For pet owners like you and I, pet odor is not uncommon. It seems like no matter how hard you clean, and how much product you use, pet odor still lingers. It’s like dog fur, you just can’t get rid of it completely.
There are a lot of different ways you can eliminate, or at least minimize pet odor in your household. Some are more expensive than others, and each one has their own level of effectiveness.
Perhaps, one of the most effective ways to remove pet odor is with the help of essential oils. It is an all-natural solution that comes with additional health benefits for your
Let’s take a look at how essential oils can help with pet odor, find out whether they are safe to use around your dog, and which ones are the best essential oils to diffuse for pet odor.
What Are Essential Oils?
Over the past few years, essential oils have gained massive popularity in the fight against pet odor. With the promise of various health benefits and their versatility, essential oils are a great natural solution for eliminating odor around the home.
True essential oils are extracted from plants. Each oil gives off a unique aromatic scent. They are often used in aromatherapy to help with various health issues.
Most essential oils are used because of their health benefits that include aiding in stress reduction and mental health problems, to providing relief from colds, headaches, and skin conditions. For example:
- Lavender is great for stress relief and headaches
- Sandalwood is used to calm nerves and helps you focus
- Rose is used to
help reduce anxiety - Ylang-Ylang is used to treat a variety of skin conditions
- Tea Tree oil can be used to fight infections
- Lemon oil can help with headaches and aid digestion
- Jasmine oil is used to help with depression, childbirth, and libido.
Those are only some examples of what essential oils can do. You can use a combination of essential oils to help with whatever ails you. So, which essential oil is best to use to diffuse pet odor?
How Can Essential Oils Help Diffuse Pet Odor?
Most of the time, the pet odor in our home comes from germs and bacteria our beloved fur babies carry. To help remove these bacteria you need to use antibacterial essential oils.
Antibacterial essential oils not only eliminate the odor by fighting bacteria, but they also help protect your family from getting sick because of it. Additionally, you can use anti-viral essential oils. Basically, anti-viral essential oils will also contain properties that help to protect against viral infections.
You can choose to combine these essential oils and create your own blend to fight pet odor. In this case, the best way to eliminate the odor is by adding essential oils to your DIY cleaning materials and using a diffuser to purify the air right after you clean your home.
Are Essential Oils Safe for Pets?
Generally, most essential oils are safe for dogs. However, you need to keep in mind that your pup is more sensitive to these oils than you are due to their enhanced sense of smell.
Keep in mind that when we are talking about essential oils here we mean 100% pure therapeutic grade essential oils. Not synthetic and chemically made fragrant oils. So make sure that is what you are purchasing.
You cannot just buy essential oils and use them all over the house right away. There is a gradual process and you need to first introduce essential oils to your dog’s environment before using them heavily.
Undiluted essential oils are never good to introduce to your pets. You need to dilute them with a carrier oil to test your dog’s tolerance. As always, it is best to consult with your veterinarian first before trying anything new around your dog. It is also not recommended to use essential oils around puppies under 10 weeks old.
Essential oils are best used with diffusers, especially when dealing with odor. Because dogs have more sensitive skin than us, you cannot put undiluted essential oils directly into their fur or their skin.
We cannot stress enough the importance of consulting with your veterinarian first before introducing essential oils to your pets. It is better to be safe and guided by your vet first.
The Best Essential Oil to Diffuse for Pet Odor
The safest way to eliminate pet odor through essential oils is by using diffusers. Diffusers are used to remove or reduce the odor around your home.
This is a better alternative compared to using chemical sprays which often contain around 80% chemicals. Because of their great scents, there are plenty of essential oils you can use to remove the odor from your home.
Here are some of the best essential oils you can use to remove the odor and are safe around dogs:
- Lavender – Lavender is amongst the most fragrant antibacterial essential oils. It can be used for cleaning your home, adding natural fragrance to your laundry, and most of all, it is safe to use around your pets.
- Lemongrass – aside from its wonderful smell, Lemongrass essential oils are used to repel ticks and fleas in your home.
- Eucalyptus Radiata – when it comes to using Eucalyptus essential oils around your dogs, make sure you choose the Eucalyptus Radiata. It has a milder scent.
- Peppermint – Peppermint essential oil is great for large dogs and those who are experiencing acute pain such as strains, sprains, and swelling. This oil can help soothe your dog’s pain. Diluted and diffused properly, peppermint essential oil can bring wonders to your dog’s health. Do not use around pregnant and small dogs.
