The 5 Best Pet Odor Eliminators for 2022: These Products Work!

I own an odor remediation company, and know a thing or two about removing pet odors from homes. These pet odor eliminator products are the best on the market today.

It’s not easy to find a decent pet odor eliminator; by that, I mean one that works.

Most internet product review articles are not all that helpful.

I mean, how are you supposed to choose the right product when one has a “best overall” recommendation and then the others on the list are categorized as “best pro-strength,” “best for carpets,” and “best for furniture”? Shouldn’t the best overall meet all of these criteria?

And I’m here to help.

Let’s start by defining what the best pet odor eliminator needs to do. For example:

• It has to be non-toxic to pets and people. I shouldn’t have to lock my dog, cat, or kids up every time I need to use it.
• Be non-allergenic to sensitive people. That eliminates harsh chemicals (and essential oils).
• It must be equally effective at removing all urine stains (dog, cat, rabbit, etc.)
• Needs to work on the common types of pet accidents, especially feces, vomit, and urine
• It needs to work well on carpets (duh)
• Work on fabrics like couches and chairs
• Won’t damage any of my items in the house
• Leave no messy residue to clean up

In addition, ideally, it should also

• Be able to lower odors from my litter box without harming the cat
• Leave no residual, so the pet doesn’t come back later to mark the area again

The good news is that there are products on the market that meet all these criteria.

However, I’ll forewarn you.

My list doesn’t contain the most common cast of characters you’ll find in all the other internet review articles.

Key Takeaways

• The best way to remove pet odors is to address any pet accidents quickly before they set in and become chronic issues that are very difficult to eliminate.
• Step one is to find all the odor sources – a blacklight can help with this.
• When treating, always saturate the pet stain area thoroughly, as the urine has likely penetrated the pad and the subfloor.
• Always treat an area larger than the visible pet stain, as the urine spreads when it penetrates the pad.
• Hardwood floors with stains and discolorations from pet urine often require restoration techniques, including replacing the floorboards.
• And always read the label carefully before using any product.

Best pet odor eliminators

1. Healthy Environs Odor Eliminator and Pet Spotter – Best Overall Pet Stain & Odor Remover
2. Vital Oxide Disinfectant – Best Pet Odor Remover/Disinfectant
3. Odor Eliminator 365 Canister – Best Vehicle and Room Air Freshener
4. SNiPER Hospital Disinfectant, Odor Eliminator & All-Purpose Cleaner – Best Odor Remover/Disinfectant combo alternative
5. Angry Orange Odor Eliminator – Best Odor Eliminator with a fragrance

What are the best odor eliminator products?

Our first four products are all stabilized chlorine dioxide-based products. Why? Because chlorine dioxide (Clo2) checks the box on ALL of the criteria that make up the best pet odor eliminator product.

Clo2 is a broad-spectrum odor eliminator that works on animal urine and waste. What’s excellent about clo2 is that it’s a selective oxidizer – it only breaks down proteins and their related amines. Therefore, unlike ozone, another oxidizer, it will not harm your people, pets, or your home’s fixtures. It’s also eco-friendly and contains no harsh chemicals (Clo2 is NOT related to bleach, even though it has the word chlorine in the name). You can learn more about this excellent chemical and its wide variety of uses here.

Healthy Environs Odor Eliminator and Pet Spotter – Our top recommendation

Specifications

• 16 oz spray bottle
• Chlorine-free
• Oxidizer; non-enzymatic formula

Bottom line

What a great product! This oxidizes all organic odors. There are no toxic chemicals, masking scents, or need to worry about damaging carpets or furniture. It’s easy to use. Pick up the excess from the accident, spray it, blot the residual, and let it air dry. When the odor is gone, the source is still gone, and the pets won’t feel a need to return.

The product is shipped in an empty bottle. When ready to use the product, just open the chemical packet (a foil packet containing a few grams of powdered chemical), add the mixture to the bottle, and then add water. This saves big on shipping costs and is an intelligent way for the little guy to compete with Amazon’s free shipping model.

Do not hesitate to get this one if you want the best pet odor product.

VITAL OXIDE 32 OZ. DISINFECTANT CLEANER & MOLD REMOVER

Specifications:

• EPA registered disinfectant
• Chlorine free
• 32 oz spray bottle; with gallon sizes available too
• Oxidizer; non-enzymatic formula

Pricing: 32 oz bottle for $14.99

Bottom line

Vital Oxide came close to being our #1 recommendation. the only reason it is not in the top position is that you dont need a disinfectant to be effective at removing pet odors. And then there’s the issue of the quaternary ammonium compounds. They aren’t going to be a problem for most people, but, again, they aren’t necessary for pet odor removal. That said, if you want the security of knowing that you are also sanitizing the affected area when you are removing a pet stain or odor, then Vital oxide should be your product of choice.

