Owning a pet brings plenty of fun and companionship with it. Our furry friends fill our lives with joy, and we love them so much – even though they might not be the cleanest of animals. Sharing a home with our pets means cleaning up after them – and that can be a real challenge if you happen to have wall-to-wall carpet in your house. Accidents happen, and even if you clean them up that smell might linger. Well, before you pull your hair out in frustration, here’s how to get rid of pet odor from carpet. Let’s get started!
Absorb Extra Moisture
When you first discover your little ball of fluff’s accident, don’t panic. First things first – remove any liquid or waste immediately. That’s just the first step, though – since carpet fibers tend to suck up liquid stains, you’re going to have to get down there and towel dry any extra moisture that’s left behind. This isn’t a glamorous job in the least, but it’s the first defense in cleaning up what would otherwise be a pretty gross (and probably gross smelling) spot on your carpet!
Use a Vinegar Solution
Next, once you’ve gotten all the excess moisture out of the spot, it’s time to begin treating it to bring it back into better shape. Your first line of defense is a home remedy that actually works pretty well: a white vinegar cleaning solution. Mix one cup of distilled white vinegar with one cup of water and 2 teaspoons of baking soda in a spray bottle. Give that bottle a good shake and then spray it on the stain. Let it soak in for a couple of minutes and then give it another towel dry.
Use an Enzymatic Stain Remover
Most of the time, hitting your carpet with that white vinegar solution will do wonders for revitalizing that little accident patch. But sometimes odor and stains can linger even after that – and that’s when it’s time to call in the big guns. A pet odor eliminator with an enzymatic stain removing agent will often do the trick, as these enzymatic stain removers attack the chemical bonds between the molecules that make up pet accidents, dissolving those bonds and breaking down those compounds like a charm.
Vacuum the Carpet
Once you’ve finally gone through all the steps above, and the carpet is dry, it’s time for a final clean. Vacuuming your carpet will pick up dust, dander, residue, or anything else left behind by the cleaning process, leaving your carpet smelling good as new. Vacuuming your carpet also helps fluff up those carpet fibers, which they will need after all that scrubbing!
Remember: always use pet-safe products like white vinegar solutions or specially formulated enzymatic cleaners when cleaning your carpet. Pet odor removal is no good if you end up using products that might make your pet sick!
For more education information contact Tom Bissanti: Tom@AlphaTechPet.com or visit our pet industry education website.