This homemade odor neutralizer spray is a total lifesaver! I just discovered it a few weeks ago and have been using it like crazy. You only need a few ingredients that you may already have at home to make your own and get rid of pet, baby and musty home odors without using a chemical filled room spray.
This spray is great for pet odors, dirty diaper odors, musty smells and any odor you need to neutralize. This spray absorbs odors naturally!
See this little guy? That's Nash, our sweet fur baby. We love him and his sisters (which are cats) dearly, but we are not in love with the odors that come with having pets. We use this odor neutralizer to get rid of outdoor dog smell, cat litter odor and any other lovely surprises our pets provide ;)
What you will need:
1 ¾ cups distilled water
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 tablespoon of lemon juice (store bought or fresh squeezed)
Mix water, baking soda and lemon juice in a large bowl and stir or whisk together. The ingredients may fizz a little, so wait a few minutes until they stop fizzing. Both lemon and baking soda are traditional odor eaters, and the bonus is...most people have them on hand and they are super inexpensive!
Pour the mixture into a clean spray bottle and shake well.
Spray your area that needs refreshing 2 - 3 times per day to get rid of odors!
If you would like to print out the cute Cleaning Labels I use for all of my homemade cleaning solutions, click HERE!
You can find all of my Cleaning Hacks and Home Tips HERE!
Cindy says
Have you tried this in shoes?
Jessica says
Hi, Cindy! This works great in shoes...you can even add a little lavender oil to the mix if you really want to tackle shoe odor. Hope this helps! ~Jess
Denise Irish says
Jess, my question is a little more involved. I foster cats, primarily special needs kitties. The most recent of which is a beautiful little calico named Sissy. She was labeled unadoptable because of her renal disease causing incontinence. As in the past, I have resorted to using cat diapers. Which work well, but in Sissy's case, the blood in her stool, causes extremely bad odors that literally cling to her. She gets bathed every other day, and is washed with diaper wipes at every changing, is this spray safe to apply directly to Sissy's fur/skin?
Jessica says
I would not apply this to her fur or skin. I have purchased natural pet wipes in the past, and those may work best for you. Hope this helps, and so sorry to hear that sweet little cat has to go through that...and you too :(
Jessica says
There are several all natural foaming no rinse pet cleaners on the market that would be perfect for cleaning her between baths. Put on a rubber glove and fill your palm with the foaming cleanser, use your hand to rub the foam in a circular motion until it disappears, wipe with a damp mirofiber cloth. This will do wonders!
A says
Citrus is bad for cats, it caused respiratory problems. Cats are very sensitive to a lot of things.
Tara says
What's the shelf life?
Jessica says
I would keep no more than 3 months. Hope this helps! ~Jess
Jerry says
The shelf life is when it stops fizzing.... baking soda and lemon neutralize each other to make water and carbon dioxide.....so basically it is useless once it has stopped fizzing.
Gina says
Jess does it have to be distilled water?
Jessica says
You don't have to use distilled water, but I like to because it is cleaner and helps the homemade cleaners last longer. Hope this helps! ~Jess
Leslie says
Where do you get your cute small-sized spray. Titles? I want those! Thank you, leslie
Leslie says
Bottles
Dea says
Please know that lemon is a smell that cats hate! So it's not really nice to use that smell in a cats home :)
Ethan says
Thank you for this! I ended up adding 3 tablespoons of white vinegar and an extra 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice.
HK says
Hello,
Nice, but does it really work for cats !?
Thank You.
Rylee jay says
Does this work for the smell of smoke
Jessica says
Yes it does :)
Vanessa says
Hi,
Is it possible to use vinegar instead of lemon?
Thanks
Vanessa
Jessica says
Vinegar is a great cleaner, but lemon is a good odor neutralizer. Not sure it would be a good swap.
Deborah Marshall says
I have tried baking soda before (but not with lemon juice) and it left horrible white stains on anything I sprayed. Does the lemon juice neutralize the staining?
Jessica says
Lemon juice is a great odor neutralizer.I've done the same with baking soda, and it has to be vacuumed up.
sandee says
How about smelly drawers which gets in clothes. We have antique dressers and all our clothes smell musty
Jessica says
You could try adding some baking soda containers in your drawers with some drops of lemon essential oils. Or, you could place cedar chips in the back of them. Both help with musty smells.
Alana Larson says
Does this work for pet odor on carpets ?
Jessica says
It sure does!
Rhian says
Would this work and be safe to use on artificial grass where we have bunnies, I would obviously spray when they are safely away in hutch
Jorja says
I made this spray and it worked well but after a few days it got a very bad smell....any idea why? The lemon juice smells fine and the water was distilled, I'm puzzled.
James says
Could I used deionised instead of distilled water, or is distilled best?
Sandra says
Can you add an essential oil to this natural pet odorizer?
Jessica says
You can, but you should do some research first. Different essential oils can be harmful for pets to ingest, depending on what type of pet you own.
Trevor says
Hi,
Will this remove odours or smells in bluejeans and if so how often would you recommend using this on denim? I have anosmia (no sense of smell) and unable to smell when to deodorize.
Thanks!
julie says
Jessica, Have you ever used your odor neutralizer in the toilet - like "why flush" - when you really don't need to waste the water and flush?
Jody says
Would this work for marijuana smells? It would be a godsend if so.
Jessica says
I'm not sure it would erase the smell from the air, but it would most likely work for fabrics. Hope this helps!
molly says
we have a boston terrier as well, but she has an irish accent. im gonna try this cause she makes stink. so this will either help with the smell or youll find me dead in a week. good luck
Odor Neutralizer Spray says
Thank you for sharing this informative article about the odor-neutralizing spray. I hope there are a lot of consumers who could read this and be guided accordingly.
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Tracie says
Hi Jessica,
I recently discovered your odor neutralizer spray recipe. Ive read your post on it several times and the other comments listed that i could find. However, i’m a bit confused regarding the use of the spray ,coupled with some of the comments, regarding baking soda in a spray and leaving white behind. Is this odor spray for the air to neutralize odors in any room? Or is this intended for fabrics? Or is it intended for both? Secondly, i saw your answer to the shelf life. But, how do i store this spray? I used organic store bought lemon juice because i had on hand- should this spray be stored in frig to preserve it? ( i read one comment bought an awful smell coming from bottle).. i just made the recipe but need some guidance before i use. Please answer my questions and thank you for the clarity. Warmly, Tracie