Owning a cat or dog is an amazing experience. Studies have proven that pets can decrease feelings of loneliness, lower stress, and increase our fitness. And, unless your pet is a fish pet messes are an inevitable part of owning a pet. Cleaning the carpet will be a chore you’ll have to do when you own a pet. Don’t worry, we’ve got 10 carpet cleaning tips for pet owners in this article.

1. Extract Liquids

Urine stains on a carpet are all a part of potty training a puppy or litter box training a kitten. It’s bound to happen eventually. Yet, there is a lot of bad advice online on how to clean up pet urine stains.

Carpets absorb liquid stains down in their pad underneath the rug. The worst thing you can do for your carpet is to cover the stain with paper towels and stomp on it. You’ll just spread the stain further into the pad and create a wider puddle.

Pet urine stains on furniture is also a common problem. Similarly, treat these areas as you would with carpeting.

You can rip up the carpets every time there is a stain which would be costly and ridiculous or you can purchase a handheld carpet extractor. In a pinch, a wet-dry vac will work too.

For urine stains from cats and dogs use the extractor to get as much liquid out of the carpet and pad as possible. Then treat the area with a bio-enzymatic cleaner.

2. Use a Bio-Enzymatic Cleaner

We touched on this a little in number one. A bio-enzymatic cleaner is best for pet urine stains. You can use this cleaner on old and new stains, but it is best to attack the stain when it first happens.

A bio-enzymatic cleaner neutralizes the stain by using uric acid. This will eliminate proteins and starches that ordinary pet cleaners or carpet cleaning products leave behind. These proteins and starches are what leave behind the smell.

If you use a carpet cleaner or any other product before using a bio-enzymatic cleaner it could set the stain permanently into your carpet. Make sure you treat the surrounding area of the stain as well because liquid messes always spread.

3. Solid Stains

Solid stains can vary in difficulty depending on the different dog sizes. But whatever the size it’s never a welcomed surprise for pet owners.

The best way to remove solids from the carpet is to use the edge of a putty knife. Push it forward and scrape the mess into a dustpan or onto a piece of cardboard.

This sort of mess will need its own type of cleaner too. We recommend an oxygenated bio-enzymatic cleaner. It may be tempting to use water and dish soap or a home remedy but the oxygenated bio-enzymatic cleaner will work best for solid stains.

It’s best to attack the stain when it first happens. Don’t let it sit. Spray the oxygenated bio-enzymatic cleaner on and let it sit for 45 minutes. The cleaner needs time to separate any solid material left behind from the carpet fibers.

Then use a vacuum to raise the nap of the carpet.

4. Use a Carpet Cleaner

After you have cleaned your stain with the bio-enzymatic cleaner that coordinates with your liquid or solid stain, then you can use a carpet cleaning product. Carpet cleaning products only work after the proteins and starches left behind have been fully removed from the carpet.

Spray the carpet cleaning product on the site of the stain and follow the instructions on the bottle to get the best results. Do not use a rag because rags will force more of the stain down into the carpet rather than bringing it out.

5. Remove Fur

You love your pet and it is not their fault that they are so fluffy. Removing pet hair from carpeting can be a difficult and time-consuming task. You can drive yourself mad trying to get every piece of fluff or fuzz off your carpeting.

Lint rollers will help you remove pet hair from furniture. Lint rollers come in multiple sizes so choose a large one when you are removing fur from furniture. After you have lint rolled go ahead and give your furniture a vacuum as well.

Another popular tool for removing hair is a carpet rake. It looks just as you’d imagine it looks. Similar to a carpet rake is a handheld device with rubber bristles.

Moving either the carpet rake or the rubber bristle device back and forth over your carpet will do a great job of picking up loose hair.

6. Vaccum, Vaccum, and Vaccum Some More

After you’ve removed the larger pieces of fur from your carpet go over your carpets with a vacuum cleaner. This will ensure that you’ve picked up everything you can.

It may be helpful to buy a vacuum that is made to pick up pet hair. There are lots of vacuums that are pet focused and come with a HEPA filter.

Vacuuming frequently will also make sure that pet hair doesn’t build up on your carpeting. Try to get on a vacuuming schedule of three times a week to keep the hair problem under control.

7. Clean Up Dirt

If your best friend goes outside and comes indoors too you may be left with quite a mess. Dogs and cats can track in a surprising amount of dirt and mud leaving your carpets a mess. If you have a pet door imagine what your carpets will look like after they go in and out constantly.

Start with taking a look at your dog or cat before you let them back into the house. Are they dirty? Then perhaps taking them straight to the bathroom for a bath would be the best option.

Wiping down your pet’s paws when they come into the house can prevent a lot of dirt from entering your home. Leave a spray bottle and towel by the door to make it more convenient to wipe down your best friend’s paws before entering.

The more dirt you can prevent from entering your home the less carpet cleaning you will have to do in the long run.

8. Keep Your Pets Groomed

This next tip is more of a preventative measure to prevent carpet cleaning. If you keep your pets groomed there will be less dirt and grime inside your home to stain your carpets. Also, regular grooming ensures your pets are not shedding all over the carpets.

You don’t have to go to the groomers. You can bath, brush, and trim your dog or cat yourself. Enjoy some bonding time with your fuzzy friend and give them a bath to prevent messes from building up on your carpet.

The more you bath them the more they get used to it over time. It’s a good idea to start at a young age and train them that regular baths at home are just a normal part of life for them to get used to.

9. Get Rid Of Smells

As long as your pet can smell its smell it will continue to use the bathroom there. Make sure you complete all of the carpet cleaning steps we covered to ensure the smell doesn’t stay.

It’s a good idea to make your pet’s litterbox more attractive for them to use than the area they are currently using. Make sure you are taking your dog outside enough so they have enough time to do their business throughout the day.

Make the area of the house where your pet is using the bathroom unattractive or unavailable to them. Boxing in that area with furniture so that they cannot get to it or closing it off with a baby gate may be the best option until your pet stops the behavior.

10. Hire a Professional 

If you’ve tried all of these tips and are still having no luck then maybe it is time to hire a professional service to come in and clean your carpets. A professional carpet cleaning service can remove the dirt and stains from your carpet as well as the bacteria and allergens trapped inside your carpeting.

A professional carpet cleaning service can detect areas in your home that have been stained by pets including furniture. They will work to eliminate all pet stains and odors from your home using the proper techniques that will keep your carpet safe.

Most carpet cleaning services have additional services geared towards pet owners. They can advise you of the best treatment plan for your home and how to prevent future stains.

Proper Carpet Cleaning Picks Up Pet Messes

With the proper carpet cleaning techniques, it is possible to have your carpets looking new and smelling new too. Don’t give up and rip out your carpet. Call an expert for some help.

There is no job that is too big or too small. Give us a call today and we will have your carpeting and furniture looking and smelling like new again.