Adopting a new furry companion to join the family is such an exciting time; but that excitement can quickly turn to frustration when your new dog, or even cat, isn’t potty trained.
Even when you have a potty-trained pet, they’re still not the cleanest housemates. Once you’ve brought a new pet home, you can expect pee, poop, vomit, blood, dirt, and mud to all stain your carpet at some point.
While these stains are tricky, you can get them out with the right steps and products. Fortunately, we’ve made a guide on cleaning pet stains from carpet so you can save your floors.
How To Clean Fresh Stains
Cleaning pet stains from carpet is easier when the stain is fresh. No matter what you’re handling, be sure to wear gloves and use caution. Some animal waste can carry zoonotic diseases.
Act Fast
If you’ve stumbled upon a fresh mess by one of your pets, you’ll want to act quickly to keep the stain from setting into the carpet. Use gloves and paper towels to remove any waste that you can pick up, such as solid poop or vomit chunks.
Soak Up With Paper Towels
For accidents that have made a puddle such as urine or bile, you’ll want to soak up as much of the liquid with paper towels.
Lay some layers of paper towels down on the stain and apply pressure to soak up as much liquid as possible. If you can, wear your shoes and step on the paper towels, or set something heavy on top of them, like a dictionary.
Rinse
You may have to repeat the above step a few times before you’re ready to rinse. Once you’ve absorbed as much of the liquid as possible, you’ll want to rinse it with cool water.
It’s important to make sure your water isn’t hot, because using heat can cause the stain to set and become permanent.
Blot Dry
Once you’ve let the water sit for about a minute and soak into the carpet fibers, you’ll be ready to dry the spot. Blot your carpet dry with a clean towel, or even use a wet vacuum to suck up any moisture.
If you’ve followed these steps but your pet stain is still there, you may need to try one of the methods we’ve listed below.
How To Clean Old or Stubborn Stains
If you’ve had a stain that’s been sitting for a bit, or you’ve tried the above methods and they didn’t work, then you’ll want to try some of these methods. Depending on how old and bad the stain is, you may need to hire a professional.
Using a Pet Odor Neutralizer
If your pet has urinated in a particular spot in your home, they’re likely to do it again unless you can get rid of the odor. There are a lot of products that can be used to neutralize pet odors. You may even have some at home without realizing it!
If you’re looking to buy a product to spray on your carpet, you should be able to find plenty of options at a pet store, or in the pet section of your grocery store.
Be sure to do some research on what products will work best for your particular stain, and look up reviews. Sprays that work effectively on dog urine may not work well on cat urine.
If you’re looking to make your own pet odor neutralizer, there are a few ingredients you can try to use at home too! By mixing baking soda and vinegar on the stain, you can neutralize any odors and get rid of the stain.
Just be sure that whatever products you use don’t leave a harsh scent behind otherwise, your pet may try to cover it up by peeing on it again.
Carpet Cleaner
Carpet cleaners are pretty effective at getting out stubborn stains, but they’re not cheap. If you’ve already got one, buy some cleaning solution and use it on your stains. Otherwise, you can try renting a carpet cleaner near you.
Just remember, hot water will cause stains to set in the carpet. So try to avoid using a steam cleaner, especially on newer stains.
Hire a Professional
If you can’t get the stain out no matter what methods you use, it might be time to hire professional cleaners. They may be more expensive than renting a carpet cleaner, but they’re well equipped for the job.
Professional cleaners should let you know if they can take care of your stains, or if you would be better off replacing the carpet.
Preventing Future Pet Stains
Once you’ve gotten your carpet clean, you’re going to want to avoid any more pet stains. A good way to keep your pets from having accidents is to understand why the accidents occurred in the first place.
If you’re working on potty training a new puppy, you probably understand that accidents in the house are going to happen until they’ve gotten the hang of it. But what about accidents in an older dog or cat?
If your dog or cat is having accidents in the house and they’ve already been potty trained, it may be time to visit your veterinarian. Accidents can be signs of health problems and should be taken seriously.
If you ignore the problem, your dog may continue to use your carpet as a bathroom, and their health may suffer.
Need Help Cleaning Pet Stains From Carpet Floors?
You love your pets, but dealing with their accidents can be frustrating. Fortunately, there are many options when it comes to cleaning pet stains from carpet. Hopefully, our guide gave you all of the information you need to get your carpets clean again.
If you’re struggling to get stains out of your carpet, reach out for a free quote on our professional cleaning services. With our licensed, bonded, and insured services we can make your home cleaner and your life easier.