’s happened on outdoor furniture, you can use baking soda to remove smells, and then vacuum after leaving it overnight.

If you’re asking yourself why your couch smells like dog, you might consider training your pet to keep off the furniture. To begin with, try using lemon or orange essential oil mixed with water, and spray it on your favorite pieces. Dogs don’t like citrus and tend to avoid it. This can also help get rid of pet odors that have long permeated your furniture pieces.

Eradicate the Stains

If your dog or cat stains your furniture, don’t freak out. Many urine stains can be removed with simple household cleaning supplies. Blot it dry and then use a mixture of dish soap and vinegar with water to sponge the stain, slowly working from the inside out. After you’ve removed as much of the stain as you can, blot it with a dry clean cloth.

Baking soda is your friend for stubborn stains and can help with fecal matter and vomit. After removing all solid matter, vacuum and rinse with clean water. This will also help remove lingering pet odor from furniture.

Repair Any Damage

Whether your pet has left scratch marks on wood, ripped out pieces of upholstery, or worse, it can be repaired. Small repairs to wood can often be fixed by rubbing with the flesh of a walnut or similar onto the wood.

Whether your pup has chewed up wooden table or sofa legs due to separation anxiety or boredom, chewed wood repair can easily be performed by a reputable furniture repair company. If you need a new cushion for a sofa, you can also purchase additional stuffing, get a similar cushion from a furniture restoration studio, or have cushion repair performed by a professional.

Not sure if you’re in over your head with pet damage? If you need furniture repair, you can set up a consultation with Aaron’s Touch Up today at our Dallas studio, or schedule an in-home visit.