How to Deep Clean Your Rental When You Have Pets
Living with your pet in a rental means constantly balancing love for your furry (or feathered, or scaly) roommate with keeping the place in shape for your landlord. Pet hair gets everywhere, accidents happen, and odors can linger even when you’re on top of things. When it comes time to tackle a deep clean apartment with pets—whether you’re doing routine maintenance or prepping for a move-out—you need a strategy that actually works.
Identify Where Odors Are Hiding
Before you start scrubbing everything in sight, figure out where the smell is actually coming from. Pet odors concentrate in certain spots, and addressing the right areas first saves you time and effort.
Spot Problem Areas
The first step in figuring out how to get rid of pet odor is identifying the source. Check for urine and pet odors on the carpet and hardwood floors. Some odors are obvious—a visible stain or a noticeably smelly corner. Others hide underneath layers of buildup.
Use a Blacklight to Find Hidden Stains
Instead of sniffing it out for yourself, try a blacklight. That can reveal urine spots, stains, and potential problem areas to spot clean. A basic UV blacklight (often called a pet urine detector) is inexpensive and makes invisible stains glow. This is especially useful before you move out or do a major deep clean, since pet stains can often penetrate below the surface and may be coming from carpet padding or even the drywall.
Tackle Your Carpets and Rugs
Carpet is a pet’s favorite hiding spot for odor and hair. If you have carpeting in your rental, this section is critical.
The Dry Method First
Start by removing as much dry material as possible before you add moisture. Even without stains, baking soda is a great cleaning agent that neutralizes trapped odors. Sprinkle it liberally over all carpets and rugs. Let it sit for a couple of hours, and then vacuum all over.
For extra stubborn pet hair, you can loosen fur by altering the direction in which you vacuum. While this means you’ll go over the same spots numerous times, the method helps to detach stubborn hairs.
Tackle Urine Stains with Vinegar and Baking Soda
If you’ve spotted stains with your blacklight, the dynamic duo of vinegar and baking soda works well. You can use a black UV flashlight to find invisible stains on rugs, carpets and clothes that might be causing the pet odor in your apartment, and follow these easy steps to make your home odor-free: Start by soaking the liquid with paper towels. Keep piling them on the spot until no more liquid soaks through. Mix a batch of liquid that’s equal parts vinegar and water.
Spray the affected area and let it sit for a few minutes, then blot thoroughly.
After blotting out the vinegar solution, sprinkle baking soda, a natural deodorizer. Sprinkle baking soda over carpets and upholstery and after leaving it to soak in for several hours, vacuum it up.
Use Enzymatic Cleaners for Deep Stains
Enzymatic cleaners contain enzymes that degrade the bacteria causing the odor, making them the most efficient way to get rid of pet odors. Hard surfaces, carpets, and upholstery can all be cleaned with enzymatic cleaners. Additionally, they eliminate discoloration and stains stemming from pet urine and feces. Enzymatic cleaners work by breaking down the organic compounds in pet accidents rather than just masking the smell.
Steam Clean for the Final Deep Clean
After you’ve removed all dry material from the carpet, use a steam cleaner to eliminate any stains or odors stuck in the fibers. You can rent a carpet cleaner from Home Depot, Walmart or most grocery stores for about $30 a day, plus around $17 for the cleaning solution. Steam extraction pulls moisture deep into carpet fibers and then pulls it back out, taking odor-causing bacteria with it.
Clean Hard Floors Properly
Hard flooring (tile, laminate, hardwood) won’t trap odors the way carpet does, but pet accidents still need attention.
Don’t Just Vacuum Hard Floors
Vacuuming your tile, laminate or hardwood is likely to only move your pet’s fur around. Instead, rather than vacuum these surfaces, invest in a microfiber or electrostatic dry mop. These products attract dirt, hair and other particles to themselves, getting the pesky dust and fur off your floor.
Mop with Vinegar Solution
Mixing up a bucket of warm soapy water can do miracles to eliminate odors on hardwood floors or walls where dogs may have marked their territory. You can also use a solution that’s made from three parts vinegar and one part water. This naturally neutralizes odors without harsh chemicals that might linger around your pet.
Address Walls, Baseboards, and Vertical Surfaces
Pets mark territory on walls and corners, leaving odor residue that’s easy to overlook.
Start by Dusting Down
Before you even think about cleaning, you need to dust your surfaces. When you dust, you may push particles onto the floor. For this reason, dust your apartment before vacuuming or sweeping. Pet dander settles on shelves, ceiling fans, and high surfaces, so start from the top and work down.
Scrub Walls with Vinegar and Baking Soda
If this seems to have happened in your new apartment, you’re going to want to scrub down the walls, too. Using your vinegar solution, spray the walls just enough to make them damp. You can then scrub them using a wet sponge. Next, take some baking soda and sprinkle or rub it onto the walls. Let it sit for a few minutes to dry before you brush or vacuum up the powder.
