33 Things To Help You Tackle Disgusting Pet Messes

Jan 13, 2024

We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed collects a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.

Your pet can be both adorable *and* kinda gross, but these things can help keep the gross part to a minimum.

BuzzFeed Staff

They also make a top-rated pet candle that's worth checking out!

Pet House By One Fur All is a small biz based in Florida that makes products to freshen pet-loving homes.

Promising review: "Very effective odor control without the overpowering smell of “air fresheners.” This product actually DOES freshen the air and leaves behind a subtle scent. Highly recommended." —James O. Nelson

Get it from Amazon for $9.99 (available in six scents and as a two-pack).

Promising review: "I have three indoor cats, two of them seniors and they have really started shedding terribly. I own no less than a dozen different pet hair/lint removal gadgets and not ONE of them even approaches the effectiveness of this product. Normally, I time my pet hair removal sessions to right before I shower because I am dripping sweat after half an hour of grueling work. I just removed every trace of pet hair from my sofa in less than 5 minutes and I didn't even break a sweat. As I stood back and examined my sofa, I did not believe it had actually removed the hair but had probably pushed it around somewhere less visible. I popped the button that opens the hair collection compartment on the roller, and THE HAIR WAS IN THERE. WHAT?!!?! It actually took the hair off of my sofa and put it in the compartment!! Literally, I almost cried. I am considering having guests over into my home again...going out to make some friends right now!" —A.W.

Get it from Amazon for $24.99.

Promising review: “Love love love Folex!! Super easy to use. The bottle does exactly what it says. My chairs were SUPER DIRTY from my 2.5-year-old grandson eating and feeding dogs. I couldn’t believe how easy it was and how clean they got after just one use. Mind blown!!” —Carobnty

Get it from Amazon for $6.65+ (also available in packs of three or five).

Check out our full FURemover pet hair broom review for more deets!

Promising review: "I have two dogs — a terrier mix and a short-hair dachshund mix. I have a navy woven couch that LOVES my dachshund's fur. I have tried pretty much everything to get the fur out — traditional lint roller, those blue fuzzy lint rollers, special vacuum attachments, etc. The terrier's fur comes out great with all of those options. The dachshund's fur, much like the dachshund herself, remains stubbornly on my couch. I got this product as the new 'let's see if it works' item of the month with low expectations. THE FUR ACTUALLY CAME OUT, GUYS. It acts like a broom for my couch — sweeping the fur (with some elbow grease) basically onto the floor where I vacuum it up! Give this a try if my story sounds pretty similar to yours!" —Janielle

Get it from Amazon for $16.99.

Promising review: "I have a German shepherd affectionately known as a German 'Shedder.' All I do is chase this dog around the house with my Dyson, especially the two times a year she blows her coat. I had no expectations when I ordered the undercoat rake as nothing else has worked besides a spring shave, which looks ridiculous. By reading the other reviews, I utilized short strokes, one area at a time and literally the fur was flying. It's the first time I really felt like I could successfully get to and eliminate the undercoat shedding. So much was coming off of her, a neighbor walking by expressed her displeasure with the flying fur! I've used it several days in a row now and despite the fact she's not a fan of standing still that long I think it is fantastic." —MollsMav

Get it from Amazon for $14.97 (available in eight colors).

Promising review: "Worth every penny. You can't believe any cat litter could be worth this price, right? But it is. After sticking with brands available in grocery stores for 40 years, I tried Dr. Elsey's. Everything about it is better. Odor control, ease of scooping, absorbency, dust reduction. Plus, my cat is obviously more comfortable with it." —Joan

Get an 18-pound bag from Amazon for $11.69.

Promising review: "This cover has been a lifesaver for our fabric sofa. We had the sofa professionally cleaned and then put on the cover. When we have company, the cover comes off easily, stores easily, and leaves a hair-free, stain-free sofa for our guests. The cover's been on three months, and has been washed twice. All stains have come out without any special effort. We use a ChomChom to get dog hair off the cover while it's on the sofa. There doesn't seem to be any deterioration of the cover even though we use the ChomChom almost daily." —Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $24.97+ (available in 11 sizes and 28 colors).

