The 12 Best Pet Odor Neutralizers to Buy in 2024

Quick Facts:

• Type: Spray
• Safety: Safe for pets and homes (chlorine-free, no hazardous propellants, and color safe)
• Ingredients: Enzymes, non-ionic surfactant, odor counteractant, opacifier
• Surfaces: All water-safe surfaces

The Rocco & Roxie Supply Professional Strength Stain and Odor Eliminator is a superior pet odor neutralizer. The manufacturer believes that its product works so well, it offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee, where you’re guaranteed a full refund if your stains and odors aren’t gone.

It also works with all surfaces, meaning you can use it on furniture, hardwood floors, litter boxes, and even laundry, for those pesky stains and odors.

Despite its exceptional cleaning power, it features a gentle formula guaranteed safe for all carpets. In fact, it works so well, it’s earned a seal of approval by the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI), a leading institution in the carpeting industry that “certifies superior carpet cleaning products, equipment, and service providers.”

One major downside of the Rocco & Roxie spray we’ve found is that it has a particularly strong fragrance. As with nearly all odor neutralizing products, the smell should fade when the solution dries. It also beats urine and fecal matter odors, but if you’re someone who has a strong sniffer and you don’t like floral and cleaning fragrances, then this product might not be for you.

Instead, we might suggest using something more lightly scented, such as the Simple Solution Extreme Pet Stain and Odor Remover. It doesn’t offer the same money-back guarantee that Rocco & Roxie offers, but it is a comparable product that is also certified by the CRI.

Quick Facts:

• Type: Concentrate
• Safety: Biodegradable and non-toxic
• Ingredients: Natural orange oil
• Surfaces: All water-safe surfaces

Angry Orange Pet Odor Eliminator is an exceptional pet odor neutralizer that, as the bottle says “smells like heaven, works like hell.” And that’s what makes it special—it’s incredibly effective on just about any pet stain.

Angry Orange is an all-natural, non-toxic cleaner that meets the FDA’s “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS) standards, a huge benefit if you’ve got children and worry about their exposure to harsh chemicals. It’s also biodegradable, making it eco-friendly. And since it’s a concentrate, it means that a little goes a long way, as you dilute the solution with water.

If you love the smell of oranges, then look no further: this cleaner has a very strong citrus smell that will surely overpower any pet odor as it works to eliminate odor-causing compounds. However if you’re a person who’s sensitive to smells, you might want to look elsewhere. And while you might be tempted to use this stuff in your carpet or upholstery cleaner, you should take extra precautions when using this cleaner.

Concentrated orange oil has the capability of dissolving polystyrene, a common consumer-grade plastic  that may make up components of machine cleaners, such as tanks and hoses. With this in mind, if you want to try it in a machine cleaner, be sure that you properly dilute the formula and immediately clean the tank and hose after use.

Otherwise, if you’re looking for a good carpet cleaner-specific formula to eliminate stains and odors, you might want to consider something like the Bissell Professional Pet Urine Eliminator + Oxy Carpet Cleaning Formula. It’s only compatible with upright carpet cleaners and only works with carpets, but it will also ensure you won’t damage your machine.

Finally, you should be cautious using Angry Orange around your pets. The company claims it’s non-toxic and safe to use around pets. However, orange oil is toxic for both cats and dogs when ingested. Since many cleaners are toxic when ingested, this isn’t necessarily a concern specific to this product, but it is worth mentioning given the company’s statements about being natural and pet-friendly. For more on this, see our section on using pet odor neutralizers around pets.

Quick Facts:

• Type: Foam aerosol
• Safety: Safe for your pets and home
• Ingredients: Enzyme blend, surfactants, isopropyl alcohol, fragrance, odor counteractant, preservative
• Surfaces: All water-safe surfaces (except untreated hardwood, leather, suede, silk, and wool)

For budget-oriented pet owners, Nature’s Miracle Pet Stain and Odor Remover is a miracle, coming at a lower price than many other neutralizers on this list. Made by a reputable pet odor neutralizer company, it comes in an aerosol can and sprays foam, allowing it to penetrate deeply into carpet and other fabrics to combat even the oldest of stains and odors.

Nature’s Miracle offers a money-back guarantee, adding to the assurance of the effectiveness of this product. And to tackle the worst messes, there are multiple varieties of specially formulated sprays for both cats and dogs meant to tackle tough stains and odors, as well as discouraging remarking of old spots.

Perhaps the weakest point of this neutralizer is that it features a harsh chemical smell. This is likely due to the use of isopropyl alcohol. But given that it’s meant to tackle harsh odors, it’s a trade-off worth contending with, especially if you’re on a budget and desperate to find a solution to pet odor problems that simple DIY methods won’t fix.

