Your cat or dog is a valued member of the family, but they can be tough on your carpets. You can preserve your flooring if you know how to properly care for it. Be diligent about your carpet cleaning and care to keep the floors looking and smelling great for years to come.

Carpet Cleaning Guide for Pet Owners

1. Cleaning Urine

Accidents happen, especially when you’re house training your pet. Urine can stain and stink up the carpet if you don’t clean it properly. Use a handheld liquid extractor — a vacuum specifically designed for stain removal — to get the mess out without spreading the urine or pushing it deeper into the carpet fibers. After removing as much of the urine as possible, use a mixture of one part white vinegar and two parts water to blot the carpet. The vinegar will mask the smell, so your pet will be less likely to have another accident in the same spot.

2. Cleaning Hair

Pets that shed can get hair all over the house, so you’ll want to clean your carpet regularly to preserve your home’s aesthetic. There are devices that you can use to make this process easier, such as a rubber-bristled carpet rake, which pulls the hair into easy-to-remove clumps. After you remove the large clumps, you can vacuum the carpet to get anything left behind. Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter for the best results; these filters can pull out smaller particles such as dander.

3. Cleaning Solids

Solids such as vomit or feces should be picked up using a firm, flat surface like a putty knife. Using a paper towel pushes it down into the carpet and leads to worse stains. After disposing of the mess, use a pet stain treatment product to remove anything left behind. If the stain is still not coming out, you can use an extracting carpet cleaner. This device pushes water down into the carpet, loosens the staining particles, and pulls them out. Never use steam cleaning equipment, as the heat will set the stain.

Getting a professional carpet cleaning a few times a year will remove the hair and other grime that gets deep into the carpet, so turn to Spring Cleaners in Dawsonville, GA, for all your carpet cleaning needs. This family-owned and -operated will target stubborn pet stains and keep your carpets in pristine condition for years to come. Contact them online or at (706) 216-3302 to schedule your service.