Anyone with a pet has been through the accidents on the carpet. No matter how much we try to train our pets mistakes happen; and for some reason it always happens on the freshly clean carpets! As much as we try to clean them up the first time around, there are sometimes still stains and odors. There are some tricks to first find the areas and then get them out!
Find the spot:
It might be hard to find an area where your pet had an accident especially after it has dried. However, you can use your nose to sniff out areas. If you don’t want to have to sniff out the spots, you can use a black light instead. Here is how to use the black light successfully:
-Turn out all of the lights.
-Trace the black light over the entire carpeted surface.
-Double check places like corners and behind furniture.
-Outline new and old pet stains with chalk so you can see them when the lights are on.
Cleaning Old Pet Stains:
-If the stain is very set in, consider renting an extractor or wet vac. This machine works well with just water and removes the entire stain from the carpeted area. You can rent one of these from your local hardware store.
-Use a pet odor neutralizer that is available at pet supply stores to get rid of any residual smells.
-After using the extractor or wet vac, if there is still a stain you can use a carpet stain remover as well.
How to Remove Stains from Wood:
If your pet has had an accident on the wood on your furniture, wood floors or baseboards, their urine may have reacted with the varnish and discolored it. You may need to strip the layer of varnish and replace it.
-Go to your local hardware store and have someone help you match the right color of your non-damaged varnish.
-Sand the areas that have been ruined and replace it with fresh color.
What to Avoid:
-Don’t use a steam cleaner. The steam will only make the urine more set into the carpet.
-Avoid chemicals that smell like ammonia or vinegar. This doesn’t remove the smell of urine.
-Do not use an odor neutralizer unless you have cleaned up ALL of the chemicals from the cleaner first. If there are traces of the cleaner the neutralizer will not work because it will be picking up the smell of the cleaner instead of the proteins from the urine.
If you take the right steps and avoid just a few things, removing pet stains and odors shouldn’t be too hard! If you need any other information or more tips visit the humane society website here.
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