It’s also worth mentioning that this product is not intended for use on untreated hardwood, leather, suede, silk or wool. There are a number of other odor neutralizers that won’t work on these surfaces, and regardless of what the manufacturer states, you should always do a test spray in an inconspicuous spot of the surface you’re treating before tackling the mess you’re trying to clean.

Quick Facts:

• Type: Carpet cleaner formula
• Safety: Eco-friendly formula, safe to use around kids and pets
• Ingredients: Hydrogen peroxide, surfactants, silicone defoamer, citric acid, sodium citrate, acrylic polymer, sodium polyacrylate, fragrance
• Surfaces: Carpet

The Professional Pet Urine Eliminator + Oxy Carpet Cleaning Formula from Bissell is the only pet odor neutralizer on this list that is specific to carpet cleaning machines. It’s also the only neutralizer that contains hydrogen peroxide, an oxidizing agent that works well to quash tough stains and odors.

This is a huge plus if you’re in the market for a good pet odor neutralizer that works with carpet cleaners, as it’s the only one on the list specifically formulated for this purpose. It’s formulated specifically for pet messes, made with biodegradable detergents and was given the “Safer Choice” label from the EPA.

Unfortunately, it also means it has a rather limited use. This means if your dog soils your couch, you’re going to need something else if your carpet cleaner doesn’t have a hose attachment. While you might be tempted to use it in a portable upholstery cleaner, the manufacturer specifically states that this formula is only for use in upright carpet cleaners.

In addition to its limited use outside of carpet cleaning machines, it does not contain enzymes. Since enzymes take time to work, simply spraying them on the carpet and then sucking them up would be ineffective anyway.

But while oxidation from peroxide chemically alters the coloration in stains and will tackle general odors, enzymatic formulas such as Rocco & Roxie Supply Odor Eliminator work better at breaking down organic components than peroxide in pet messes.

We’ve written in more detail about this below. Frankly, a combination of an enzymatic cleaner and this formula would serve as a great 1-2 punch against stubborn stains and odors in carpets if you have a carpet cleaning machine.

Quick Facts:

• Type: Spray
• Safety: Safe to use around children and pets
• Ingredients: Denatured ethanol, non-pathogenic bacteria, natural enzymes, mild detergent, fragrance
• Surfaces: All water-safe surfaces

If you have a sensitive nose, it can be difficult to find a good pet odor neutralizer that doesn’t have an overwhelming scent. Fortunately, the Extreme Pet Stain and Odor Remover from Simple Solution offers a solution. With its rather light scent, it’s a suitable alternative to other pet odor neutralizers which often have strong fragrances that work to freshen odors while the formulas break down odor-causing components.

The Extreme Pet Stain and Odor Remover is a concentrated formula that’s ready to use straight out of the bottle. This means it has the benefits of a concentrate, but doesn’t require you to mix or dilute it for use. The one-gallon variant also comes with an easy-pour cap that delivers the formula in a stream. This makes it easy for you to make targeted applications or refill spray bottles without messes.

Along with a gentle scent, this neutralizer is gentle on your carpets and upholstery, earning it a stamp of approval from the Carpet and Rug Institute. That said, the manufacturer states that it’s not intended for use on wool and leather, so keep this in mind if you have wool carpeting or leather furniture. And as always, remember to test the product on a small area before tackling a larger area to ensure you don’t ruin your floor, carpet, or furniture.

Quick Facts:

• Type: Spray
• Safety: Orally non-toxic formula
• Ingredients: Enzyme blend, sodium laureth sulfate, opacifier, sodium saccharin, fragrance
• Surfaces: Outdoor surfaces

Whether you’ve got a small yard and lots of pets, artificial turf, or even roaming neighborhood cats, pet smells can present a problem, even outside. Simple Green’s Outdoor Odor Eliminator is a great solution to mitigate foul outdoor pet smells.

It’s safe for use on both natural and artificial grass, as well as other outdoor surfaces. It’s also safe for your pets, made with an orally non-toxic formula. This is a great safeguard against accidentally poisoning pets and other animals that may enter your yard.

To make applying it easy, Simple Green gives you two bottles: a large bottle that holds the neutralizer, and a smaller spray-style bottle with a hose attachment. You simply add an appropriate amount of solution to the bottle, attach it to your hose and turn it on.

The water mixes with the solution and sprays the water from the other end of the bottle. Additionally, it comes with a valve near the sprayer end so you can easily start and stop water flow without having to adjust water flow at the spigot.

