We all hope to have our four-legged family members “trained,” but no matter how well trained they are, accidents happen!
The big question is “How Do I Clean It Up?”
It is actually quite easy.
If the spot is “fresh,” meaning it’s still wet, a white microfiber towel is best (microfiber absorbs 6 times it’s weight in liquid), or get a white terry cloth towel and blot it up. Folding it up and standing one it works really well. The purpose here is to absorb as much of the urine as you can. Since it hasn’t dried yet, you will probably get most of it up. As in “drying” most wet things, you should move the terry cloth around and as long as you’re still getting moisture on the cloth keep repeating.
Now treat the area with a NON SOAPY spot cleaner. It is very difficult to find a non soapy, non foamy spot cleaner. Shake up the cleaner and if you see it, hear it or feel it foam up, it’s soapy. Most carpet problems we see are from soapy products being used on carpet. Resolve, Spot Shot, Folex, Nature’s Miracle, Oxy Clean, pretty much every carpet spot cleaner we’ve ever tested was soapy. The only product we’ve found that is not soapy of foamy is OMG! Carpet Spot Cleaner. Otherwise the best option is mixing up white vinegar and water 50-50 in a spray bottle. The vinegar will help neutralize the odor and more importantly NOT leave a sticky residue resulting in dark spots in the future.
If the spot has already dried, then use a NON SOAPY carpet spot cleaner. If there is an odor problem you can either treat it with a 50-50 mixture of white vinegar and water or use some type of disinfectant to kill the bacteria causing the odor. The main thing is to avoid the soapy products because they will cause dark discolored spots that “reappear” and often times get larger.
In the event of a LARGER accident (urine, diarrhea/runs/squirts, drinks), you can always go rent a Rug Doctor or a Bissell Big Green Carpet Cleaner. You can use this machine to extract most of the spill/accident as long as you catch it before it dries.
If you’re not sure which one works better, Lorelai has done it for us. HOWEVER, the important thing is NOT using the “cleaner” they provide. These work great for getting up large quantities of liquids, but always avoid the cleaners. The soapy/foamy cleaners will leave a sticky residue and attract dirt. Not sure if it’s soapy? Shake it up and if you feel it, see it or hear it foam/suds up, IT’S SOAPY.
We hope this has been helpful and are here for all your carpet, rug and upholstery cleaning needs.
