Tips and tricks for removing pet stains

Pets are great providers of easy company that can lift everybody’s mood at home. However, living with pets can be difficult, especially with the mess they create. Besides playing around with various items in the house, they can drop stains that will leave your carpet damp and smelly. If this sounds familiar, below are some tips for the easy removal of pet stains from various surfaces at home.

Clean the stain immediately

The best way to remove pet stains is by cleaning the stained area as soon as possible. Allowing urine to sit on the carpet gives the stains more time to sink and penetrate deeper into the carpet pad, making it hard to remove. Cleaning urine immediately also helps avoid possible discoloration. The presence of alkaline in pet urine bleaches the carpet over time. That said, clean by placing a paper towel to soak the stain. You might have to use several towels depending on the amount of stain on the carpet.

Use homemade cleaning solutions

You shouldn’t spend heavily to clean off your pet stains efficiently. If there are no pet stain removers available, you can make an effective cleaning solution using water and vinegar. Vinegar is an excellent solution of choice compared to other alternative cleaning solutions, as it is non-toxic, doesn’t leave residues behind, and neutralizes the odor-causing ammonia present in pet urine.

Making this cleaning solution is easy. Depending on the amount of cleaning solution that you need, mix equal parts of water and vinegar. You can add some tablespoons of baking soda to increase the efficiency of the resultant solution. Once mixed thoroughly, transfer the solution into a spray bottle to ease its application. It ensures that the solution hits the surface with some force to soak it efficiently.

To use the solution, spray the stained area and allow the solution to soak for approximately 15 minutes. You should then blow up the spot with a towel and vacuum to dry the solution. Remember to keep your pets away from the spot when cleaning.

Don’t rub

Unlike other stains, you shouldn’t rub off pet stains on the carpet. Instead, you should blot it gently to absorb the stain. Rubbing the stain will spread it further, which shouldn’t be the case. For this, place a paper towel on top of the stain, such as urine, and give it some time to absorb the stain. Place several towels to absorb the urine before applying a cleaning solution. For large stains, you should repeat this process until the spot is dry.

Illuminate old stains with black light

You can easily notice pet stains, probably due to the bad odor it creates. However, you might miss some spots, especially in hidden places. If you suspect the presence of some old stains or feel some smell, you can use a black light to locate the stains with ease. Urine automatically glows when hit by black light, as such, run over your floors with a black light after switching off the lights to identify old stains. You can use a sticky note to mark identified areas for later cleaning.

Clean old urine stains with enzyme-based products

Old stains can be removed easily by enzyme-based cleaning solutions. Unlike other cleaning solutions, enzyme-based products remove old stains by breaking the bond between waste particles. When searching for these cleaners, keep in mind that specific enzyme cleaners target particular types of stains. Fortunately, you can find several enzyme-based cleaners that target pet urine.

Using these cleaners is quite easy. Like other cleaning agents, apply the solution on the stained area and leave it until the urine crystals dissolve. Ensure that the spot is sufficiently damp to break up the waste particles completely.

Remove urine smells with baking soda

Pet stains with odor are probably the most difficult stains to remove from carpets. However, you can use baking soda to eliminate any leftover smells on surfaces. After cleaning the stain, using a cleaning solution of your choice, you can sprinkle some baking soda and rub it gently to ease absorption into the carpet. You can use a toothbrush to spread and penetrate baking soda into the carpet.

Allow the baking soda to settle for 15 minutes before vacuuming the carpet. Baking soda absorbs the smell, leaving your carpet with a fresh scent. Even though baking soda is not harmful, it may cause stomach upsets when ingested. As such, ensure that your pets stay away from the spot with baking soda.

Rinse the carpet after cleaning with bleach-based products

Most pet stains cleaning solutions contain chlorine, bleach, and other chemicals that might be harmful to your pets. As such, you should clean your carpets after using such solutions. You can get rid of excesses by rinsing the area with warm water. Similarly, use a spray bottle to spray warm water over the area.

Bottom line

Keeping your carpets clean is probably the hardest thing for pet owners. Fortunately, cleaning pet stains doesn’t have to be a challenging task. Leverage the tips mentioned above to ease cleaning. You should also purchase a good mattress that is easy to clean.