Promising review: "I have a Swiss shepherd and he often gets very messy. I used to take him to the park and lake without a seat cover and my car was a big mess. My last cover broke pretty quickly so I replaced it with this one. I love the non-slip bottom. It is waterproof and protects my car seats from mud, water, and fur. The seat belt openings are large enough. This is a great product, high quality, and reasonably priced." —Raiders

Get it from Amazon for $43.19+ (available in two sizes and six colors).

Good news: it's hypoallergenic, chemical-free, and fragrance-free!

Allergy Asthma Cleaning Store is a family-owned business making safe cleaning goods for the whole family. If you suffer from pet allergies, it's recommended you spray this daily. For dust mite allergies, try three times a week.

Promising review: "I have horrible allergies. Dust, certain dogs, all cats, pollen, etc. We have a vacation house that is used by many family members and their pets. Nothing has worked. I tried this and it’s amazing. No smell, no residue. I spray it on everything when I arrive and I’m not bothered by any dander at all. No more scratching my eyeballs raw or itchy throats. Just buy it already. Worth it!" —scoop

Get it from Amazon for $19.99.

Promising review: "I shower my dogs in the tub and this makes it really easy to clean out the dog hair. It doesn't just stop the dog hair from going down the drain but it also lets the water continue to drain while collecting loads of dog hair. When my dog is shedding, I do have to pull it out to clean twice but that beats having to grab clumps of fur from the top of the drain every few seconds" —EV

Get it from Amazon for $8.99+ (available in six colors).

Promising reviews: These are great wipes. I use them for my cat. She enjoys being wiped down with these. I use one in each hand and give her a massage everyday using these wipes. They smell nice and are very moist, not dry at all. They are also nice and big and thick! These will be the only wipes I buy for her from now on. I’ve tried others and these are by far the best ones. So happy I finally found these for my cat. They help tremendously with her shedding and dander. Most importantly, she loves them. She purrs the whole time I use these on her. Great product!" —Online Shopping is My Middle Name!

"I use these every day. After walks and at the end of the day. Helps keep my westie free from pollens that annoy him and me! These are not going to remove a ton of dirt but definitely enough to keep paws clean and coat free of pollen/light dirt." —kattigrr

Get a pack of 100 wipes from Amazon for $12.99 (available in four sizes and two scents).

Each litter box comes with a pre-portioned package of litter that you pour into the tray. It will start cleaning 20 minutes after it's detected that your cat has left the box. When the tray is full, simply remove it and dispose of it.

Promising review: "This litter box is amazing!! I sometimes get lazy when it comes to cleaning the litter box daily, and this solves that perfectly. TIP: to get my cats used to a new litter box, I sprinkled some of their original litter into the new litter, and made the box do a 'clean' so that it distributed the original litter evenly. Don’t use too much though, this machine definitely won’t work with clumping litter. Great investment!" —Kaselyn Ondrias

Get it from Amazon for $199.95+ (also available in front and top entry styles).

BuzzFeed Shopping editor Jenae Sitzes uses this litter mat and says: "I've been using this trapper mat for months now, and while it's pretty much impossible to eliminate all litter from your home if you own even one cat, let alone multiple, this mat has made keeping the floor of my litter box room MUCH more manageable. Unlike other mats, where the litter just kind of sits on top and eventually gets kicked elsewhere, this mat is designed so that the litter falls through the holes and stays inside the mat until you're ready to dump it. It's made out of an EVA material that's supposed to be gentle enough for cat paws, and my two kitties don't seem to have a problem walking on it. I *highly* recommend getting the larger 30-by-24-inch mat to extend the coverage area — I initially got the smaller one but went back for the larger size and it's perfect. Note that the mat will probably have a fold down the middle when it first arrives, but just give it some time and weigh it down with something if needed; it'll lay flat."

