Urine, Hair, And Poop: How To Remove The Three Pet-Related Offenders From Your Carpet
Pets make lovely companions and can add a lot of joy to your life. But sadly, they can also make quite a mess of your carpet. Between hair, urine stains, and poop stains, your carpet might start looking and smelling quite offensive if you're not careful about your cleanup. Here's a look at some effective ways to remove all three of these pet-related offenders from your carpet.
Urine Stains
The problem with urine stains is often that even once you have gotten rid of the yellow spot, the unpleasant scent remains. The best solution for this is an enzymatic cleaner. This product can be found in most pet stores and some home goods stores. Once you've soaked up as much of the urine as you can, you spray the enzymatic cleaner onto the spot and give it some time to work. The enzymes break down the proteins in the urine, getting rid of both the stench and the stain. After a few minutes, soak the liquid up from the stained area using a thick layer of towels or paper towels.
If you don't have access to an enzyme cleaner, try using a mixture of 1 part vinegar and 1 part water instead. It's not quite as effective but will do a decent job in a pinch.
Poop Stains
When dealing with poop stains, the first thing you need to do is pick up the actual offending material. Put on some rubber gloves and use a thick layer of paper towels to help you with this task. Once you've removed as much material as you can, prepare a mixture of dish soap and water. Spray this onto the rug, and then gently rub the area with a washcloth or towel, starting on the outside of the stained area and working your way inwards. Repeat this process until you can no longer see a stain. Then, spray the area with an enzymatic cleaner or vinegar/water mixture – this will help remove the stench. Let it soak in for a few minutes, and then soak it up with a towel.
Hair
Your vacuum is your secret weapon when it comes to removing hair. Here are a few ways to make vacuuming more effective:
- Make sure your vacuum's brush is set low enough that it actually works its way through the carpet and loosens the hair
- Sprinkle baking soda on your carpet about an hour before vacuuming. The baking soda will absorb moisture from the carpet, so the hair does not stick to it so readily.
With the tips above, you should be able to keep your carpet looking great in spite of having pets. It's also helpful to have the carpet professionally cleaned at least once a year – this will remove any deeper, set-in hair or smelly material.
For more information and tips, talk with a professional carpet cleaning service, such as Superior Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning Inc.