Pet Stains and How to Deal with Them


I know you’ve all heard this before but – pet stains happen. They happen and the odors that go along with them happens too. But we love our precious pets - don't we.


Whether it’s from your dog or from your cat you’ll want to know what to do. Here is a few things to consider:

• Whenever possible, act quickly. This can make things so much easier when it comes to cleaning up pet accidents. I say “whenever” because a lot of us work and will, unfortunately, not be around when this happens and may not even know it has happened until later.

• Don’t use ammonia on your pets urine stains. Pet urine contains ammonia and the composition of household ammonia is so much like the smell of urine your pet may mistake the ammonia you’re cleaning with as their own and will continue to urinate in the same spot again and again. Ammonia is highly alkaline and not good for carpet fibers. It will also leave a residue that is hard to remove completely, and this residue will only attract dirt as it is walked over.

• Clean and deodorize. Not only will you need to clean the stain but you will want to deodorize as well.

Removing Pet Stains from Carpeting

Maybe you forgot to take the dog out for his last potty trip before bed, maybe your pet is young or an elderly pet, whichever it is, let’s look at what you can do “when accidents happen”. This method will work for both urine and feces; it’s the best method when in a pinch.

Urine and Feces Stains

1. Use white paper towels and absorb as much mess as possible, blot (don’t scrub) until you can’t get any more liquid out of the carpet. It may take quite a few paper towels but you do need to get it all up. If you don’t have paper towels, use a clean but old rag.

2. Put white vinegar in a spray bottle and spray on the stain then blot again with paper towels. Let this sit a few minutes. Repeat as necessary until staining is gone, let air dry. Using a spray bottle will help you from getting too much on the carpet so it doesn’t soak into the padding beneath.

3. When finished, use clean warm water to rinse. Blot until almost dry.

4. If any odor remains, use baking soda to sprinkle on the spot and allow it to sit overnight then vacuum in the morning. You can work it into the carpet with your fingers or an old toothbrush, be careful not to scrub so you don’t fray the carpet fibers.

With feces, carefully scoop up as much as possible then move on to step 2.
Something pet owners should consider keeping on hand is an enzymatic cleaner specifically for accidents of these types, especially urine stains. A couple of them to look into are: Nature's Miracle and Urine Off.

Remove Vomit Stains on Furniture

Oxyclean works very well to remove vomit stains. Remove as much of the vomit as possible with paper towels. Read the instructions on the oxyclean and prepare a mixture to clean the furniture.

Now get a clean cloth and blot the mixture on the stained area. Follow the cleaning by rinsing with clean water and using another clean cloth.

Image location: http://mrg.bz/4P19qo

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