Health Environs Odor 365 – Best for a vehicle or small room

This addition to our list is not a spray pet odor eliminator. Still, we’ve added it because it can be a great addition to your odor-fighting arsenal for daily maintenance to keep a small room or your car smelling fresh once you’ve done the heavy lifting to get it clean and smelling fresh.

Specifications

• Chlorine dioxide in-a-canister product
• It gives off a low level of odor-killing vapor for 30 days
• Just add the contents of the provided chemical packet to the canister and fill it with water.

Pricing: Only $9.95 per canister!

Bottom line

Let’s be clear.

This product won’t remove a terrible cat urine odor from your carpet, but it can do a great job of keeping the room smelling fresh once you’ve treated and removed the source of the odor.

I use this in my vehicle to keep it smelling fresh. It’s excellent at keeping the doggie smell at bay when I take Jax (my 100 lb GSD) to and from the dog park.

Healthy Environs Odor Remover 365 is an actual odor remover that keeps your air fresh and smelling clean. This product will help keep a small room smelling fresh and also help lower the allergen particles in the air. It’s great to place near a litter box, and I find it to be of great use in my car, laundry room, and closet to keep odors down. It’s easy to set up (just pour the packet’s powdered contents into the provided canister and add water) and safe to use around people and pets.

SNiPER Hospital Disinfectant, Odor Eliminator & All-Purpose Cleaner

SNiPER™ is essentially the same product as Vital Oxide. While we don’t have an exact formula for either of these products, they are both stabilized chlorine dioxide products and contain quaternary ammonium compounds. Both are EPA-registered hospital-grade disinfectants.

The two minor differences I have found between the two are as follows:

• SNiPER also has no fragrance additions, and truly has no smell, while Vital Oxide has a very slight swimming pool odor. However, the difference is marginal, and most people probably won’t notice it.
• Vital Oxide contains marginally more quats than SNiPER™, but this does not affect the latter’s germ-killing power, as the two products’ labels show they are essentially equal in their germ-killing claims.

The more significant difference is in price. Before the pandemic, Sniper was priced at $19.99 for a 32 oz spray bottle, but since then, the price has increased 50% to $28. In our opinion, this 2x price compared to Vital Oxide is hard to justify since the two products are so closely related.

Bottom line

If you want a combination odor remover+disinfectant with no smell, a bit less concentration of quaternary ammonium compounds, and you don’t mind paying 2x more, then SNiPER™ is the product for you. Otherwise, at close to half the price, Vital Oxide would be a better choice. Regardless, SNiPER is a fantastic product with excellent performance and versatility.

If you decide to buy it, you will not be disappointed.

Angry Orange – Best scented pet odor remover

Specifications

• 24 oz. bottle
• Orange Citrus scent
• Works on carpet and hard surfaces
• Made in the USA

Pricing:

Angry Orange Odor Eliminator sells for $19.95 for a 24 oz. spray bottle.

Bottom line:

Angry Orange is the best for you if you want a product that leaves a scent. The upside to this product is that over 60,000 people love this product (Amazon 5-star reviews).

However, if you or someone in your home is sensitive to volatile organic compounds, including essential oils, you might find the smell discomforting. And you have to keep your pets away from it, although it seems like they may avoid this product on their own.,

What are the categories of pet odor eliminator products, and how do they work?

Oxidizers

Oxidation is the interaction between oxygen molecules and other substances. More technically, oxidation is the loss of one or more electrons when oxygen and some other substance combine. This exchange of atomic material causes the structure of the molecules to change, and they lose their ability to produce odor.

Ozone is one influential oxidizer people like to talk about for odor removal. But ozone has some issues, in that it is so strong of an oxidizer that it can damage fixtures in your home. So we don’t recommend using ozone for pet odor removal.

Chlorine dioxide is another type of oxidizer that is very selective in its oxidation capabilities, and it attacks explicitly organic materials making it very effective at removing pet odors. The fact that it is very safe (unlike ozone) makes it all the better choice to use in people’s homes for pet odor removal. We believe chlorine dioxide is the chemical of choice when you want a professional strength, yet safe to use, pet stain and odor eliminator.

Enzymatic Odor Removers

Enzymatic pet odor eliminators use bacteria and their natural enzymes to break down the molecules causing the smell. The best enzyme products use specific strains of bacteria or enzymes depending on what kind of odor you try to remove.