Promising review: "My cat has a serious issue tracking litter. Searched all over Amazon for a mat. Initially wanted a hard plastic one with raised sides, so I wasn’t sure how well this would work. But I’m not having to clean nearly as much. Stops almost all litter as my cat jumps out of the box. This is probably my favorite purchase I’ve ever made for my cat. 100% worth it. Get this!!" —None

Get it from Amazon for $14.99+ (available in two sizes and three colors).

Add water, insert paw, and let the soft silicone bristles do the dirty work!

Promising review: "During the winter months, my backyard is a mess as the grass dies off and the ground becomes muddy. Every time my old girl went outside, she came back with dirty paws. I tried wet rags, a small storage box with a couple of inches of water, and even baby wipes. This device is small and easy to use. I keep it in my garage by the back door and at the ready. I wash all four paws and dry them with a paper towel in a couple of minutes. I wish I invented this simple effective paw cleaner." —Dave P.

Get it from Amazon for $14.40+ (available in three sizes, eight colors, and two sizes with or without a lid).

This stain and odor eliminator spray uses a chlorine-free and color-safe formula that is safe to use around pets and children. The natural enzymes in this product are activated on contact, which allows it to feed on ammonia crystals and organic matter until they're completely eliminated.

Rocco & Roxie is a family-owned small business named after the Magleby family's pets Rocco, a Labradoodle, and Roxie, a former shelter tabby cat. They make a variety of pet supplies, including cleaners, treats, grooming tools, accessories, and toys.

Promising review: "I don’t leave reviews, EVER! BUT this product is hands down worth every penny. I’m amazed, it’s magic. The dog urine smell from our kitchen tile grout was driving me [wild], to the point I was convincing my husband to buy me new flooring. I thought I would try this before dropping thousands on that idea. I’m glad I did! This stuff smells so damn good and the next day, I didn’t smell any urine anymore. Super thankful for this product, it’s my new go-to!" —ASHLEE

Get it from Amazon for $19.97+ (also available in a larger size).

Promising review: “This is it: the solution to all pet odors EVER!!!!! I moved into a rental but could definitely tell there had been a cat here before us. Sorry, cat lovers! They are cute, but they can smell bad if not properly cleaned up after, and I’m seriously allergic!!! So, I knew I had some scrubbing and massive cleaning ahead of me so that I could live here. I bought this and OMG! It was like magic!!! The smell was gone from every room except the downstairs bathroom, which I figured was the scene of the crime: the litter box location!!!!! I sprayed that room as though I was cleaning up evidence from a horrific crime and got the doorjamb really well. It is unreal, but the smell is GONE.” —LauraLiz

Get it from Amazon for $19.97 (available in four sizes).

Promising review: "OMG this is disgusting!!! I hope this isn't all just cat pee that shows up cause there is a lot! I bought this because I thought my cat was peeing in one room and couldn't find the exact spot so I bought this. Found the spot and more. Would recommend." —Momof3boys

Get it from Amazon for $11.99.

Check out a TikTok of the lint removers in action.

Promising review: "Love this tool!!! I bought it based off a TikTok hack I stumbled upon to help tackle pet hair. I have three cats who shed and sometimes I don’t think my vacuum picks it up very well. Well I purchased this and it removed pretty much all the hair in the areas I went over my carpet with. I cleaned an entire staircase without breaking a sweat using this tool and it picks up so much hair!!" —Kymberlianne Brackins

Get a two-pack from Amazon for $7.99.

Promising review: "My cats are not fans of being brushed... however... they LOVE being brushed with this FURminator! I wish I would have purchased it sooner. It removes so much more fur than any other brush. Worth every penny." —Clint/Abby

Get it from Amazon for $32.99 (available in small or large sizes and for long or short hair cats. Also available for dogs for $53.99).

The pooper scooper comes with an adjustable lightweight handle that extends up to 32 inches. It's equipped with an Arm & Hammer Swivel Bin and rake. You also get two no-touch, heavy-duty waste bags with activated baking soda to fight odors. Refill bags can be purchased separately, but many reviewers say regular grocery bags work just as well!

Promising review: "Bought this to help me out since I have back issues. This is amazing! It really works great at getting all the poop and staying clean since you use a grocery bag on it each time! The rake doesn't get a lot stuck to it, but when it does it is easy to wipe off in the grass! Definitely a back saver and worth the money!" —waterfalls26

Get it from Amazon for $18.98.

