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How to Clean Animal Urine from a Carpet
If you have pets, you may have a problem with pet urine on your carpets. Some pets are naturally attracted to certain types of carpets to eliminate body waste. The best solution is prevention by properly training pets which in turn will help prevent smelly pet stains on your carpet.
For existing pet stains and those that are new, it maybe very difficult to trace the exact placement of the stain. For example, if the stain happened while you are away from home, the urine stain may have already dried so the stain would be invisible to the eye. You can try smelling around and finding the source of the smell but this becomes tedious on a large carpet area. You need to find the source, however, If you wish to get rid of the smell. Treating the whole carpet for pet odors can be expensive if you are unable to target the affected area.
One way to find the offending spot is to use a black light. If you have teenagers, ask them, as they may already have one. If not, you can find one at you favorite local supermart. When you use a black light, you can find the spots where body fluids have been. This will make it easier to find the stain and to be able to treat it. Here are some tips on getting rid of any stains you may find.
1. New Stains - If the pet stain is new and still wet, use paper towels or a highly absorbent cloth to blot the area as soon as possible. When treated immediately, this will get rid of most of the stain. After you try and dry the area, use a commercial pet stain and odor remover if you wish. Follow the instructions on the back of the bottle to treat the stain. If you want to try a home remedy, use liquid laundry detergent and rub the stained area. Some people use a mixture of white vinegar and warm water to soak the area and leave a cloth covering the area for several hours before vacuuming it after it has dried.
2. Older Stains. Older pet urine stains can mold or leave a musty smell. Again you can usually find the stain with the help of a black light. Be careful to test the carpet before using any commercial cleaners and follow the directions on the back of the bottle. You can use the detergent on the stain by mixing she soap with water and blotting the area with a sponge. Using a white vinegar and water mixture, try adding some of the warm liquid to the carpet as another pet stain remover. Placing a cloth over the stain and weighted with books or stepping on it will help the towel absorb the stain.
Do not just use commercial fragrance sprays as this will only cover up the smell, and it could make it smell worse instead of covering it up at all. The best thing to do is to clean it up as quickly as possible using real pet stain products or detergent. It is recommended that pet owners keep pet stain and odor removal products in the house even after house training in complete. It is better to have such items on hand, just in case. |
