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There are two things that can work against you regarding pet stains: Not identifying the pet stain early enough and using the wrong cleaning method for the job! Not all pet stains are within your field of vision. Sometimes your sense of smell, knowledge of your pet, and intuition are necessary. Getting a blacklight can help you find more subtle messes as well. Regardless of how you find them, you must find them as fast as possible. Set-in stains can kill your carpet. Know your own carpet. While there are some seemingly universal cleaners—like vinegar, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide—the truth is some carpets react as badly to these as they would heavy-duty chemical cleaners. Testing a small, undetectable spot is a good way to prevent a pet’s little accident from turning into a much larger mess of your own making.

Smaller Messes

Urine is usually the easiest pet stain to remove, but don’t let the lack of debris fool you. Removing the scent of pet urine before it seeps too deep into the carpet fibers is crucial. First, carefully soak up as much of the urine as you can with paper towels or dirty-job rags. Afterward, make a solution to spray or pour onto the stain that will lift the urine and eliminate the odor. A common solution is a cup of vinegar, a cup of warm water, and a tablespoon of baking soda. Leave the solution on the spot for up to 10 minutes. Use a soft-bristle scrub brush to work the solution into the spot if necessary. Then blot it dry with fresh paper towels.

Bigger Messes

Bigger messes, like poop or vomit, require extra steps. You must carefully pick up all solid waste first. Then, soak up as much of the remaining waste as you can, pressing paper towels or rags firmly down into the carpet. Stepping onto them with shoes on helps as well, getting as much moisture out of the area as you can. Once done, make a solution and follow the steps mentioned above. Adding a tablespoon of dishwashing fluid to your solution, and/or pouring baking soda directly onto the stain, adds extra cleaning power. After you saturate the area with your solution, get scrubbing. Repetition is key, here. Rotate between soaking up the lifted stain debris, and cleaning the area with your chosen solution combination.

Time to Vacuum

Vacuuming works well on heavy-duty carpet stains. We recommend running a portable carpet cleaner over the scrubbed and dried pet stain area. Portable carpet cleaners are great for spot-treatment and are really pet friendly. You can save time by getting a wet portable carpet cleaner, or wet vac. Kill two birds with one stone by flushing the stain, and sucking the subsequent soiled water out of your carpet fibers.

We love our pets through every mess we expect them to make. However, if you follow these techniques, you will be more than likely remove any pet stain without having to sacrifice your carpet.