- Thyme ct. Linalool – There are different types of Thyme essential oils, so be sure to use the Thyme ct. Linalool. It is the mildest option for Thyme scents, and safe to use around dogs. It is a powerful antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal essential oil that helps clean the air you and your family breathes.
- Cedarwood – Cedarwood does not only smell good, but it also features flea-repelling qualities and stimulates healthy blood circulation.
You can also create a mixture of essential oils to achieve the best scent, like the famous Pet Odor Blend from DiffuserEssentials.
Pet Odor Blend
To create the Pet Odor Blend, you will need to combine 3 drops of Cedarwood and 2 drops of Lemon. Dilute both of these essential oils and add them to your diffuser.
Stale Odor Blend
On the other hand, you can also use the stale odor blend which consists of 3 drops of Bergamot, 2 drops of Juniper, and 1 drop of Patchouli. Dilute these oils together and add them to your diffuser.
If you wish to buy a whole set of essential oils to choose the best scents, you can buy a starter kit of smaller bottles.
For more essential oil uses and different essential oil blends, you can read the guide here.
The Best Essential Oil Diffusers to Use Around Pets
Essential oils for odor are best used around dogs through a diffuser. Under no circumstances should pure essential oils be in direct contact with your pups.
With that said, there are two types of diffusers you can use. Active and passive diffusers. There is a huge difference between the two, and only one is safe to use around your pets.
Active Diffusers
Active diffusers should be avoided because this type of diffuser actually expels microdroplets of oil into the air. There is a big chance that your dog might come in direct contact with the expelled oil and groom it off themselves.
Passive Diffusers
Passive diffusers are the ones you want in your home, especially if you live with indoor pets and babies. This type of diffuser simply evaporates the oil and turns it into a nice, natural smell. Here are some of the best diffusers we have found:
URPOWER Essential Oil Diffuser
The latest version of the URPOWER Ultrasonic Aroma Essential Oil Diffuseris a definite must-have. It produces more mist and makes the air in any room more comfortable and desirable.
All you need to do is add a few drops of your favorite essential oil and some water to give any room a pleasant scent and be rid of any pet odor. Not only that, but this passive diffuser is also a great addition to a room’s ambiance thanks to its 7-color changing lamp.
The lamp itself is programmable with on/off cycles and shut offs automatically once the water runs out. It can run quietly in the background for up to 6 hours.
The best thing about this diffuser is that it is made from high-quality materials to ensure longevity and it isn’t made with any harmful chemicals. This gives you the assurance that no harmful substance will be released into the air you breathe at home.
- Add a drop of your favorite essential oil to give your room a pleasant scent.
- This stylish cool mist humidifier adds moisture to your air to eliminate dryness.
- Programmable on/off cycles and auto shut-off once the water runs out.
- Working time up to 6 hours. Two mist settings - continuously and intermittently.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
ASAKUKI Premium Essential Oil Diffuser
Another great passive diffuser is the ASAKUKI Premium Essential Oil Diffuser. This is a 5-in-1 aromatherapy device that helps eliminate pet odor quickly. It also functions as a humidifier to improve the air quality in your home.
The Asakuki essential oil diffuser covers undesirable smells and odors. It also protects your family from dry air, microorganisms, dust, allergens, and more. You don’t have to worry about leaving it on because it automatically turns off when it runs out of water.
You can choose between the multiple mist and nebulizer mode. Cleanup is also a breeze with this diffuser. It is made from high-quality, eco-friendly materials that are guaranteed safe and reliable.
- 5-IN-1 AROMATHERAPY DEVICE: It features a large and easy to clean 700ml water tank, 7 different LED light colors, multiple mist modes, as well as a safety auto-switch that prevents it from overheating in case it runs out of water.
- GREATLY IMPROVES AIR QUALITY: This essential oil diffuser also functions as a humidifier. Use it to improve your homes air and atmosphere quality, cover the smell of pets or smoking, and protect you family from excessively dry air, microorganisms, allergens, dust, and more!
- PREMIUM QUALITY MATERIALS: Ultra-high grade, safe, and eco-friendly PP materials as well as state-of-the-art production processes and strict quality control.
- 100% RISK FREE PURCHASE: At ASAKUKI, we have great faith in our essential oil diffusers. 1-year warranty AND a 6-month money back guarantee.
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Essential Oils are Fur Parents’ Best Friends!
Using essential oils in sprays and diffusers is a hassle-free, all-natural way to remove pet odor from your home. Skip the chemical cleaning products and start cleaning the air you and your pets breathe at home right now.
