One of the most difficult things to manage in the day to day running of any boarding kennel is odour. From urine to food, dogs tend to bring a lot of unpleasant odours with them. The more dogs you care for, the worse the smell can get. It's important to keep odours low for a number of reasons. Firstly, strong smells can put off dog owners who are checking out your facility; prospective customers will see a smelly environment as one that's poorly run and dirty. Strong smells from other dogs can also make nervous pooches uncomfortable. If a dog has a bad time at your facility due to stress, their owner is unlikely to bring them back. Some smells can also be a sign of the presence of harmful bacteria, indicating that you need to improve the indoor air quality. If you're struggling with odour at your boarding facility, here are 3 top tips to follow.

Always Disinfect

Many kennel cleaners start or end the day by removing poop and mopping each dog's living quarters with hot water and detergent. While this seems like it should be enough to remove any odours, you may notice that they still persist after cleaning. This is because regular soapy water doesn't kill the microorganisms responsible for the smell. Disinfection should be the final step of kennel cleaning each day. After the usual mopping, have your cleaners use a pet-safe bleach (diluted as instructed on the packaging) to disinfect the kennels. The bleach and water mixture should be spread throughout the kennels and left for several minutes to kill the bacteria. Afterwards, thoroughly rinse the floors with fresh water.

Manage Your Tools

Effective management of cleaning tools is essential in keeping odours at bay. While mops and buckets are supposed to make things clean and fresh-smelling, they can also make odours worse if they're not cleaned and cleared away regularly. Make sure every mop used is disinfected immediately after cleaning every single time. If your mops still smell after disinfecting, you may need to replace the head. You should also empty, rinse, and remove mop buckets immediately after cleaning. Stagnant water is the ideal breeding ground for smelly bacteria and can start to produce pungent odours quickly if left untouched.

Install New Air Conditioning

If your AC unit isn't doing its job well, the odorous bacteria particles in the air won't be removed efficiently. Having a new air conditioner installed could be the answer to your odour problems. If you're buying a new unit, why not consider reverse cycle air conditioning? As well as being great at cleaning the air of unpleasant aromas, these systems also adapt to your seasonal needs - and added bonus for doggy comfort.

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