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In about a month, I'm moving into a house that had 1-2 large dogs. I'll allergic to dogs, and I'm curious what steps I should take to prep the house before I move in. There is also a room (living room) that has a pretty strong dog smell (maybe urine?). My hope is that when the sellers remove their furniture and their large area rug, it will help to take care of this odor. The house is mostly hard wood floors except for a section of the basement that is carpeted. I'd really take any and all advice!

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    do you get symptoms now, walking though the house to look at it and what not? Dog allergens don't last forever, a few months max, so depending on turn-around time, you might find that doing nothing is all you need to do, especially if it's not very triggering already. I would guess 90% of the smell is from couches and rugs, which will be gone before you get there.
    – dandavis
    Commented Nov 16, 2023 at 3:43
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    Do you know what precisely sets you off? It's normally hair and skin cells, in which case the odour would be merely unpleasant.
    – Chris H
    Commented Nov 16, 2023 at 13:46

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If the previous owners are taking their furniture and a large area rug, that removes a large part of the problem. Any other rugs left that you are going to keep should be shampooed/cleaned by a professional service. Hard surfaces like walls and hardwood or tile floors don't hold the oils that affect some and are much easier to deal with.

You also want to have a thorough vacuuming done to remove any pet hairs. We have always had a couple of dogs (no allergies), so I can attest to the fact that their hair can accumulate in the most out of the way places.

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    Moving stuff and cleaning will also disturb what's left behind. So it's worth getting a cleaning service in while the place is as empty as possible, rather than doing it yourself and potentially getting exposed
    – Chris H
    Commented Nov 16, 2023 at 19:30
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You'll need to wash/clean the walls either my doing it yourself or hiring it out. The floors will need to be inspected for damage under the area rug where urine could have seeped into the cracks between the flooring and possibly be steam cleaned. Remove the carpeting and padding in the basement. Don't waste your time trying to clean it. You should also get your heating and AC ductwork cleaned out.

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    Indeed, remove the carpeting and padding before having cleaners or doing cleaning in that area. I'd also suggest looking into Ozone treatment of the unoccupied house for a while. Certainly helps with odors - though I doubt it does much for allergens, at least dander, etc.
    – Ecnerwal
    Commented Nov 16, 2023 at 1:54
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If you are strongly allergic to dogs, it would be in your best interest to hire a professional cleaning service.

Let them know about your allergies and get estimates based on the square footage and number of rooms.

The money spent will be well worth the lack of stuffy/ runny noses itchy eyes, sneezing and general discomfort.

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