While this neutralizer is safe for all outdoor surfaces, it’s not meant for use indoors. That means if you want to tackle outdoor and indoor odors, you’ll want to consider another product. We recommend the Angry Orange Pet Odor Eliminator, which is useful for both indoors and outdoors. Angry Orange also has the additional benefit of being a repellent for pesky feral and neighborhood cats, but unlike the Simple Green formula, it is orally toxic to cats and dogs and doesn’t come with the nifty hose sprayer bottle.

Quick Facts:

• Type: Spray
• Safety: Non-toxic, non-GMO, and non-hazardous
• Ingredients: Enzyme blend, nonionic surfactant, fragrance (essential oils), opacifier
• Surfaces: All water-safe surfaces

If you’re looking for an organic pet odor neutralizer that’s non-GMO and non-toxic, look no further. The Sunny & Hunny Pet Stain & Odor Miracle is a great odor neutralizer that works with all surfaces, including laundry. It also comes in a variety of fragrances, a luxury many other pet odor neutralizers don’t afford.

This neutralizer is also Leaping Bunny Certified by the internationally renowned Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics. Leaping Bunny Certified means the company passes a rigorous set of Leaping Bunny standards in producing cruelty-free products that are pet-friendly. If you’re environmentally conscious or simply worry for the safety of animals worldwide, this neutralizer offers peace of mind.

The only major drawback we see with Sunny & Hunny’s neutralizer is that it’s significantly more expensive than other products, such as Nature’s Miracle Pet Stain and Odor Remover. While Nature’s Miracle’s offering might work just as effectively on stains and odors, it’s not Leaping Bunny Certified and has a harsh chemical smell that Sunny & Hunny’s does not.

Quick Facts:

• Type: Air Freshener
• Safety: Non-toxic, non-GMO, and non-hazardous
• Ingredients: Lime, pine, cedarwood, anise, and clove oils, potassium acrylate acrylamide, sorbitan oleate, polysorbate 80, tocopherol alpha, and proprietary preservatives
• Surfaces: Air

So far we’ve covered a lot of pet odor neutralizers that attack odors at the source. Many of them, like Simple Solution’s Extreme Pet Stain and Odor Remover, are great for accidents and routine pet area cleaning. However, sometimes you have recurring odors that aren’t as easy to keep fresh, such as litter boxes. That’s where air fresheners like the Fresh Wave Odor Removing Gel come into play.

Fresh Wave’s air fresheners are made with all-natural ingredients, and last longer than other similar air fresheners. While other air fresheners from leading brands like Febreeze may only last for 45 days, Fresh Wave’s lasts for 60 days. And you can rest easy knowing that this product is safe and free of harsh chemicals, as it was given the “Safer Choice” label from the EPA.

Since this odor neutralizer is natural, it consists of strong plant oils that attack odors in the air and leave a nice fragrance in their wake. They’re even powerful enough to tackle cooking and smoke odors as well as pet odors. And you can even take the gel out of the container and put it in another container from which the gel can evaporate. This is an added bonus if you’re picky about your home’s interior design.

The biggest problem with this odor neutralizer is that it won’t attack the odors at the source. If, for example, you’ve got old cat accidents on carpet that wasn’t properly cleaned, then using this neutralizer to address the smell that’s come back years later is simply slapping a band-aid on a much deeper problem. Of course, this isn’t an issue unique to this product, but rather a drawback of air fresheners.

But for use-cases such as taming odors from litter boxes and pet carriers between routine cleanings, this product is an exceptional neutralizer that will help keep your home smelling fresh.

Quick Facts:

• Type: Spray
• Safety: Safe to use around children and pets
• Ingredients: Isopropyl alcohol, mild detergent blend, natural citrus oil and fragrance
• Surfaces: Hard floors (except untreated and unsealed hardwood floors)

Many pet odor neutralizers claim to be safe for all surfaces. But if you have expensive hardwood or other hard floors, and you want total assurance that you’re getting a product that won’t damage them, then the Simple Solution Hardfloor Pet Stain & Odor Remover is the product for you. It’s made especially for hard floors, and just as its Extreme Pet Stain and Odor Remover counterpart, it doesn’t have a terribly strong smell that other odor neutralizers may have.

It’s competitively priced with other odor neutralizers, so you won’t be looking at breaking the bank buying this stuff. And its patented 3-in-1 sprayer nozzle gives you options in how you want to tackle odors (mist, stream, or foam).

Because it’s designed for hard floors, it means won’t be using this on carpets, upholstery, or other fabrics. You should also exercise caution with this product on untreated or unsealed wood floors, as it can cause damage to the wood.

Generally this is the case with liquids, so it’s not a flaw with the product itself, but it’s still worth mentioning that the manufacturer explicitly warns against this in case you have floors like this and want to use the neutralizer for them.