With enzyme-based odor removers, you may be required to do a bit of post-treatment clean-up to remove the sticky residue that’s left over from the slurry of reactions between the bacterial enzymes and the odor source you want to be rid of.

The quantity and quality of the natural enzymatic bacteria also matter greatly! Any bio-enzymatic products, especially enzymatic cleaners, that are more than 1 -1.5 years old are likely to have lost most (if not all) of their potency.

Finally, If you want your enzymatic cleaner to be effective, don’t combine it with disinfectants, as this will kill the bacteria needed for the product to eliminate odors.

Masks

In odor masking, a pleasant odor (fragrance) is used to mask an unpleasant odor, and it is hoped that the masking smell completely covers the unpleasant odor. However, in practice, this is not usually the case, and sometimes the masking scent can combine with the existing bad odor to produce an even worse smell.

We don’t recommend you choose a mask as your pet odor eliminator, especially if you are looking for a product that eliminates stains and odors.

But, if you want to add a fragrance to keep your home smelling fresh, start by selecting a pet odor eliminator with no scent, like Healthy Environs Odor Eliminator and Pet Spotter, and then add a fragrance tot the room once the odor is completely gone.

This is the right way to do proper odor control – especially removing pet odors – by first removing the smell.

Unfortunately, most pet odor eliminators, especially room air fresheners, are mostly masks with a clean scent and have very little odor-eliminating ability.

FAQ’s

Do odor removers work on old pet stains?

Old tough stains caused by chronic pet accidents, especially cat urine, can be challenging with over-the-counter retail products and DIY methods. Success at removing the pet stain depends on several factors:

• The type of pet stain – cat urine is the worst
• How long has it been there (old urine stains have ammonia crystals in them, making them harder to remove)
• And how far down into the carpet and subfloor it has penetrated, as even the best stain and odor remover may not be able to get rid of the smell completely once it’s in the flooring.

Bottom line, a retail odor remover (or pet stain remover) will always work best on fresh stains, so it is best to try and clean them up as soon as possible.

How do I get rid of pet odor in my house?

There are a few key things to remember when trying to get rid of pet odor in your house.

First, identify the source of the odor. This can be tricky if you have multiple pets, as each scent can be unique. Try to focus on the areas where the smell is most pungent.

Use a blacklight to identify the exact spots where the animal has urinated. Once you know where the odor is coming from, you can assess how to treat it.

We recommend using an oxidizer, such as chlorine dioxide, to remove the stain and odor. Healthy Environs Pet Odor Remover is one of the best products you can buy – it is highly effective at pet stain removal and odor elimination.

Always treat a size larger than the stain, as the urine will have spread out as it goes down through the carpet and pad. It’s best to treat the stain while it is fresh or no more than a day or two old.

Old stains that have dried into uric acid crystals are difficult, if not impossible, to remove by DIY methods and over-the-counter odor eliminators.

Regardless of which product you use, always read the product instructions carefully, as different cleaners require different application methods.

If you choose enzymatic pet odor eliminators, you should not combine them with any other odor remover disinfectant, as this will kill the bacteria needed for it to work.

Ozone is a dangerous chemical that can harm people, pets, plants, and fixtures in your home, and it is not effective at penetrating to the level required to remove odors.

What is the most powerful odor eliminator?

Chlorine dioxide-based pet odor eliminators are the most powerful odor eliminators. They are also safe to use around people and pets and won’t harm your household fixtures. They are also easy to use as you can often spray, blot up the excess and leave to air dry. We recommend you treat stains with a product, like Healthy Environs Odor Eliminator and Pet Spotter, that doubles as a stain remover.

What can I use, so my house does not smell like a dog?

The wet dog or sour smell in your house may be caused by a combination of various things, including pet urine, feces, and saliva. Sometimes, the scent may also be caused by mold or mildew.

You can take these steps to mitigate the issue.

• Always wipe down your pet, especially their feet, when they come in from outside. This will minimize the tracking in of dirt and grime, along with body oils, that build up in your carpet and foster the growth of bacteria that are causing the smell.
• Wash and treat your pet’s bedding and any items the pet lays on frequently to prevent the buildup of dirt and oils, which breed bacteria that give off the odor.
• If the issue seems to be coming from your carpets, consider having a professional carpet cleaning. Knowing that whomever you use is experienced in removing pet odors is essential. If they do not use the right products and methods, then a carpet cleaner may increase the smell by hydrating existing dormant uric acid crystals in the carpet, causing them to give off an even stronger odor.

