LIL’ BUDDY’S BLOG – OOPS! – HOW TO REMOVE PET ODORS STAINS AROUND THE HOUSE!
LIL’ BUDDY’S BLOG – OOPS! – HOW TO REMOVE PET ODORS STAINS AROUND THE HOUSE!
THE CHICAGO REAL ESTATE MARKET AND OTHER IMPORTANT THINGS CHICAGO FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF A LITTLE WHITE DOG!
What do you think I am – an ANIMAL! Goodness NO!
When I was a young pup well I must admit it took me a while to learn exactly how to control myself when I was excited. As you dogs all know that can be very politically incorrect among the two-paw set – especially when other humans were visiting!
However as we all know being dogs ACCIDENTS WILL HAPPEN when and where we least expect them to. To avoid that uncomfortable stare for those who prefer to walk upright rather than on four paws I hit the web and the United States Humane Society Website for these tips in removing pet stains and eliminating pet odors around the house. I also checked out a rather extensive online forum on the subject via ehow.com.
The overall objective is to re-train your pets to only use the right area when going to the bathroom – outside for us dogs for example. Or the litter box for the paw-and-claw feline set. First however you have to clean any areas we might have stained before and clean them thoroughly!
How to find all soiled areas quickest? Aside from investigating thoroughly the Humane Society suggests using a Black Light Bulb. The light created from a black light will uncover all urine stains even older ones. Turn out the room lights identify all p-soiled areas and lightly outline them using chalk. Find black bulbs at any hardware or lighting store.
For washable items if you can machine wash adding a one-pound box of baking soda to the laundry. Air dry if possible.
If the stain is still visible after washing add an enzymatic cleaner (several good ones are available at pet stores or online) to break down pet stains and odors. FOLLOW PACKAGE DIRECTIONS CAREFULLY!
Does your pet do poo-poo or pee-pee on the bed? OOOOH THAT’S DISGUSTING isn’t it? When re-training your pet cover your bed with a vinyl flannel-backed table cloth. The surface is unattractive to pets and it’s machine washable too!
Cleaning carpeted areas and upholstery is more involved. For new stains including still-wet areas blot as much of the stuff as you can using paper towels and newspaper (don’t ever use the sports section however – we dogs like to spend a few minutes reading that after we return from our morning walk). Don’t forget to dry the UNDERSIDE of the carpet or rug and underlying floor thoroughly as well. The more fresh pee you remove the less residual odor. If possible place the urine-soaked paper in your dog’s outdoor "rest room" area or in your cat’s litter box as a reminder on the correct place to go!
Then rinse the drop zone if you will with cold clear water. Remove as much of the water as possible with an extractor or wet/dry vacuum.
For stains that have already set in for awhile consider renting a carpet cleaner machine from the hardware or grocery store. These extractors do a great job of forcing water through the carpet and taking the dirty water out. Use only plain water here – avoid chemicals!
Once the area is clean use a premium odor neutralizer designed specifically for pet stains available online or at your pet store. Again follow package directions carefully and don’t forget to test the product on a small hidden area of the carpet or rug to make sure it will not harm the fabric or remove the color. If still stained after using the odor neutralizer follow up with a good carpet cleaning product.
Avoid using steam cleaners! The heat of the steam may permanently bond the protein in any pee to the man-made fibers in the carpet or rug. Also stay away from common cleaning chemicals like ammonia or vinegar – these don’t really eliminate the urine odor and may actually encourage your dog or cat to return to the same spot later as their bathroom!
On any soiled area previously treated with chemicals or cleaning solutions neutralizers will not be effective until all traces of the old cleaner are removed from the carpet or rug. These chemicals weaken the enzyme and cause it to remove the cleaner first without truly removing the stain.
Also for very bad stains in some cases the carpet and underlying padding may need to be replaced. Hopefully this is a last resort however – I’d rather have my humans spend the money on treats for me!
If your room has wood baseboards and these are discolored the varnish and stain might have reacted to the acid in your pet’s urine. You might have to remove and replace these baseboards but be careful any stain and varnish you apply is safe for children and us pets!
Of course the real solution is proper house training of your pets so they won’t have accidents in the first place. Many suggested methods are available on the web – check out these suggestions for dogs. Cats – they’re a whole different story! Here’s a comprehensive article on how to litter box train kittens and cats.
Like you humans and your crazy cars we dogs like to avoid accidents too! Hope this is helpful.
Romp on over anytime with your thoughts and ideas!
YOUR ACE REPORTER ON FOUR PAWS
BUDDY HOLLY MOSS