Other than its incompatibility with fabrics, it’s a great neutralizer and the only one on this list specifically formulated for hard floors of all types.

Quick Facts:

• Type: Candle
• Safety: Potential fire hazard (otherwise safe)
• Ingredients: Enzymes, paraffin, soy
• Surfaces: Air

If you’ve got pets and you’re the type of person that likes to burn candles, then you should really consider using the Pet Odor Exterminator Candle. Coming in many scents, these candles are a great alternative to passive air fresheners that will leave your house smelling fresh. That’s because as the candle burns, it releases enzymes into the air to attack odors instead of merely covering them up.

Not only does it work with pet odors, but it also works to tackle smoke and other household odors as well. At 13 ounces for each candle, Exterminator Candle claims that each candle lasts for 70 hours of burning time. Burning one of these for an hour a day, every day, a single candle will last over 2 months.

Like their passive air freshener counterparts, they don’t address the source of odors. These candles are also more expensive than air fresheners such as the Fresh Wave Odor Removing Gel, but they also allow for greater control over when you use them than air fresheners. This can be good or bad, depending on your needs.

If you want to keep your home smelling good while you’re away, so you come home to a pleasant-smelling place, then this might not be for you. Since they’re candles, you’ll have to light them for them to work. However, if you like burning candles and have odorous pets, then this is a perfect product for you.

Quick Facts:

• Type: Aerosol
• Safety: May be toxic from direct exposure/ingestion
• Ingredients: Acetone, n-butane, propane, other (unlisted ingredients)
• Surfaces: Air

The last aerosol product we mentioned, Nature’s Miracle, was a bit of a tease, wasn’t it? It’s an aerosol product, but the Big D Odor Control Fogger Aerosol is a true-blue aerosol product, rather than foam in a can. As such, it’s capable of penetrating surfaces to neutralize odors, making it a great product for lingering pet odors that have absorbed into the room’s walls, floors, and furniture.

This neutralizer from Big D works either manually for spot spraying, or automatically to fumigate an entire room with the aerosol solution. For fumigation, it works a lot like “bug bombs” do, but for odors instead of pests.

That means you’ll have to clear any people, pets and plants from the room or home prior to fumigation. You’ll also want to abstain from entering the area for a while, as well as opening doors and windows afterward to properly ventilate any lingering aerosol and the intense smell in the air.

The Big D Odor Control Fogger is an extremely effective means of odor control, but it might be best left as a last resort, unless you plan to use it for spot spraying. It has harsher ingredients than other pet odor neutralizers, as well as a much stronger smell than even the highly potent Angry Orange Pet Odor Eliminator.

However, the Big D neutralizer is simpler and more effective at covering large spaces in a short time than any other neutralizer on this list. It should also be safe to use with furniture in the room, but if you’re particularly worried, you could cover or remove any furniture you want to keep pristine.

With its high effectiveness, versatility, and ease of use, it’s certainly a worthy consideration for spot spraying and deep odor problems.

Quick Facts:

• Type: Concentrate
• Safety: Non-toxic
• Surfaces: All water-safe surfaces
• Ingredients: Alcohol C12-C16 (ethoxylated), 2-propanol, fragrance, other unlisted

We’re sorry to tell you this, but Mad Lemon Pet Odor Eliminator is not an alternative product made by the same company as the Angry Orange Pet Odor Eliminator. Now with that out of the way, let’s talk about Mad Lemon for a minute.

Mad Lemon Company’s ”inspired” lemon concentrate looks to fill the gap in the citrus-scented pet odor neutralizer market. Their disgruntled lemon to the enraged orange near the top of our list, it’s not quite as strong and effective as Angry Orange’s odor eliminator. But it also has a more forgiving scent, at least in terms of its intensity – by the time it’s dry, the smell should be all but non-existent.

Since it’s a concentrate, it offers the advantage of allowing you to customize the strength of the solution, allowing you to mix an extra punchy concoction for stubborn odors. Also, since it’s not a pure orange oil concentrate, nor is it an enzymatic formula, it is presumably safer and more effective in carpet and upholstery cleaners than other similar products on this list.

However, the ingredients list is rather vague, with some ingredients present in amounts less than required reportable levels. If you use it in a machine cleaner, be sure to take the proper precaution by thoroughly washing the tank and hose after use.

This is to ensure nothing in the formula has a chance to damage plastic and rubber pieces in your machine, since it isn’t explicitly sold as a carpet/upholstery cleaning formula. You should also be sure to take the necessary precautions around your pets before and after cleaning with this grumpy lemon juice.

If the idea of using a concentrated neutralizer is appealing to you, but you don’t want to drop an orange oil nuke inside your house, then you might want to consider going with the less potent Mad Lemon Pet Odor Eliminator.