We recommend you frequently spray your pet’s bedding and favorite rest places with a product like Healthy Environs Odor Eliminator and Pet Spotter. This will remove stains and break down the odor-causing compounds, so they don’t continue to give off the smell.

You can also spray the product on a cloth and use that to wipe off the pet’s feet and coat, especially if they are wet when they come in. Be sure to keep any products you use away from the pet’s face, eyes, ears, and mouth. Always read the label on any product to ensure it is safe to use on and around your pet.

How can make I make my apartment smell good with pets?

If you follow the guidelines in the previous question, you’ll have a head start on keeping your home smelling fresh. Unfortunately, if you have pets, it will be challenging to avoid smells. Preventing pet accidents (and getting them up as soon as possible after they occur), observing good house hygiene practices like frequent cleaning, laundering your pets bedding with an oxidizing laundry detergent (or pet odor eliminator made especially for use in your washing machine for tough stains and odors), and keeping all litter boxes fresh alone can make a huge difference in keeping your house smelling fresh.

What is the best pet odor eliminator?

Out of all the pet odor eliminator products available, we recommend Healthy Environs Odor Eliminator and Pet Spotter. It quickly removes urine stains and accompanying urine odors and is the best choice among odor removers on the market.

What is the best pet odor eliminator for my carpet?

Healthy Environs Odor Eliminator and Pet Spotter neutralize odors on soft surfaces, including carpet and upholstery fabrics. Whenever you are using any pet spray on a carpet, it is essential to follow these guidelines:

• Use a paper towel to pick up any organic matter and then blot (don’t rub) as much wet urine away as possible.
• Check to ensure no color change reaction occurs by testing an inconspicuous area first. Even though you may have a product that you are sure is safe to use on your fabric, this is especially important if you think the carpet may have been treated with other odor removers, the residual of which could react with your product to cause a problem!
• Be sure to saturate the pet stain thoroughly, as the urine has likely penetrated down to the pad and maybe even the subfloor.
• Always treat an area larger than the visible pet stain, as the urine spreads when it penetrates the pad.

What is the best pet odor eliminator for wood floors?

Pet accidents and hardwood floors do not go well together. Removing urine from the hardwood floor as soon as possible is essential. If you let it remain, you risk not only causing stains from water damage but more staining and foul odors from the dry urine that will crystalize into the wood over time.

Unfortunately, a pet urine odor, especially from cat urine that has dried into the flooring, is not going to be able to be removed by even the most professional strength stain and odor remover. Sometimes you can have he floor sanded to remove the odor source and then follow this by refinishing. If the urine contamination has soaked down and become deeply embedded into the flooring, you will likely need to replace the damaged area altogether.

Do air purifiers get rid of pet odors?

Yes and no. Air purifiers don’t treat the source of the odor, but they can be very effective at helping to remove the smell from the air. Air purifiers are also highly effective at removing allergens carried on pet dander, especially cat dander.

But in terms of permanently getting rid of a pet odor, it’s essential you find and remove the source of the problem so the scent goes away permanently, rather than rely on a tool to remove the smell once it is in the air.

Can pet odor be removed?

Yes, pet odors can be removed. The best way to remove pet odors is to address any pet accidents quickly before they set in and become chronic issues.

This is especially the case with any urine accidents on hardwood flooring, which can be difficult, if not impossible, to remove using over-the-counter spray products.

Likewise, urine accidents on carpets can cause odors that are very challenging to move once the urine has had time to penetrate down to the bottom layer of the carpet pad and perhaps even the subfloor.

Can I spray an odor eliminator on my dog’s coat?

The only time you would want to use a product directly on your dog is if the specific product you want to use states on the label that this is okay.

The three Clo2 products in this list (Healthy Environs Odor Eliminator, Vital Oxide, and Sniper) may all be used to remove odors directly from your dog’s coat, as long as you follow their manufacturer’s directions.

This technique can be very effective, for example, if your dog gets into a tussle with a skunk and gets sprayed. You can also spray some of the product onto a cloth and use that to wipe off your dog’s wet feet to keep them from tracking smelly grime and grit into the house.

ALWAYS be sure to read the directions carefully on how to do this without causing harm to your animal.

Wrap-up

Finding the best pet odor eliminator for your needs can be challenging, but after reading this guide, we hope we’ve helped you make the best choice and that you won’t have to undertake a frustrating trial and error process.

Remember to address pet accidents quickly to prevent them from becoming chronic problems. And always read the label warnings and directions carefully before using any product, especially if you plan to use it near people, your pet, or the furniture or fixtures in your home.