Promising review: "I was happy that I got a big pack of doggy bags because my dog literally will poop anywhere and everywhere at any time and they fit in your pocket perfectly for you to carry on everywhere! Also, whenever you’re using the bag, you can’t even smell the poop because it smells just like lavender!" —Samantha Murguia

Get a pack of 270 bags from Amazon for $13.72+ (available in a lavender scent or unscented and as a pack of 120).

Sunny & Honey is a family-run small business that specializes in cleaning products, especially ones for homes with pets!

Promising review: "I have three elderly dogs and one elderly cat. Incontinence issues have been a regular issue for my household. Carpet Miracle not only removes deep-set stains, has a pleasant scent and removes pet odor, it brightens the carpet like never before. If pet odor and deeply set stains and pet odor are a problem in your household, use Carpet Miracle! You won't regret it." —Charles Green

Get it from Amazon for $16.97.

I bought this stuff shortly after adopting a new cat because, somehow, I totally forgot about all the fun smells that linger in the house with a feline around. I keep this near the litter box and it makes a significant difference in the not-so-pleasant odors (with regular scooping/changing, of course). I went with the original scent and I LOVE that it doesn't give off an overpowering, artificial smell. One jar lasted over three months before I had to repurchase it. Needless to say, I bought a two-pack the second time around!

Promising review: "I have eight large breed dogs who have the run of the house, even though we sweep and vacuum twice a day you can still smell dog. I have little to nothing in the way of soft surfaces that hold odor and the whole house gets a deep clean three times a week, but the smell keeps popping up. I put three of these around my house and people have asked me if the dogs are not in the house anymore. It doesn't cover up the smell, it really eliminates it and leaves the house smelling crisp and clean." —Pamela Caldwell BB

Get a set of two from Amazon for $24.98 (available in three scents, three sizes, and in packs of one or three).

Promising reviews: "I don't normally leave reviews, but I felt not doing so wouldn't do this product justice. I have two dogs, shorter hair, that I brush daily. I had NO idea how ineffective the brush I was using was, until I used these gloves!! My dogs love it and it removes so much hair and dandruff, you will never want to stop. Well worth the price and your dogs will love you even more!!" —Kristy Kaat

"Well, these are by far the best grooming tools I've used to brush my cat. I'm shocked at the amount of hair these things remove. That being said, I've got enough hair off one grooming to make myself another whole cat. Definitely worth the money." —Mike Desroches

Get a pair from Amazon for $14.99+ (available in five colors).

Promising review: "I’m so glad I purchased this truly well-made litter box for my senior kitty Dublin. The entrance part is nice and low, but not too low that litter spills out. The sides are high enough to allow for an ample amount of litter. The material is sturdy and smooth without sharp edges and doesn’t bend or buckle. I’ve had cats most of my life and many litter boxes along the way, but this is definitely my favorite. I highly recommend buying this litter box!" —arissimo

Get it from Amazon for $39.95.

Cats who like to tear big holes in litter box liners make them pretty much pointless to use, but reviewers say these heavy-duty liners are sturdy enough to withstand the shredding. These are jumbo-size too, so they'll fit most litter boxes.

Promising review: "If you’re considering this product just try it. I have two cats and just got a scoop free box with a reusable tray. The tray was so hard to clean but using these liners has made it so easy to change. My cats chew and claw at everything and the liner had absolutely no leaks or tears. Would definitely recommend and will be purchasing regularly!" —Mike

Get a 15-pack from Amazon for $9.84.

I Just Make Scents is a small biz owned by a husband and wife team. They sell hand-poured soy candles.

Promising review: "The item came QUICK and was AMAZING. Definitely exceeded my expectations. I LOVED the scent; everything about it was just perfect. I needed a candle to get rid of a pet smell in my home, and when I tell you, within ONE HOUR the smell was almost completely unrecognizable. I could not smell any dog back there!!! The dog smell was VERY bad and strong in my house, so I KNOW this candle is strong with taking out a bad smell in the house. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! I really love it, and I’m about to buy five more candles and will continue to do so!!! Only thing I wish they had was a bigger candle 'cause their candles are quite small. … But I love them, and they do the job!!!" —Elicia

Get it from I Just Make Scents on Etsy for $11.99.

