Stains
Having pets is great, but the stains they sometimes leave on your carpet or furniture are not. Cats, especially, can leave behind ugly stains if they are prone to accidents. We recommend the following tips to prevent cat stains from becoming a permanent mark on your carpet. If you catch the stain right when it happens or soon after, do the following:
- Don’t let the stain sit–quickly take care of it. Use a paper towel to remove as much of the urine as possible.
- Blot the stain. Rubbing will set the stain into the material.
- Pour cold water on dry stains and blot.
- Many homeowners use cleaners with ammonia. DON’T DO THIS. Your cat may actually be encouraged to pee in the same spot when smelling the ammonia in the cleaner.
Odors
Removing the visual evidence is only step one. Step two is getting rid of the smell that might stick around. Pet urine odor will become worse over time so be sure to clean the spot as soon as possible. We recommend avoiding the following when getting rid of the odor:
- DIY and over the counter solutions will only mask the odor for a time, not get rid of it completely.
- Instead of steam cleaning your carpets, try Temecula Valley Chem-Dry for professional pet urine removal that will completely eliminate the smell. Steam cleaning can actually lock in the smell instead of completely breaking it down.
Deeper Issues
While the stain may be gone, there are sometimes deeper problems that are difficult to notice at first. Oftentimes, the urine will have soaked through the carpet to the padding or sub-floor. Simply cleaning the carpet surface will not reach the area beneath. To prevent permanent damage to your carpet and the deeper layers, consider calling a professional to give your carpets a deeper, more thorough cleaning. Professional carpet cleaners and pet stain removal services can also remove dust and allergens left behind by pets that can sometimes cause health problems.
Prevention
You will want to make sure the same thing doesn’t happen again once your carpet or furniture is clean. We recommend the following steps to reduce the likelihood of repeat accidents.
- Quickly address the problem so it doesn’t become normal, repeated behavior
- If your cat is spraying, help it feel less stressed and more secure in its environment
- Put the litter box in an easily accessible location for your cat
- Regularly clean the litter box
Repeat behavior
If your cat refuses to use its litter box, there could be several reasons. Sometimes your cat’s behavior can be caused by medical issues, such as intense stress or anxiety, digestive disorders or muscle, and joint pain. If your cat is having regular accidents, you may want to take it to see your vet.
We also recommend consulting a professional carpet cleaning and pet stain removal service to make sure the cleaning issue is fully taken care of.
If you need carpet cleaning or pet stain removal in the Wildomar or Temecula Valley, CA area, contact Temecula Valley Chem-Dry today!
