Having pets at home is such a joyful experience as they bring happiness, fun, and enjoyment to life. However, life with a furry companion can get a little messy sometimes, and it’s not uncommon for pet owners to notice a distinct and strange smell coming from the carpets in their home. Removing pet odor is quite a challenging task, but you can easily do it with the right tools and products without any hassle.
After all, accidents can happen, and if your furry friend ends up doing its business on your carpet, make sure to clean it immediately to eliminate the smell and keep the carpeting super fresh and new. We’ve rounded up some of the best ways to remove pet odor from carpets, and in case nothing helps, you can always go for professional carpet cleaning services.
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Soak Up New Stains
Pet urine is one of the most common factors that lead to odor in carpets. For stains that are new and are probably still wet, it is best to soak them up as much as possible immediately. Take a few paper towels and place a thick layer on the urine stain, followed by another very thick layer of newspapers. If possible, place a newspaper layer under the carpet as well. Please press on the damp area with your hands or place something heavy on it for a few minutes and repeat the process until it’s no longer damp.
Rinse the stained area thoroughly with water and blot dry with the help of a few paper towels. This is likely to remove any possible smells since you will be cleaning the stain when it’s fresh and wet.
Baking Soda
This is often considered to be a Holy Grail ingredient that has excellent odor-eliminating properties. Baking soda is also an extremely multi-purpose product, so there’s no surprise that it can help remove pet odor from carpets as well! However, one must exercise caution when using baking soda because it can be toxic to pets and result in various illnesses. Make sure to keep your pets away from the carpeting when treating it with baking soda.
Take a generous amount of baking soda and sprinkle it liberally over the smelly carpet. The amount basically depends on the surface area and how much needs to be cleaned. Allow the baking soda to sit on the carpet overnight to absorb as much odor as possible. Thoroughly vacuum the carpet the next morning, and you will notice that most of the smell, if not all, has gone from your carpet.
Vinegar Solution
Like baking soda, vinegar is also a strong deodorizer and does a great job of absorbing offensive odors. If you don’t have baking soda, you can use a vinegar solution to remove carpets’ pet odor. Combine one part water and one part vinegar to create a solution.
Pour the solution on the entire carpet or just the stained part that is giving off pet smells. Gently scrub the area with a scrubber and allow it to dry out completely. This should remove pet odor and give a fresh look to your carpet.
Enzymatic-Based Pet Odor Remover
Most pet supply stores ought to have a variety of cleaning tools and supplies, an enzymatic-based pet odor remover. This is a quite useful product that you should always have at home in case of pet-related accidents. As the name suggests, this odor remover comes with natural enzymes, which can penetrate the carpet layers and eat away the odor-causing materials. You can easily get this product from any nearby local pet supply store.
All you need to do is pour a certain amount of the cleaner onto the affected area of your carpet and make sure that you soak it really well so that the product absorbs every bit of both the stain and the odor. Cover this with heavy material such as cardboard so that it dries out effectively. This step requires a great deal of time and patience, allowing the enzyme cleaner to do its job at its own pace. The longer the enzymes work on your carpet, the better they will be able to eliminate the pet odor and make your carpet all fresh and new again.
Hydrogen Peroxide and Dishwashing Liquid
Another common household ingredient that is really effective for removing pet odor from carpets is your dishwashing detergent or liquid mixed together with hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is a powerful chemical compound that contains effective odor-stain-removing properties. Sprinkle some amount of baking soda over your carpet. Mix one part hydrogen peroxide, one part water, and a small amount of dishwashing liquid in a spray bottle and spray it all over the baking soda. Gently scrub with the help of a nice scrubber and then thoroughly vacuum it to remove stains, smells, and odor.
Professional Cleaning Services
If all else fails, you can hire a professional carpet cleaning service to give your carpets a thorough clean. Most services use advanced cleaning methods such as the hot water extraction method, for instance, which gets to the carpet’s bottommost layer to eliminate odor and stains.
Final Word
When you have pets in your home, you can expect lots of fun, laughter, and enjoyment. Pets are super adorable, and as people say, they are a man’s best friend. However, at the same time, be prepared to expect to deal with pet stains and odors in your carpets, upholstery, and fabrics. Make sure always to blot urine or other pet-related stains when they are new because that will help eliminate the resulting odors right from the get-go. Also, always have the above-mentioned cleaning supplies and products at hand so that you can deal with pet-related emergencies at the earliest.
