A carpet can end up holding four times its weight in dirt, and be 4,000 times dirtier than your toilet. That’s pretty gross when you think about it in those terms.
If you have pets, odds are you have pet odors trapped in your carpet too. The carpet is one of the most massive air filters in the home. If you have kids or pets, your carpet needs to be professionally cleaned about once every 12 to 18 months.
In this article, we’ll discuss several tips on how to eliminate pet odor in your carpet.
The Most Effective Ways to Get Rid of Pet Odor
Dogs and cats have chemicals in their urine that create the noxious odor. When urine is left in the carpet for too long, bacterias develop and worsen the smell.
If you want to find out how to eliminate pet odor, then keep reading for our top 7 tips.
1. Professional Carpet Cleaning Service
There’s no beating the heavy-duty cleaning that a professional service offers. They’re better equipped than the standard household to deal with removing the stain and the odor along with it.
A professional cleaning service owns several different types of instruments which assist them in removing tough stains and odors. They also make use of special cleaner mixtures meant to tackle stains and the causes behind odors.
With a professional cleaning service, you can avoid spending hours of your own time scrubbing at the carpet and instead have a service take care of the issue in short order.
2. Enzymatic Cleaner
If you want to get rid of the ammonia smell from urine, you’ll need to find a cleaner that has special enzymes that break down these chemical components. An enzymatic cleaner works by having non-pathogenic good bacteria that digest wastes, stains, and odors. The good bacteria in the enzymatic cleaner create enzymes that specialize at breaking down molecules responsible for the odor.
After you’ve blotted up as much urine in the carpet as possible, spray the enzymatic cleaner over the stained area. Allow the cleaner to soak in for several minutes, then blot it up. If the stain has been there for several days, it may require repeated cleanings to remove the stain and accompanying odor thoroughly.
Once done cleaning, place a towel over the area and stand on top of it for a couple of minutes. You’ll want to make sure to absorb all the moisture to prevent a process called wicking from occurring. Once wicking happens, even if the smell is gone, the stain will remain no matter what.
If the carpet remains soiled and the odor doesn’t go away after several cleanings, you may have to replace the carpet and padding. Sometimes a stain has settled too deeply for cleaning to remove it fully.
3. Baking Soda
Baking Soda has many uses and is even eco-friendly, making it the ideal cleaner. It’s an all-natural cleaner whose creation leaves a far smaller carbon footprint than artificial chemical-laden cleaners.
You can use baking soda dry and sprinkle it over the affected area, or create a paste to scrub with at the carpet.
4. Vinegar
Like baking soda, vinegar is another superb all-natural cleaner for pet stains and odors.
Add vinegar into a spray bottle and dilute it with water. Then spray the mixture onto your carpet. Let it sit for several minutes before you blot it up.
For a particularly nasty stain with a persisting odor, use a combination treatment of both baking soda and vinegar to punch the smell out.
5. Citrus and Hydrogen Peroxide Mix
Both citrus and hydrogen peroxide combine to make a powerful cleaner that’s good at tackling pet stains and odors. Citrus and hydrogen peroxide are enzymatic cleaners that’ll work to neutralize the odors and clean away the stains.
6. HEPA Filter
Odors can linger in the air and cause health problems like respiratory irritation and chronic headaches. HEPA is an acronym for high-efficiency particular air, and a HEPA filter specializes at trapping and removing tiny particles.
HEPA filters are also wonderful for reducing allergens like dust and pet dander. If you own multiple pets, you might be surprised to know the air quality in your home may not be top-notch. A HEPA filter will work to clean the air and remove odors, leaving you with a home that smells and feels brand new.
7. Sunlight and Fresh Air
If you have a favorite rug that’s your canine friend has urinated on, and repeated cleanings have yet to remove the offending stain and odor, try a bit of sunlight and fresh air. Sunlight and airflow work great to remove odors trapped within the fabric fibers.
Why a Professional Cleaning Service Is Best
Though we love our furry friends, sometimes the stains and odors that come along with them can be irritating. Scrubbing at the same stain over and over without positive results is enough to give anyone a stress-induced headache.
While natural cleaners are great, if a stain wasn’t reached within the first few minutes, sometimes no amount of regular cleaning will remove it. The urine has had a chance to soak deep into the underpadding of the carpet.
When this happens, you’ll need a professional carpet cleaning service to tackle the stain and odor. Safe-Dry Carpet Cleaning is invested in every job, and if you aren’t satisfied with the results, they offer a money-back guarantee.
Their cleaning process leaves no sticky residue and doesn’t use any harsh chemicals. If your home is suffering from pet stains and odor, give Safe-Dry a try.
Breathe Easy
If you’ve been struggling with pet odors, don’t give up and accept the smell as a regular part of your life. You deserve to be at ease and comfortable in your home.
Aside from the annoyance of smelling something terrible, there are also health concerns. Noxious odors caused by pets can pose serious health problems for those with respiratory issues or allergies. Chronic headaches, allergies, and difficulty breathing are all common symptoms caused by pet dander and urine stains.
For pet odor removal in Birmingham, AL, contact Safe-Dry Carpet Cleaning to schedule your appointment today.
