Carpeting: This would be a good time to get the carpets professionally cleaned. But in the meantime, to wipe up any pet accidents right away, blot it with a paper towel and then apply a mixture of equal parts of water and vinegar to soak it up. If the stain is really bad, use pure vinegar, the article suggests. After the area has been soaked up, scrub hard to clean the carpet more deeply and leave a touch of baking soda until it dries. Then, vacuum the area.

Hardwood floors: For any pet odors absorbed on hardwood floors, be sure to handle gently as to not harm the wood. "Vinegar starts removing bad smells immediately," notes writer Megan Wild, a blogger for Your Wild Home. "Alternatively, baking soda and hydrogen peroxide can also do the trick. All three could weaken the sealant or cause bleaching if not applied carefully or if left too long, so don't leave the area unattended."

Leather furniture: Claw marks on leather furniture can look unsightly. To make the claw marks less visible, try applying white vinegar with a soft cloth. "The vinegar makes the leather swell, which may hide the marks," Wild notes. Then, use leather polish, which will further help conceal the scratch marks. If the marks are more severe, you may need to get a leather repair kid, which includes a solution tinted with about the same color as the damaged material.