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How To Get Dog Pee Smells & Stains Out Of Your Carpet
Your dog is more than a pet; it’s a beloved member of your family. You love waking up to their furry faces, going on adventures together, and sharing your life and home with them. But as much as you love them, you definitely don’t love those occasional accidents they have on your floors. Whether you’re working on potty-training your puppy, have an older dog, or are just facing an unfortunate accident, cleaning pet urine out of your favorite rugs and carpets can be a challenge. Luckily, there are answers. Here’s how to get dog pee smells and stains out of your carpet for good. How To Clean Dog Pee Off Your Carpet: Step-By-Step Act quickly. When it comes to carpet stains, especially pet messes, time is of the essence. The longer it sits, the more time it has to work its way into your carpet’s fibers. The stain might even become permanent if it sits too long. As soon as you notice the accident, move to clean it right away. Blot away as much of the liquid as you can. Grab a clean cloth, paper towels, or a dry sponge, then apply gentle pressure to the area to blot up as much of the urine as you can. Make sure that you’re blotting, not rubbing or scrubbing, since this can actually work the liquid even further into your carpet fibers and, in the worst cases, cause lasting stains and damage. Keep going until the carpet is mostly dry. Even if you catch the accident a little later and most of the accident has already dried, don’t skip this step: you can and should still blot the area. Just make sure to dampen your cloth or sponge a bit to reactivate the stain and lift some of the urine. Make a cleaning solution. After you’ve soaked up as much of the urine as you can, you’ve got to neutralize any lingering stains and smells with a cleaning solution. A simple mixture of vinegar and water is an excellent option since vinegar can help neutralize the ammonia that contributes to the smell of dog urine. Combine equal parts white vinegar and water, then generously apply to the stained area, making sure it fully penetrates the carpet fibers. Allow it to sit for about fifteen to twenty minutes to break down the odor-causing compounds. Then, use a clean cloth or paper towels to blot the area dry once again, removing as much moisture as you can. Apply baking soda to the stain. Because dog urine odors can be particularly stubborn, it’s also a good idea to apply baking soda to the affected area. Baking soda is a natural deodorizer and can soak up much of the moisture and odors that may still remain in the carpet after you’ve blotted and cleaned the area. Sprinkle a generous layer of baking soda over the area and let sit for a few hours, preferably overnight. Leaving the baking soda lets it fully penetrate your carpet fibers and absorb any of the remaining odors. Afterward, use a vacuum to thoroughly clean the baking soda. You may need to go over the area several times to make sure that no baking soda is left behind. Use an enzymatic cleaner for stubborn stains. After you’ve used your vinegar solution and baking soda, much of the stain and odor should be removed. However, especially tough stains may still remain, especially if the urine was allowed to sit for longer periods of time or if you have an especially absorbent carpet. In these cases, pet-specific enzyme cleaners are great options. These cleaners contain live bacteria that break down the proteins that are found in your dog’s urine, ultimately eliminating both the stain and the smells at a molecular level. Choose an enzymatic cleaner that is specially formulated to tackle pet stains and odors to best address your problem. You should also read the labels to make sure that they’re suitable for your carpets and rugs. Some materials, like wool and silk, are more sensitive to chemicals, so make sure that you’re choosing one that won’t damage your rug. Once you choose the right cleaner, follow the instructions to apply to your stain. It’s always a good idea to test your chosen cleaner on an inconspicuous spot on your carpet to make sure it won’t change its color or otherwise damage it. Then, apply your cleaner and let it rest for a few minutes based on the manufacturer’s instructions. Preventing future stains While you can usually get dog pee stains and odors out of your carpets and rugs, it’s easier and less time consuming to prevent the accident from happening in the first place. If you’re having issues with your pets and accidents, here are a few tips. Stick to a regular routine. Dogs thrive on routine, which means that consistency can go a long way in helping prevent accidents whether you’re potty-training a puppy or caring for an older dog. Take your dogs out frequently, especially after meals and naps, and make sure to give them positive reinforcement for relieving themselves in the correct areas. Consider puppy pads. Sometimes, it’s not always possible to get our pets outside to the bathroom as often, especially for puppies still learning where to go. If you’re still working on potty training, consider using absorbent puppy pads and placing them in other areas to discourage your puppy from peeing on the absorbent carpet. Then, slowly move the puppy pads towards the door as your house training progresses. Use a deterrent spray. Dogs are highly dependent on their scent, and the scent of pee can act as a trigger to encourage more peeing in the area. To discourage your dog from peeing in the same area that you just cleaned, consider using a deterrent spray to mask the scent. These sprays are usually made with natural oils like lemongrass and peppermint that discourage your dog from marking the same area twice. Check in with your vet. If you’re facing repeated accidents, it’s well worth checking in with your vet to rule out any underlying health issues that are making it hard for your dog to hold their pee until they go outside. Conclusion Dealing with dog pee stains and odors can be frustrating, but it’s also a manageable problem as long as you have a game plan. By acting quickly and using appropriate cleaning solutions, you can ensure that your carpet stays clean, fresh, and free from unpleasant smells so that you and your pets can coexist happily. Have questions about carpet care? Looking for a whole new carpet altogether? The flooring experts at Home Carpet One would love to chat with you!Â
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Effective Ways to Cleaning Carpet Spills & Removing Stains
