Accidents Happen - How to Remove Pet Stains and Odours

The most important aspect of training your house pets is to prevent accidents. Unfortunately no owner will ever be able to avoid them. Young puppies have no control over their bodies and accidents do happen. But it isn’t their fault. Not many dogs are properly house trained and probably can be trusted not until they are 6 months old. It is absolutely possible to expect odd accidents.

We all are very familiar with how it goes - your pet finds that new carpet you have just bought to be the perfect place to relieve himself. And no matter how deep you clean your house, the chances are your pet has developed a new bathroom habit that will be impossible to break. Fortunately, there are a few things that can be done to prevent future accidents.

How to Find The “Marked” Areas

First of all, find out where the soiled areas are. As long as it can smell his personal scent, he will continue to come back to his favourite place. You have to make sure you have neutralised the odour very well, simply because your pet can smell the traces it has left. When you have thoroughly cleaned, use your imagination and make the accident zones as unattractive or unavailable to your pet as possible.

It is highly possible it has other favourite areas to use as bathroom. However, in this case the stains may not be visible and be hard to locate. Examine the areas you suspect that your pet has marked. An ultraviolet black light can come in handy (it can also be purchased at a home supply store) to discover old stains. Simply turn out all the lights, use the ultraviolet black light to identify old soiled areas and use chalk to lightly mark them.

Cleaning up efficiently and thoroughly is a part of training your pet to live in the house. Nonetheless, accidents are inevitable and you should consider ways to remove pet stains and odours that you find easy to use and always be prepared.

Machine Washing

When washing items that have been soiled by your home animal, add one-pound box of baking soda to the regular cleaning solution you use and let the items air dry. If you happen to still see the stain wash it again but with enzymatic cleaner that can be found at the pet supply store. Make sure to follow manufacturer’s instructions carefully.

Here are some natural homemade cleansers that can come in handy anytime.

(Make a test colour on an inconspicuous area before you start using it on the stain)

Vinegar-Baking Soda Cleaning Solution

This one in particular, works great on blood and urine stains with a miraculous effect. To prepare it you will need:

• 4 tbsp of baking soda with a heap
• 2 cups of white distilled vinegar
• 2 cups of water at room temperature
• Spray bottle

It is really not that expensive and works great on new and old stains. On top of that, baking soda, combined with vinegar is nature’s odour remover. Before applying the cleaning solution, put a rag and something heavy on the stain and if possible stand on them to make sure you have thoroughly got it out. After that, spray with the cleanser and let it sit for 5 minutes. Then gently rub and blot up with a soft cloth from the far end to the center. Do this so you can avoid spreading the stain towards the clean zone.

Baking Soda Mixture and Hydrogen Peroxide

This substance also does a great job pulling out stains. For the preparation you will need:

• 1 tsp eco-friendly dish liquid
• A bowl
• A cup of baking soda
• Paper towels or rags (whichever you prefer to use)
• ½ cup 3% hydrogen peroxide

Before using this cleaning solution, again you have to place towels or rags on it and something heavy to soak the liquid. When ready, sprinkle a handful of soda over the stain and mix ½ cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide and 1 teaspoon of dish liquid. Very carefully spread the solution over the stain and baking soda. Gently rub the mixture into the carpet fibres with a brush and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Use the vacuum cleaner to clean the area thoroughly.

Citrus-Enzyme Cleaning Solution

It sounds a bit fancy, but it actually something very simple to make on your own. The ingredients for this one are:

• 1L water
• 1 ½ cups of lemon and orange scraps
• 7 tbsp of brown sugar
• a clear container to hold the liquid and scraps

To prepare and use this cleanser takes a little patience, or about 3 months.

Simply, add the sugar into the container and add the fruit. Next is the water and after that tightly screw the cap on. Give it a good shake, so it can mix. Loosen the cap to make sure your container does not explode due to the release of the gases.

No matter how much we love our four-legged friends, we do not love the stain and the mess they leave behind as much. Since it is almost impossible to avoid this mess, no matter how well trained your pet is, we have to always be prepared to neutralise the stains and avoid future ones.

Surely, not everyone has the time to make such homemade products to clean and the easiest way for those people is to buy something from the market. Presumably, those products are safe and non-toxic for your pets and family. But if you prefer the “green way” of cleaning your property, why not spare some time to make this detergents or even look for a local cleaning company that can give you one-time cleaning. It is a challenge to keep your home clean, especially with pets and children around.

Accidents always occur and to maintain a clean environment requires immediate measures. Animals tend to use their favourite zones as long as they can detect their scent there and this can become a serious problem that can affect your health. Also, if the carpet or the furniture are not deeply cleaned you may have to replace them, which could get significantly even more expensive, than having your home cleaned.