When you walk into your home, the last thing you want to smell is the aroma of pet odor coming from the room. Most of the time, people can’t smell their own house, which includes any type of pet odor. But when the smell is strong enough, you’ll likely wonder how to clean pet odor from carpet.
The good news is that your home doesn’t have to smell like pet odor forever. You can learn how to clean pet odor from carpet and get your home smelling as good as new.
How to Remove Pet Odor from Carpet: Why Does Carpet Trap Odor?
Unfortunately, carpet can trap odor quite easily, especially if you skip routine cleaning. Carpet fibers can trap odors and have them lingering almost indefinitely.
There are several reasons for this. Sometimes, it is an issue of moisture getting underneath the carpet and the carpet pad. This leads to musty odors, including when pets urinate on the carpet.
What’s worse is that when a pet uses the carpet as a bathroom, the smell can drag on for a long period of time. Even more so, gasses that are released by bacteria are digested in the urine. As the urine remains trapped in the rug fibers, it will continue to smell. This also happens with pet vomit.
If you have tried to clean pet mess on the carpet with water, this can actually be worsening the problem. That’s because the gases are activated by water.
So, if water makes pet odors in carpet worse, how are you supposed to clean it?
Getting Rid of the Smell of Pet Odor
Even if you regularly groom and bathe your pet, it is still easy and possible for pet odor to get trapped inside of the carpet fibers. Every time your pet comes inside the house, they bring even more smells with them along with moisture and even mud.
So, how do you clean pet odor from carpet? One way is by using baking soda. However you have to be careful, because too much baking soda can be toxic to pets. It can result in muscle spasms, illness and even heart failure. Ingesting only 1/3 of a tablespoon can be fatal for dogs under 10 lbs.
It is important to keep your pets away when you are using baking soda to clean carpets.
Now that you are aware about the safety surrounding dogs and cats around baking soda, seal off the area where you plan to work to keep them out.
First, liberally sprinkle baking soda over the carpet. You may need more than one box of baking soda depending on the size of the room.
If possible, allow the baking soda to sit overnight. Remember to keep the room sealed off so your dog does not have access to it.
When you wake up in the morning, grab the vacuum and suck up all the baking soda. Make sure that the room is thoroughly vacuumed before allowing your dog or cat back inside.
What if Baking Soda Doesn’t Remove Pet Odor?
If baking soda doesn’t help remove the smell of pet odor, you may need to bring in professional help. While you can rent a carpet cleaning machine, note that you need to avoid steam cleaners.
This is because high heat from the steamer will set smells and stains permanently. This means that your good intentions can do the exact opposite, causing the pet odors to linger for the lifespan of the carpet.
Handling Pet Urine Smells
The general smell of pet odor can be off-putting enough, but pet urine is even more unpleasant. Whether it is dog or cat urine, both odors can sink into the carpet fibers and smell for prolonged periods of time.
But how do you get pet urine smells out of the carpet?
First, if you are dealing with a fresh stain, make sure that the area is dry before you begin.
Then, you want to apply a vinegar solution. Make it one part vinegar and one part water, mixing both together in a container. For the solution over the urine area and sprinkle liberally, allowing the area to dry completely.
Once again, you will want to take out your trusty baking soda. Make sure that the dog or cat is out of the room. Sprinkle the baking soda on the area and let it set for at least 24 hours if possible.
Then, put one part water, one part hydrogen peroxide, and a small amount of dish detergent in a container. Pour the solution over the baking soda and gently scrub it into the state.
Once it is completely dry, you can vacuum the area to remove any leftover residue or substance.
If pet urine still remains an issue after these action steps, contacting a professional carpet cleaner might be the best solution for you.
How to Clean Old Pet Stains from Carpet
Many times when we are dealing with pet odors, old pet stains can come along with it. There is nothing more unsightly than a yellow or brown pet stain that is set into the carpet.
If you are wondering how to clean old pet stains from carpet, we have a few effective tricks up our sleeve.
Essentially, the same ingredients that are used to handle pet urine smells will also help with pet stains on your carpet.
You will first want to soak the area with vinegar. Pour white vinegar on the stain and allow it to sit. However, don’t leave the area soggy.
Yet again, you will use baking soda, ensuring that your dog is out of the room, and sprinkle a layer over the soaked section. You’ll start to hear a crackling and fizzing sound. This is a good sign as it means that a chemical reaction is forming, which brings a stain and odor out of the carpet fibers.
The last thing that you will need to do on this step is wait. It may take a day or so for the stain to come out and vinegar to dry. You can place a large dish towel over the area so people avoid stepping on it and tracking even more baking soda all over the house.
When the spot is entirely dry, get out your vacuum to clean up any leftover baking soda.
Although this technique can certainly be effective, you may reach a point where you aren’t getting the desired results. Reach out to Hydra Clean Northwest if you are having trouble with tough pet stains!
How Can You Get Rid of Muddy Pawprints?
While pet stains can involve urine and vomit, pets are also known to track mud into the house. If you find yourself faced with muddy paw prints on your clean carpet, don’t fret. By taking action with a few simple ingredients, you can get the mud out of the carpet without a lot of effort.
The good news is that you don’t need any fancy cleaners to get muddy paw prints out of carpet. In fact, the only thing that you need to do first is to allow the mud to dry.
This makes it easier to remove, and it avoids scrubbing the mud deeper into the carpet fibers. If you are dealing with very wet muddy paw prints, you can use a paper towel to blot out the moisture, ensuring that it does not soak into the carpet pad.
When the mud is dry, get out your vacuum and sweep up the excess dirt. You will want the vacuum slowly, allowing more dirt to get picked up in the process. You will want to try to vacuum for two to three times longer than you normally will.
When you remove as much dirt as you can with the vacuum, you will now create a detergent solution. Simply mix 1 teaspoon of mild dishwashing detergent and a cup of lukewarm water. You may double as needed.
With a white cloth, blot your homemade solution into the carpet fibers. It’s good to use a white cloth so you can see the stain lifting as you work. Switch out the towel as necessary until you do not see any mud coming off onto the cloth.
You will then want to go out with a paper towel or another clean cloth to get the area dry.
How Often Should You Clean Your Carpet from Pets?
There is little comparison to the joy of being a pet owner. Our pets can bring much love and purpose into our lives, but they are living animals that can make a mess of your carpet.
When it comes to cleaning your carpet when you have animals, twice a year is a good starting point for professional carpet cleaning. Not only will this keep your carpets looking in tip-top shape, it can also reduce pet allergens such as dander.
When you need assistance with pet odors and stains, contact Hydra Clean NW for a professional carpet cleaning!