Getting dog urine off the carpet can be a challenging task. Furthermore, the urine leaves a stain, which the carpet holds, and makes the dog to soil the carpet repeatedly. In addition to that, removing both the stain and odor is essential to preserving the life of the carpet. Keeping this in mind, here are some of the best suggestions on removing dog urine from the carpet:
What to do immediately after the dog has soiled the carpet
If the soiled carpet is still wet, the first thing you can do is to soak the moisture as much as you can. The more is the amount of moisture soaked, greater are the chances that you will complete the cleaning process successfully.
Drop a few paper towels on the wet area and press them firmly into the carpet. It is not recommended to use old newspapers as the ink might smudge into the carpet and leave its own stain.
After the paper towels are wet, put a new set down, and press them firmly once again. Continue doing this before the area is just slightly damp. At this point, put the final layer of paper over the stain, and step on the paper. With your shoes on, keep standing there for around one minute. After this stage, remove all the paper towels you have put and proceed to the next step.
The next step involves thoroughly rinsing the region with clean and cool water. Ensure that water flushes out through the fibers. Soak as much of this water as possible. Using a wet vac can also be considered if your carpet has a tendency to retain water. If there is any water left in the carpet, it might lead to formation of mold and mildew.
What to do with carpet stains that have already set in
Sometimes you might not notice a dog stain before it is already set into the carpet. Unfortunately, this is going to make cleaning a bit more complicated and difficult. However, there is no need to despair. The following advice will help you take off the stain and neutralize the smell. Here are some of the best ways to remove stains that are already set into the carpet:
The Vinegar Pet Stain Solution
Mix a solution of 50 percent white vinegar with water and apply it liberally on the carpet. Make sure that the solution reaches the inner layers of the carpet. A scrub brush could be used to work it into the fibers. This vinegar solution neutralizes the dog urine and eliminates most of the smell. After this, dry the region with paper towels or a clean cloth.
Carpet cleaning using Baking soda and Hydrogen peroxide
Drop a handful of baking soda on the stained region and make sure that a small mound is formed covering the entire area. Next, mix one teaspoon of plain detergent with half cup of three percent hydrogen peroxide. It’s important that the detergent used is plain, and is not caustic by any means. This mixture would then be poured over the baking soda. You can even pour this mixture into a spray bottle and spray it over the powder-covered stain. Make sure that this mixture is worked thoroughly into the carpet. You can also make use of scrub brush, in order to help the mixture penetrate down. It is recommended that you test this mixture on a small portion of the carpet and make sure that it doesn’t discolor the fabric. Leave this mixture on the stain for few hours and allow it to dry. The baking soda power, which is then left, can easily be vacuumed.
Pet Odor Neutralizers
After you have made sure that the carpet has been thoroughly cleaned, the last thing you might want to do is sprinkle some odor neutralizing power on the affected area. Odor neutralizing powders can easily be purchased from pet stores.
Extreme Cases
In extreme cases, where the urine has actually penetrated the carpet padding, it might not be possible to clean the carpet without removing the padding.
All of the carpet cleaning procedures discussed above can be implemented any number of times to remove the stains and eliminate any odors. Make sure that you do not use harsh chemical cleansers, which may have a powerful and caustic smell. These chemical cleansers are not likely to mask the odor of your dog’s urine. Besides, the odor they have might instigate the dog to wet the same area again.