TL;DR
Get cleaning gear delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
Apartment Therapy writer Laura Wheatman Hill tested a steamer, a portable Bissell cleaner and a homemade vinegar-and-dish-soap mixture on separate cushions of the same couch. She and her son judged the homemade solution most effective at reducing dog odor, though the test was informal and did not establish how it would work on other fabrics or couches.
Apartment Therapy writer Laura Wheatman Hill reported that a homemade mix of white vinegar, warm water and dish soap removed dog odor from her couch more effectively than a steamer or a portable upholstery cleaner in her informal comparison. The test offers a simple cleaning option for pet owners, but its results are based on one sectional couch and subjective before-and-after smell checks.
Hill tested the three methods on different seat cushions or pillows of the same sectional. She vacuumed the cushions first, then tried the methods back-to-back. For each approach, she asked her younger son, whom she described as highly sensitive to smells, to assess the cushion before and after cleaning. The source does not provide laboratory measurements or a controlled test of odor levels.
The reported winner was a spray made with ¼ cup white vinegar, ¾ cup warm water and 1 tablespoon dish soap. Hill said she sprayed the cushion generously, scrubbed it with a microfiber cloth, misted it with plain water, wiped it again and left it to dry. She and her son found that it was the most effective of the three approaches at neutralizing the dog smell, and Hill said it required relatively little work and used ingredients she already had.
The Bissell Pet Stain Eraser, used with the manufacturer’s recommended Pet Pro cleaning solution, also removed the dog odor in Hill’s test, according to her son. However, she said the cushions remained damp despite multiple vacuum passes and a cleaner scent lingered the next day. The supplied source names steaming as the first method, but does not include its rating or a detailed account of its results, limiting a full comparison of all three tests.
A Simple Option for Pet Odors
Persistent pet odor can make upholstered furniture unpleasant even when there is no visible stain. Hill’s account gives readers a low-cost mixture to try using common household supplies, while also illustrating a trade-off reported in her test: the powered cleaner removed the smell but left the cushions damp and with a residual cleaning-product scent.
The findings are useful as a personal test, not a general product ranking. Fabric type, cushion filling, prior cleaning and odor severity can affect results, and Hill tested only one couch. Readers should check their upholstery care label and test any solution on an inconspicuous area before treating a visible section.
Products Worth Considering
Ring Battery Doorbell Plus (2nd Gen) with Chime Plus, Nickel Silver and White
Shark HydroVac MessMaster Corded Wet/Dry Vacuum, Mop & Self-Clean (WD161)
Shark Navigator Lift-Away Upright Vacuum Cleaner, NV356E
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
How the Couch Test Was Run
Hill wrote that she was preparing her home for holiday visitors and wanted to address a lingering dog smell in her upholstered couch. She first vacuumed all the cushions, then used a separate cushion or pillow for each method. Having the same household member assess the odors before and after gave the test a consistent informal check, but it did not make the comparison a controlled study: the cushions may have differed in use or odor, and the source does not report repeated trials.
In her conclusion, Hill said she still planned to go over the couch with a steamer after using the vinegar mixture, describing that as an extra step for sanitizing. That is a plan she reported, not evidence in the article that steaming improved odor removal or that the couch had been disinfected.
“The simplest method ended up being the most effective for removing the dog odor.”
— Laura Wheatman Hill, Apartment Therapy writer
Limits of the Odor Comparison
The report does not give objective odor measurements, a sample size beyond one couch or results from multiple repetitions. It also does not specify the upholstery fabric, provide a detailed result for the steamer, or establish whether the homemade mixture is safe for every couch material. The phrase “most effective” reflects Hill’s and her son’s impressions, not a measured comparison.
It is also unclear from the supplied material how long the vinegar mixture’s result lasted or whether it affected the fabric’s color, texture or odor after fully drying. The account does not report a separate test for removing stains, and it should not be read as proof that the mixture disinfects upholstery.
Check Fabric Before Cleaning
Hill said she intended to clean the rest of her couch with the steamer after applying the winning mixture, but the supplied report does not include results from that planned step. Readers considering the recipe can first review the couch maker’s care instructions and test the solution on a hidden area, then let the test patch dry fully before proceeding.
Any broader conclusion would require testing on more couches, fabrics and levels of odor, with repeated assessments and clearer drying-time comparisons. Until then, Hill’s finding is best treated as a single household trial: the vinegar, water and dish-soap mix worked best for her couch and her two smell assessors, while results elsewhere remain uncertain.
Key Questions
Which method did Hill report as the winner?
She said the white vinegar, warm water and dish-soap mixture was the most effective at neutralizing dog odor on her couch in this test.
What were the mixture’s proportions?
The recipe in the report uses ¼ cup white vinegar, ¾ cup warm water and 1 tablespoon dish soap. Hill sprayed it on the cushion, scrubbed with a microfiber cloth, misted with plain water, wiped again and let it dry.
Did the Bissell cleaner remove the odor?
According to Hill, her son confirmed that the dog smell was gone after she used the cleaner with its recommended solution. She also reported that the cushion stayed damp and a cleaning-product scent remained the next day.
Does the test prove the recipe works on every couch?
No. It was an informal test on one sectional, with smell assessed by Hill and her son. The report does not establish results across different upholstery fabrics or couches.
Source: apartmenttherapy.com
