If you have pets in your home, there are high chances your carpets and rugs will get stained with feces and urine, despite potty training, especially during the early days. Washing it with soap and water isn’t a one-solution-fits-all answer because certain rugs are made with delicate materials so you have to be careful.
Stains that are still wet
- Soak up as much of the urine as possible: Place a thick layer of paper towels on the wet spot, and cover that with a thick layer of newspaper. If possible, put newspaper under the soiled area as well. Stand on this padding for about a minute, and repeat until the area is barely damp.
- If possible, put the fresh, urine-soaked paper towel in your pet’s designated “bathroom area.”
- Rinse the “accident zone” thoroughly with clean, cool water, blotting dry.
Stains that have set
- Using white vinegar and water mix a solution in a bowl (50% vinegar, 50% water). You have to mix enough of the solution so that it can reach deep down into the carpet’s fibers.
- Pour the solution onto the urine stain. Using a scrubbing brush, work all of it deeply into the carpet, scrubbing vigorously. The vinegar should help to neutralize the ammonia in the urine.
- Blot the urine stain using a paper towel, pressing firmly into it.
- When that section of the carpet is dry, take one to two handfuls of baking soda (depending on the size of the urine stain) and sprinkle it onto the stain.
- Mix one-half cup of three percent hydrogen peroxide with a teaspoon of dishwashing detergent and apply to the stain. You can use the scrubbing brush again to thoroughly clean the carpet.
- Once dry, vacuum the area and use a high quality pet odor neutralizer.
- Avoid using steam cleaners to clean urine odors from carpet and rugs. The heat will permanently set the stain and the odor by bonding the protein into any man-made fibers.
- Avoid cleaning chemicals such as ammonia or vinegar. Strong chemical odors may encourage your pet to reinforce the urine scent mark in that area.
If the urine has soaked into the padding underneath the carpet, you might have to seek professional assistance. At times, you may have to replace parts of the carpet and padding. Try to train your pet ASAP to avoid such situations.
