If ypu have dogs, how the heck do you keep your upholstery clean/ smelling nice

[MilkyNoway]

I have 3 small dogs, they sleep on the couch.

They make my cushions stink. I've tried taking the cushions off the couch at night and putting blankets down but its such a faff and in the day they still lay on the cushions.

Their bedding is in the living room and is stinky.

Just that underlying dog smell is always there.

Any tips?

Thisbis not a doggy bashing thread, theyre my best mates and I love them to bits!

Well my solution is that my dog isn’t allowed on the furniture and she sleeps in her bed in the kitchen at night, but that may not be helpful! If they sleep on the furniture, it’s going to smell of dog.

Fair point, they have just always been allowed on the couch and at 7 years old it seems a bit mean to stop now.

They did used to sleep in crates but I moved and i just do not have the room anywhere for 3 crates.

If I bought them beds they would just still get on the couch

If I had the room I would crate them again overnight.

I’ve got sofa cushion covers I bought from Amazon and wash them weekly!

Marking my place. I have no idea.

We have throws over the seats all the time that go in the washing machine, in the interim I also use Febreeze (the doggy one).
are your settee seats washable? Some zip off and can go in the machine.

Leather sofas with washable throws and I don't have cushions. But if I did they would shave to be washable.
I have multiple dogs who sleep on the furniture and in my bed so not judging, but I'd never have fabric upholstery or a carpet with pets.

Washable sofa covers and fleece blankets which we leave on the sofa all the time and wash once a week or so (the sofa covers less often) . But we have recently relegated the stinkiest dog to his own bed because realistically it's impossible to keep things really nice with stinky things sleeping on them!

Combination of throws, opening windows, regular hoovering to get the hair off, and getting the carpets and sofas professionally cleaned every so often. I also wash and change the rug. It’s never ending!

You need to wash the dogs, their bedding and all the covers that you must use on the furniture they go on very regularly. How regularly depends on the individual dogs - some dogs’ coats are more oily and stinky than others - and their lifestyles. And make sure everything (the dogs, beds, covers) are all properly dry before they go back on.

It is a faff, and will be more so with three dogs, but that’s the price you pay. Either that or the house smells of dog.

Use throws/blankets on the sofa. Just have them on all the time and move them when a human wants to sit down. Wash them regularly. I also have a sofa cleaning spray thing which I use that claims to deodorise upholstery. Open windows to air out the room as often as you can.

Lots of washing. Our sofa seat cushions are not strictly washable, but I bung them in the machine and the dryer and they come out fine. I add tumble dryer sheets to the inside when I put them back on. Our dogs share a bed, the base cushion (and expensive fur throw they seem to have adopted for it 🤨) get washed weekly.

They are a non shiny, non shedding breed, so that helps as they’re not smelly (unless they roll in something).

My couch is leather so wipes easily

The cushion covers are wasgable but the inserts are not and i think thats what stinks. Maybe I could get waterproof covers for under the normal cushion covers?

I have two dogs, the sofa has throws which are washed every few days, I have the windows open every day to air the room and my dogs are bathed regularly.

Throw them away and replace for starters. Do you need extra loose cushions on the sofa? I don't like them personally. But if you do then I think change the cushions, and keep them stacked to the side and only put them on the sofa when you sit down.

Throws on sofa that are changed every couple of days and lots of vacuuming and fresh air but most importantly for us has been changing dog food to a really good quality. Currently feeding butternut box with Wolfworthy and the dogs themselves no longer smell which has made a huge difference. When they come to us as rescues they have had an odour but improved diet has been the best thing to change that. I’m one of those people that asks visitors if it smells doggy as it’s something I’m slightly paranoid about.

Just use throws and cushion covers that are washable, change and wash them every week. It's just part of a regular routine like changing your own bed. You could remove the cushions altogether so you only have throws or blankets to deal with, that would be slightly less faffy for you.

I just gave to wash regularly and I use those in unstoppables that make stuff smell amazing. Dogs will always smell

Either I have the least stinkiest dog in the world or I'm nose blind.
I don't do anything like the washing that other people seem to do and I've only ever bathed her once.
On a more serious note @MilkyNoway I wonder if the dogs need a vet check? Smelling can mean there's something wrong. It may be that you just have a sensitive nose or they are little stinkers. Just thought I'd mention it as I used to know the sweetest little Westie who unfortunately stunk, poor thing almost certainly had allergies.

@MilkyNoway

This gets good reviews 🐕

Natural materials such as wool do not hold onto smells as much as synthetic materials.
I had a leather sofa for many years, and the dogs slept on sheepskin rugs on it.. they never became stinky.
I changed my sofa to a velvet one and bought two sofa protectors from Lounge Hound that cover the seat cushions completely. They have a thick pad inside and the outside removes for washing.. lots of different fabrics, wool, velvet.
They are expensive but utterly brilliant, don’t move and look new after three years.
Sadly I lost my beautiful boy four weeks ago and would give anything to have him back 💔

I built kennels and they all live outside. It’s so nice to come home and the house smell fresh

Ahh, I know this conundrum so well. My first two dogs were not allowed on furniture or upstairs. The furniture rule softened when they got older and they were so happy to curl up with us. When they died, I regretted not having more cuddle time with them. We often joked our German Shepherd wanted to be a lapdog.

Scroll on today and we have two dogs again. They both have the run of the house (but sleep downstairs in a designated area with their own beds). They are on the couch with us every night. I do not regret this choice but I did have to find a way to keep our living room and sofa clean. So yes to throws and regular washing of throws. Hoovering. Airing rooms every day. Cushions get steamed (with a hand steamer) once a month, more in winter. I also invested in an upright carpet steam cleaner which makes all the difference. Different breeds, as previous poster mentioned, have different coats which will impact how often you need to clean. My lab stinks and sheds whereas my something-poo (rescue, likely, cavapoo), doesn't shed and rarely stinks.

Also, feet and fur are wiped down after muddy rural walks. And watch out re: toys - a chewed tennis ball can really pong and they have a habit of rolling under heavy furniture. My dogs are not allowed to play with them in the house. I think this helps too. Good luck and enjoy your pups.

Just wash your sofa throws weekly. My boy isn’t allowed on our new sofa so I have bought him a lovely plush flat bed which he lies on in front of log fire or with his blanket on which I wash weekly. If you start doing this they will soon adapt to not going on sofa as my boy has

My dogs don’t smell so my house doesn’t smell of dog…
However, this is probably easier with some breeds than others.
I also have a Shark cleaner and regularly clean carpets and sofas.