Dealing With Pet Stains on Carpet
Got pet stains and odors in your carpet? Was Mr. Pickles not able to hold on until you got home? Here are a few tips for taking care of those friendly “reminders” that are sometimes left behind by our furry friends.
Our pets don’t usually let us know when they’ve had an accident. We usually find out when we catch the scent or worse, when we step in it. For these situations, professional carpet cleaners suggest owning a wet vac. This handy little item can be bought at any local hardware store of retail chain at a fair price and may end up saving you a ton of money on carpet cleaning.
One of the biggest mistakes made when it comes to cleaning up pet urine is to grab a towel and attempt to sop up the mess. This may absorb some of the wetness from the surface but what you’re really doing is pushing the liquid down into the padding. Once that urine gets into the padding the only way to get it out is to extract it with cleaning equipment such as a water claw. If you use a wet vac you should be able to suck nearly all of the liquid out of the carpet before it gets into the padding. More times than not, a wet vac followed by your favorite spot remover will usually do the trick.
Now, if you were not lucky enough to catch your pet in the act or get to the problem area while it was still fresh, all is not lost. There are a number of professional carpet cleaners who would be happy to come to your house and take care of that little mess for you. They may be able to take care of the problem with some regular steam cleaning but if the padding has been saturated then one method of extraction would be the water claw. With the water claw treatment your carpet is re-saturated with a 5-gallon mix of enzymes and deodorizer and left to set for about 15 minutes. Next, a tool is used to concentrate the suction onto the spots that have been re-saturated. This basically extracts the solution as well as the pet stain that is in the backing of your carpet. This solution is usually for more severe cases or for anything over 3 months old.
After you’ve taken care of the stain there may still be an odor issue to resolve. Here are some tips for dealing with that not so wonderful smell. The simplest remedy is baking soda. This household item is used effectively when poured over the problem area and left to absorb the odor for a little while. Once the baking soda has had time to permeate the fabric all you need to do is vacuum it up. For more stubborn odors you can try a carpet foam. Just follow the instructions on the label and you should be good to go.
Sometimes the odor may require something more. When this is the case you can always try steam cleaning. Use a little bit of carpet cleaning product or even white vinegar with the steam cleaner for better results. If you’ve exhausted all of the home remedies then you can always call a professional carpet company and have them make a visit to your home. A worse case scenario would be to replace the padding underneath the carpet. This process can take a lot of time and money to complete and should be used as a last course of action.
Most stains and odors can be taken care of without having to contact a professional carpet cleaner. Remember to try these helpful tips on your own first. It could end up saving you a significant amount of money.