As a trusted Chicago carpet provider, we at Home Carpet One know a thing or two about keeping carpet looking its best. Our customers are always asking for the best way to clean up spills and get rid of stains, and the truth is, it depends on what you spilled and how long the stain has had to set. There’s more than one effective way to clean stains, and of course some stains (pet accidents, red wine) are more common than others (Pepto Bismol, for example). When it comes to cleaning carpet stains, trial and error can be risky, and some products that claim to be safe for carpets can end up doing more harm than good. Between Valentine’s Day, Easter, and Mother’s Day, we get lots of customers calling in asking about how to get rid of chocolate stains in carpet, so we thought we’d offer some advice on the subject. One of the best options is to use a non-flammable dry cleaning solvent or spot removal solution. When using a solvent, be careful not to pour it directly onto the carpet. Instead, apply the solvent with a clean cloth, sponge, or gentle brush. If the solvent reaches the backing of the carpet, it can damage the latex that connects the primary and secondary backings, so exercise caution. There are several acceptable solvents out there, including Capture, a brand that we carry at Home Carpet One. If you don’t have a solvent on hand, you can use a solution of liquid dishwashing detergent and water. Use one cup of warm water and no more than a quarter teaspoon of detergent. Using a stronger concentration can damage your carpet. Never use bleach detergents designed for automatic dishwashers, as these will almost certainly leave permanent stains and can destroy fibers. Also avoid laundry detergents. Although it may seem sensible to use laundry detergent on carpet, these detergents often contain fluorescent dyes than can dye the carpet fibers. If you do use a detergent solution, rinse the area thoroughly afterward to remove potentially harmful detergent residues. Another option is to use a solution of one part white vinegar to two parts of warm water. This simple solution is generally effective and is less likely to cause color changes than other common solutions such as ammonia solutions. If none of these methods solves your problem, you can always call a Chicago carpet cleaning professional. Professional cleaners have specialized equipment and powerful cleaning products that can remove stains too stubborn for conventional methods. As with any stain, chocolate stains can become more stubborn with time. If you aren’t successful in removing the stain yourself, do not hesitate to bring in the big guns as soon as possible.
Why Carpets are Extremely Effective at Sound Absorption
The next time you’re in a restaurant and are having a hard time hearing your dinner companion, look around. Chances are the floor and walls are hard surfaces, which mean that all the sounds made in the restaurant are just bouncing around without much opportunity for absorption. Sound is transmitted by the vibration of air molecules. So, if you are surrounded by hard surfaces, any sound is reflected back into the room. Is carpet soundproof? How does carpet absorb sound? How much does carpet reduce noise? Does carpet help with soundproofing? Check out these products Is carpet soundproof? Carpets are extremely effective sound absorbers because the individual fibers, piles tufts and underlay have different resonant frequencies at which they absorb sound. How does carpet absorb sound? Wool carpets are extremely effective with carpet sound absorption. The acoustic underlayment for carpet has millions of wool fibers in an area of carpet have a range of lengths, diameters, crimps and spirality, which enables them to absorb sounds over a wider range of frequencies. How much does carpet reduce noise? Typically, carpets can reduce airborne noise by 35%; however, tests of wool carpets of varying constructions produced an average noise reduction of 46%. With underlay, reductions of 50% to 70% were achieved. Does carpet help with soundproofing? It is important to note that sound absorption will be lower if the carpet backing is too impermeable. The ultimate combination for noise absorption is a wool carpet with a wool underlay. Also, cut-pile carpet will absorb more than loop, because of the more open nature of its surface. In addition to verbal noise we also generate surface noise. Surface noise in a room is the sound from footsteps, dropped objects and furniture movement. Bare tile floors produce 7-12 times more surface noise than carpets, which cushion the impact of the noise, absorbing and deadening the sound. This type of noise control is particularly important in busy restaurants and other locations where people need to be able to communicate amidst a lot of activity. Overall, by reducing the noise levels and reverberation times, wool carpet improves a room’s acoustics, whether it is in a public facility or your home. Background noises disappear; speech comprehensibility increases and occupants automatically speak in a softer, more relaxed voice, rather than generating even more noise by trying to make themselves heard above the sound around them. Check out these products. Sound absorbing carpet Soundproofing carpet Best rugs for noise reduction Sound absorbing rug Staircase noise reduction
Carpet selection - Style and Function
There are four basic considerations when selecting new carpeting. Style Function Color Price. This article concentrates on carpet style and function. Carpet for functions The function of the carpet will vary depending on what areas of the home you are covering, for instance high traffic areas such as hallways and stairs require a tighter lower pile so as to resist crushing and matting. Pattern or multicolored carpets will help hide everyday soiling that is unavoidable. Carpet fiber Carpet fiber is most important to function as the properties of the different carpet fibers will greatly affect the performance. From a natural fiber perspective, wool offers superior durability and will maintain an appearance of being brand new after many years of use and cleaning. Wool is the most environmentally friendly choice and is offered in a wide variety of patterns and styles to satisfy every décor. Though wool carpets aren’t stain resistant and don’t carry warranties like synthetic carpets do, the comfort, beauty, and durability of wool often outweigh those cons. Wool works well as wall-to-wall carpet, fabricated area rugs, hallway or stair runners and more. From a synthetic fiber perspective, nylon offers durability and cleanability that will ensure a long and happy relationship with your purchase. Other synthetics such as polypropylene and polyester don’t perform as well as nylon. Nylon, polypropylene, and polyester all come in a wide variety of styles that will satisfy any taste or price point.