Pet stains are unavoidable around your home. Even the most well-trained dogs and cats will have accidents or fall ill, leaving a mess. All pet owners struggle with the dilemma of how to clean pet stains — while there’s no one clear, cut-and-dry answer, we do have a few pet stain removal tips to ease the process.

Blot, Don’t Rub

Before you even think about which product to use on your stain in question, the first thing you need to do is blot the area. Soaking up excess liquid like urine will allow your cleaner to penetrate the soiled area in a deeper and faster way. And instead of rubbing the stain, which could cause it to further seep into your carpet, remember that blotting the area lifts the stain.

Vinegar Is a Miracle Ingredient

The ability for vinegar to lift and treat old stains allows it to work like a miracle drug. It’s non-toxic and leaves behind no residue, ensuring a safe area for your pet to be around after cleaning. Vinegar will also neutralize the ammonia found in urine — which causes odors to formulate — treating not just the stain but also the source of the smell.

Multiple grocery, drug and pet stores sell stain removal for pet owners, but there are natural cleaners that can be made at home. One simple recipe is to combine one cup of white vinegar, one cup of lukewarm water and two tablespoons of baking soda. You can apply the mixture directly to the stain, or you can treat the stain with the baking soda first, allow it to sit for five minutes and then add the liquid mixture on top and blot.

Allow Baking Soda to Sit

When you want to clean a pet stain that’s the source of some bad smells, throw in baking soda to whatever cleaner or mixture you’re using. It will soak up the current stain and penetrate through your carpet fibers to neutralize the odor and keep it from spreading.

Rinse the Area After Treatment

Once you’ve applied your cleaner or mixture to the stain and blotted it away, you’re going to want to rinse the area. This routine is especially important for spots that may have had exposure to bleach-based products, as the chemicals can be harmful if ingested by your pet. Simply fill a bottle with lukewarm water, spray to thoroughly dampen the area and use a clean towel or cloth to blot away the excess water until dry.

Avoid Steam Cleaning

While vacuuming over your carpet after treating stains is an excellent clean-up method, avoid using any steamers for urine stain removal. The heat that resonates from steam cleaners can penetrate into the urine and bind the protein into the fibers of your carpet, which will make it much harder to remove the stain as well as the odor.

Use these pet stain removal tips the next time you need to do a quick spot treatment. If you need a more substantial removal from your home carpet, contact Thai Cleaning Service for a free estimate to receive a personalized and professional cleaning.