Promising review: "I love the size and look of this pad. I have an old lady pug who at times cannot wait to go out and she always pees on the rug leading from my door. I have just replaced the rug with the pee pad and it works perfectly and it is cute too. I have washed and dried both with no issues." —Stacy

Get it from Amazon for $38.95+ (available in two shapes, three pack sizes, and 19 pee pad sizes).

Promising review: "This is an excellent purifier for those who are affected by cat dander, mold, and other problems associated with breathing difficulties. I have several cats so there is so much hair in the air in addition to their dander. This machine has solved my breathing problems during the night. (I use it in my bedroom). In fact, I am sleeping better every night, which I'm sure is due to the cleaner air that I am breathing. Another plus is that I'm using a great deal less tissues." —Linda Cruz

Get it from Amazon for $84.99+ (be sure to clip the $15 off coupon for this price; also available in black).

This robo vac can easily move between hard floors and low-pile carpets/rugs and can pick up all the accumulated dust, dirt, and hair while you go about your day. It's equipped with BoostIQ technology, which enables automatic suction increase to ensure your floors are thoroughly cleaned.

Promising review: "First of all, I LOVE this vacuum. We have a smaller, single-level house with mainly tile floors and low pile carpet... and three indoor/outdoor cats. I hate vacuuming. The cats hated me vacuuming. The Eufy has solved both our issues. I hit the button in the morning or evening, and the little guy trundles around bouncing off of corners and chair legs and the occasional cat butt, and by the time it's done the floor is debris-free. I will say, it's far better at picking up hay bits and sand and cat fur than I expected. It does occasionally catch a stray cord, and it has gotten stuck on the rug with fringed edges a time or two, but for the most part it's really low maintenance and MUCH quieter than I was expecting. The cats, after an initial period of stalking it around the house, mainly ignore it entirely. Its only (slight) flaw is that longer strands of hair (mostly mine) and other strings/threads it pulls from throw rugs tend to wind themselves up around the brush. That said, it's super easy to remove and clean the brush once a week or so. The dust bin gets emptied every other use and hasn't been completely full yet." —SunnySD

Get it from Amazon for $214.98+ (also available in white).

Rare 3D Shop is a small business that sells unique 3D-printed products.

Promising review: "This is the only cover that has been able to deter my two cats from shredding our toilet paper! It is worth its weight in gold if you have toilet paper obsessed cats! It also goes perfectly with my bathroom decor! It's both functional and good looking! What more could you want??" —Erin Klodt

Get it from Rare 3D Shop on Etsy for $35 (available in 17 colors).

This set includes a Swiffer device, 14 dry cloths (four heavy duty and ten regular), three wet heavy duty pads, and two wet mopping pads.

Promising review: "Works great. In my part of Texas it's really hot, dry, and dusty. I have three indoor-only cats, which equals tons of dusting, tons of cat fur and yep, cat barf hairballs (which I use the wet pads for). Works like a charm for every mess." —K. Saiz

Get it from Amazon for $16.14.

Promising review: "It’s not just your run-of-the-mill cleaning wipes, there’s something about this product that actually legitimately works. I have dogs who pee and poop in the house sometimes, and I use this product to clean their messes. And it is miraculous. No stains, no smell, nothing. I’ve used it on the inside of my car and removed marks that have been on there for years. It almost works like an eraser. And it works on fabric, wood, rugs, and glass. I buy three or four tubs at a time, because I don’t want to run out. This is my go-to white for pretty much everything. And they’re really not that expensive. Kudos to the Inventors of this!!!" —Jim

Get a tub of 40 wipes from Amazon for $8.99+ (available in two wipe sizes, in counts of 40 or 90, in multipack sizes, and as a refill).

Reviews in this post have been edited for length and/or clarity.