If you have a pet, they are likely a big part of your family.  But keeping the carpet and rugs clean could be a real challenge.  Heck, even keeping tile and hardwood floors clean is tough.  It is not only the fur and dirt that you have to worry about. No matter how well potty-trained your pet is, accidents and mistakes can happen while training, frightened, or illness. The urine or vomit stain could be really bad if not tended to immediately.

It’s a Breeding Place for Germs

Dog urine is especially extremely acidic and the longer the urine stays on the carpet, the more it will soak down the fibers and the more stained your caret will get. If it dries up, the pH level will get higher thus entertaining bacterial growth.

A dirty carpet loaded with dust, rotting micro-food particles and pet urine could be a breeding ground for bacteria, allergens, and pollutants. Norovirus, popularly known as Norwalk Virus, often found occurring in dirty carpets and upholstery causes stomach problems and digestive problems. Salmonella, another notorious virus is often associated with contaminated food. However, the virus can be tracked right at your home, your carpet and vacuum cleaners. So if you have little kids or infants who pick up fallen food from the carpet and pop it into the mouth, its time you take precautions.

Tips to Remove Pet Stains from Carpets

Here are some tips to help you get the tricky pet stains out from your carpet.

• If you spot the urine stain while it is still wet, try to soak up as much moisture as possible immediately using paper towels. Repeat using paper towels till the spot is merely damp. Next, place a fresh set of newspapers or paper towels on the stain and press hard for a minute using your foot.
• Cleanse the area with cool water and ensure that the water washes out completely through the carpet fibers. Now soak up all the moisture once again using fresh paper towels.
• Do not scrub. Blot the stained area. Otherwise, the stain can spread or the intense rubbing can ruin your carpet.
• Avoid putting heat or warm water to your carpet as it might not only ruin the material and texture of your carpet but also make the stain and odor more permanent. And you would not want that!
• Do not pour in chemical cleansers thinking the more, the better. An excess of chemical residue will attract more dirt in the future. Rather, repeat the cleansing process.
• Before doing this cleaning process, conduct a patch test to ensure that your carpet will be able to withstand the chemical. You would not want to end up with a discolored carpet now, would you?
• To remove vomit, use a scraper or dustpan to remove the chunks and blot with paper towels to remove the moisture.
• You could use a wet vac or shop vacuum.  Or you could rent a carpet cleaner from your local hardware store to clean the stain. The machine flushes your carpet with clean water forcefully and draws out the consequential dirty water, giving your carpet a deep cleansing.
• You might want to use natural ingredients than the chemical ones since the latter can adversely affect your fur babies.

How to Remove Pet Stains from your Carpet?

• Vinegar and baking soda is an effective way to remove pet stains from carpets. Wait till the two react and then vacuum it up.
• To remove more serious stains like vomit, prepare a solution of 1 tbsp salt, 2 cups of lukewarm water, half cup vinegar and 1 tbsp of liquid dish soap. Dip a soft cloth into the solution and blot it on the stain. After the stain is gone, use clean water to remove the cleaner and then dry it up with clean paper towels.
• Another effective DIY solution would be half cup hydrogen peroxide mixed with 1 teaspoon of liquid dish detergent. Pour the solution onto the stained area sprinkled with baking soda. Gently rub or blot with a soft cloth and let it sit for 10 minutes. Later, make certain you remove the moisture using dry towels and vacuum it up.
• You could also use the Spot Shot, prepared especially to remove pet stains, for an easier and quicker alternative. After removing the chunks and moisture, smear Spot Shot on the stain and blot it away with a clean soft cloth. Spot Shot also has a non-toxic pet formula and hence is a safe option. A little bit of the cleaner will work wonders and you do not have to saturate your entire carpet with it. After the stains come out, wash it with cold water and blot the moisture away.

Why Do You Need For Professional Carpet Cleaning?

However, in spite of several home remedies available in order to get an effective pet odor removal, it’s beneficial to hire professional experts with efficient techniques and equipment.

A highly specialized pet odor removal team uses initial inspections, black-light inspection, odor inspections, and moisture content measurements before the actual work begins. The soiled carpets are submerged with an enzyme solution that breaks down the particles and destroys the odor. The carpets are then rinsed, cleaned, steam cleaned and deodorized. New pads are often installed, the sub-floors are sealed and the carpet is re-installed.

Example: Hot Water Extraction Method of Cleaning?

The hot water extraction process works by heating up water within a machine to a certain temperature and then adds detergent or other cleaning material along with it and then spraying the same on the carpet. The mixture of hot water and detergent is able to remove stain and grime off the carpet quite effectively. Once the job is done, the machine again extracts the mixture of hot water and detergent, now containing the dirt and grime mixed with it, allowing the carpet to dry up quickly and effectively in a very effective manner. This method prevents damage to the carpet fibers during the cleaning process.

Final Thoughts

We know you love your pets and you love your carpets and they both might not always be a good pair. It is frustrating to get carpets relieved off the stains but these tips will help you. You might also consider retraining your pups and cats or changing their training process to avoid such issues in the future.