Repaint If Odor Persists
If the smell lingers after cleaning, another way to eliminate pet odors from your walls is to repaint them using an odor and stain-blocking paint or primer. Odor-blocking primers are designed to seal in stubborn smells and prevent them from bleeding through new paint.
Clean Upholstery and Soft Furnishings
Fabric absorbs pet odors and hair like a sponge. Don’t skip this step.
Remove Pet Hair from Furniture
Don rubber gloves you reserve for cleaning unseemly messes when you need to remove pet hair. Run the gloves under water, then move your hands over your sofa. The wet material will attract hair, allowing you to gather it off the couch. Once you’ve made a little pile of pet fur, use a vacuum attachment with bristles to suck it up.
Wash Machine-Washable Items
Pet bedding, throw blankets, and cushion covers should be washed. Wash all machine-washable items with your regular detergent. Adding a one-pound box of baking soda to the wash (in addition to detergent) will help get rid of odors.
Use Enzymatic Cleaner on Upholstered Furniture
For furniture that can’t be washed, an enzyme-based pet odor remover can be poured on fabrics if cat urine has soaked into them. Once you’ve let it set in, soak and blot the fabric. Enzymatic cleaners work on all pet accidents, not just cat urine.
Don’t Forget the Air and HVAC System
Odors travel through the air, so addressing air quality is part of a complete deep clean.
Let in Fresh Air and Sunlight
Throw open the windows to let fresh air and sunshine enter the room. As air circulation within the apartment improves, your furniture, carpets and rugs will also benefit. Fresh air naturally neutralizes odors and helps dry out any moisture left from cleaning.
Run an Air Purifier
Run an air purifier as you’re packing up your home. Air purifiers help to remove pet dander and freshen the air in your home. Pet dander lingers in the air even after you’ve cleaned surfaces, so an air purifier catches what you can’t see.
Consider HVAC Duct Cleaning
Pet odors can infiltrate the HVAC system, spreading smells throughout the apartment. Addressing the ducts and coils is essential to ensure clean air circulation and odor removal. If your rental allows it and you’re preparing for a move-out deep clean, professional duct cleaning can help remove trapped odor particles from the ventilation system.
Stay Proactive Between Deep Cleans
Deep cleaning is important, but preventing buildup makes everything easier long-term.
Clean Regularly to Prevent Odor Buildup
Establish a Cleaning Routine: Regularly clean areas where your pets spend the most time. This includes vacuuming their favorite spots and washing their bedding frequently. Consistent cleaning keeps odors from building up over time.
Groom Your Pet and Keep Litter Boxes Fresh
Regular grooming sessions help control the amount of pet hair and dander in your home. Brushing your pets and keeping them clean will reduce the natural oils that can lead to odor accumulation. If you have a cat, clean out litter boxes at least twice per week, if not more frequently, and replace the kitty litter or sprinkle baking soda over it to reduce odor.
Clean Pet Beds Weekly
Vacuum dog beds once a week and wash dog beds every other week. Pet bedding absorbs sweat, oils, and odors, so frequent washing keeps smells from accumulating and spreading throughout your apartment.
FAQ
Do I need to hire a professional cleaner for a deep clean apartment with pets?
It depends on your situation. If you’re moving out and your lease requires professional carpet cleaning, hire a professional—your landlord will expect it and you’ll want documentation. If you’re doing routine deep cleaning and feel confident tackling it yourself with the methods above, you can save money. For stubborn odors that won’t budge after your best efforts, professional cleaning may be worth the investment.
What shouldn’t I use to clean pet odors?
Bleach can be an excellent strategy for disinfecting floors. However, bleach won’t get rid of the pet odor. Also, ammonia can actually make the urine smell worse in your home. Stick with natural options like vinegar and baking soda, or enzymatic cleaners designed for pet messes.
How long does it take to deep clean an apartment with pets?
A thorough deep clean typically takes several hours to a full day, depending on the size of your apartment and how much pet damage there is. If you’re doing a move-out clean and want to maximize your chances of getting your full security deposit back, if you have pets or are aiming to get your full deposit back, give yourself a full week—there’s more to do than you think, and you want time to fix issues as you find them.
Will opening windows and using a fan help with pet odors?
Yes, but only partially. Fresh air helps disperse odors temporarily, but it won’t eliminate the source. Combine ventilation with actual cleaning—removing the bacteria and compounds causing the smell—for lasting results. Air purifiers are more effective than fans alone at capturing pet dander and filtering odors from the air.
Can I get my pet deposit back after a deep clean?
It depends on your lease and local laws. If you’ve done a thorough job and there’s no pet-related damage beyond normal wear and tear, you should get it back. Most states require landlords to return deposits within 14–30 days after move-out. Landlords must provide a written list of damages if they withhold part of the deposit. Document your cleaning with photos to support your case if there’s any dispute.
