Your elusive 12 week-old puppy walks into the living room. "Where have you been?" you ask, as if he will actually answer you. You immediately get up and begin your search. Everything is fine in the bedroom. Everything is fine in the den. Everything is fine in the dining roo---oh no! Not the new Oriental rug. What are you going to do?
Time is of the essence. So, you grab your trusty bottle of miracle spot remover and spray it directly on the stain. You press a towel you grabbed from the kitchen into the stain. You rub and scrub. It doesn't seem like it's working, so you try more spot remover and you scrub harder. At least you're trying to take care of the accident quickly, but now you've got a bigger problem. You have an even larger puddle that includes urine with spot remover added to it. Even worse, you've scrubbed the rug so hard the fibers look frayed and unraveled. Adding spot remover to a urine stain and brushing it in does not mean you are removing the stain. Where did the stain go? You've spread it into the backing of the rug.
4 Easy Steps To Emergency Pet Stain Removal
1. Do it NOW. The longer you wait, the harder it will be to remove. It isn't always convenient to clean up a pet stain, but your life will be much easier if you take care of it immediately. The stain could become permanent in just a few hours, especially with some light colored fibers.
2. Use the right equipment. Use a small, hand-held carpet spotting machine or wet vacuum to extract the urine, vomit, or feces. If you find the stain while it is still damp, it is important to extract the liquid BEFORE rinsing or adding a spot remover. Some popular brands to look for are Bissel, Little Devil, and Little Green Machine. For a wet vacuum, go to any hardware department and ask for wet vacs or shop vacs.
3. Use the proper cleaning agent AFTER the liquid has been removed. Use a low residue spot remover if the stain is fresh or an enzyme spot remover if the stain has been in the fiber for more than a few hours. A mixture of white vinegar diluted at a 1 to 3 ratio will also work in a pinch. Never use bleach. If you are using an enzyme, allow it to dwell for at least 20 minutes or according to the label. An enzyme actually digests the bacteria associated with the odor in urine and works well for spots that have been in the carpet for more than a few hours.
4. Rinse the spot with plain water and extract the water with your wet vacuum or carpet-spotting machine. This can be done by rinsing with water from your spot removal machine or simply pouring a glass of water on the area and extracting with your wet vacuum.
What do you do if these steps don't work?
Often, the spot will be even bigger and darker when it returns. Many spot removers can leave excess residue in the carpet that attracts soil. If you experience this phenomenon of a mysterious spot returning, simply pour a cup of water on the area and extract with your carpet spotter or wet vacuum. If the spot returns again, rinse it again. To prevent this from happening in the future, use less cleaning agent. If you continue to have problems with returning spots, try a different spot removal product. So now you've removed most of the stain and the odor. But, you notice a slight discoloration of yellow is still left behind. Hydrogen peroxide gentles fades discolorations from urine and vomit stains and is available in most drug stores. The solution should be misted on and allowed to dry over the course of an hour. This procedure should only be used after all attempts for removal have been made. As with any spot remover, make sure you pre-test the peroxide in an inconspicuous area before using.
The next time you don't know where your puppy has been and he strolls into the living room to greet you, don't be quite so alarmed. You're now armed with the right information and right tools that will make taking care of the accident a breeze. No more worries. Your life will be so much easier.
Gum on the carpet can leave behind a sticky, gooey mess! Don't panic if you have to remove carpet stains made by gum, however. It's quite easy. Spray the area with WD-40, or smear with peanut butter and the gum will come right out. There may be a spot left behind from the dye in the gum. Cleaning carpet stains such as this are easy too. All you have to do is blot with a little club soda. No one will ever have to know!
The tannins in grape juice can make it difficult to remove carpet stains made up of this dark purple liquid. Club soda can help with this. Pour some directly on the carpet and blot. You can also try cleaning carpet with a solution of vinegar and a mild dishwashing liquid. Again, dab until the stain is removed. Blot again with a damp cloth to remove any residue. DO NOT RUB!
Anyone who has ever had to remove carpet stains will appreciate this tip. If you have chocolate or coffee stains on carpet, dab with straight vinegar. That's all it takes. Blot until the stain is removed and blot again with a damp sponge or cloth to rinse. If the smell of vinegar isn't for you, try a mild else that dishwashing liquid for cleaning carpet stains. Pour some onto a clean cloth and blot until the stain is lifted.
Don't cry over spilled nail polish! Manicure mishaps are easily remedied. To remove carpet stains caused by nail polish, just use nail polish remover! Pour onto a cotton ball or clean cloth and blot until the polish has disappeared. Blot again with clean water to remove all residues. Remember, when cleaning carpet stains, especially those made by nail polish, it's important to blot. Don't rub or the nail polish will spread.
An unfortunate accident with hair dye can make cleaning carpet a nightmare. In many cases, it may even mean the end of your carpet. Hopefully it won't come to this.
There are a few things you can try to remove carpet stains of this nature. First of all, it should go without saying that if hair dye is spilled on the carpet one should act immediately.
Dampen a sponge and apply dishwashing liquid. Blot the stain with the sponge until you've lifted as much of the dye as possible. You can also try doing the same thing with vinegar. If this doesn't work and the stain hasn't set into the carpet too deep, you might be able to snip the very top fibers of the carpet without anyone knowing.
If none of this works, you'll have to call in a professional who makes cleaning carpet stains his business or rearrange your furniture to hide the stain.
Both John Braun & Gregg Hall are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
John Braun has sinced written about articles on various topics from Skin Care, Consumer and Carpet Cleaning and Upholstery. Visit Premium Carpet Care of Pensacola, Florida at for your FREE Pet Stain Removal Guide, by John Braun, available for immediate d. John Braun's top article generates over 12100 views. to your Favourites.
Gregg Hall has sinced written about articles on various topics from Lingerie, Desserts and Mortgage. Gregg Hall is a business consultant and author for many online and offline businesses and lives in Navarre Florida. See the choices available for a. Gregg Hall's top article generates over 3350000 views. to your Favourites.