Wash the blanket in warm water with your regular detergent, half a cup of washing soda, one-fourth cup of hydrogen peroxide, and half a cup of vinegar. Rinse thoroughly and hang out to dry.
Why Wash A Blanket That Has A Dog Smell?
Dogs are man’s best friends. And blankets are theirs. They’re plush, warm, and can hold bits of an old treat – perfect for getting cozy over or just casual chewing!
I’ve had more than one dog who got attached to their blanket and took it everywhere — going on a road trip? Guess what’s a traveling essential? Walking to the park? The blanket needs to come too! Needless to say, my doggo couldn’t sleep without curling up in it.
Now, I was okay with all the emotional attachment and clinginess. I even found it cute too. But just a few days of this routine, the blanket would start to stink. Not to mention, my duvet and bed sheets start to smell like a dog every few weeks.
So, after tons of testing and trying out several remedies, I came up with a few ingenious tricks to get the dog smell out of blankets. You can go through all of them and decide which one serves you best.
Method 1: Soda, Vinegar, Hydrogen Peroxide
I found this hack the most effective. You can add the concoction to your washing machine and end up with an odor-free and fresh blanket. Here’s what you’ll need;
What you’ll need
- The detergent you usually use
- Half cup washing soda (don’t mix it with baking soda, it’s different)
- One-fourth cup of hydrogen peroxide
- Half cup vinegar
- Warm water
Instructions
- Fill your machine with warm water
- Add the detergent to the washer as you normally would
- Toss in the blanket
- Add washing soda and hydrogen peroxide to the warm water
- Put vinegar in the softener container. If your machine doesn’t have a container for the softener, just add the vinegar during the rinse cycle
- Run a normal wash cycle
- Let the blanket dry in air and sunlight
Remember: never add vinegar to your washing machine with detergent. Vinegar is acidic, and detergents are alkaline, neutralizing each other, and neither works effectively.
Method 2: Vinegar Soak
Vinegar is pretty effective in getting odors out of fabrics. I’ve tried soaking my dog’s blanket in vinegar and water mixture overnight, and it got the job done.
But to be honest, this method doesn’t work if your blanket has a stubborn stain. Or at least you’d need to repeat the process a few times to freshen up the blanket.
What you’ll need
- A gallon of cold water. Or as much as you need to immerse the blanket entirely
- 2 cups of white vinegar
Instructions
- Fill up a bucket with water and add vinegar to it
- Let the blanket soak overnight
- Wash it in your machine’s routine wash
- You can add vinegar during the rinse cycle too
- Dry the blanket in air and sunlight
Method 3: Borax And Detergent
Borax is another good booster for removing the dog smell from the blankets. And you can add it to your washing machine, unlike vinegar.
What you’ll need
- The detergent you usually use
- Half a cup of borax
- Hot water
Instructions
- Fill the washing machine tub with hot water
- Put the detergent in the detergent dispenser
- Toss the blanket in and sprinkle borax over it
- Run a normal wash cycle
- Dry the blanket in air and sunlight
Method 4: Baking Soda
Just like vinegar, baking soda is also an excellent odor-neutralizer. It works like magic and is one of the cheapest cleaning supplies I could get my hands on.
You can sprinkle a box of baking soda on top of your dry blanket before you wash it. It breaks the smell molecules, and a follow-up wash with detergent gets rid of any dirt and stains.
What you’ll need
- One cup of baking soda
- A scented fabric softener
- Your ordinary detergent
- Warm water
Instructions
- Fill up your washing machine with warm water
- Add detergent and softener to their allotted dispensers
- Toss the blanket in the washing machine tub
- Sprinkle baking soda on top of the blanket
- Run a routine wash cycle
- Dry the blanket in air and sunlight
Method 5: Enzymatic Cleaners
If the smell in your blanket is persistent, say an old pee stain, you may find home remedies and hacks useless. In that case, I recommend buying an enzymatic washing detergent for soaking or enzymatic powders for washing.
What you’ll need
- A commercial enzymatic cleaner
- Water
Instructions
- Soak the blanket in a water and detergent mix overnight
- Run a rinse cycle in the machine
- Alternatively, add a commercial detergent with cleaning enzymes to your washing machine and run a regular wash cycle.
- Dry the blanket in air and sunlight
Frequently asked Questions
Why does my dog’s blanket smell?
Even if you give a bath to your dog daily, the stink in their blankets and linens is inevitable. The dirt and bacterias from their bodies leave a stench, and since blankets are fuzzy, they hold on to the odor for longer.
How do I get the dog’s smell from a blanket without washing it?
Sprinkle a box of baking soda all over the blanket. Leave it overnight. Baking soda is alkaline and acts as an excellent absorbent for odors. Finally, vacuum the blanket thoroughly.
Why does my blanket smell like my dog even after washing?
Washing and deep-cleaning the blanket is essential to get the smell out, but drying the blanket entirely is just as crucial.
Try line drying instead of tumble-drying in the machine. Leave the blanket in the sun for at least a day or till it dries out entirely. Sunlight kills odor-producing bacteria and is also an effective method for sterilizing fabrics.
