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Sometimes these two things carpet and pet don't go together very well. Many pet owners do exactly what they shouldn't do when they clean up pet messes. But if you learn how to clean up the right way, with the right products, you can prevent a permanent stain Between muddy paws, fur on upholstered furniture, odors and occasional accidents, we could spend quite a bit of time cleaning up after our furry friends. Cleaner pets mean a cleaner house and cleaner carpet. Minimize the mess Bathe and brush your pets regularly to minimize the amount of pet hair and pet dander, and to help with odors. Keep a lint brush or damp sponge handy to quickly pick up loose pet hair. Unless your pet has dietary restrictions, a light mist of spray-on cooking oil on your pet's dishes will make them easier to wash out and will add shine to his or her coat. Clean dogs = clean carpets: Bathing your dogs regularly can keep that dog smell out of your carpets. Keeping up with brushing avoids clumps of hair all over the house as well. Wipe their paws: Paw prints running across your room just aren't cute. Wipe your dog's paws each time they come in from outdoors and you'll be amazed at the reduction in traffic dirt around the house. Try club soda: For small stains, club soda can work well: after soaking the stain with soda water take towels and blot (don't rub!) until the stain is gone. Borax to the rescue: Mix one part borax with two parts baking soda or cornstartch. Clean up the mess as well as you can with a towel then apply the borax mixture. Let stand for one hour then vacuum it up. Let the enzymes take care of the spot: After a dreaded "accident" use a natural enzyme product to clean up the spot. Buy natural, uncolored food: Dog food that has color added can stain your carpet should it come back up the wrong way. Avoid stains by getting food without any added color. Vacuum regularly: Not only does frequent vacuuming extend the life of your carpet it removes dirt avoiding getting grime ground into the pile. HOW TO CLEAN UP WET MESSES Using paper towels to blot up urine and vomit soaks up the surface liquid but still leaves a lot in the carpet. And stomping on those paper towels only makes it worse. That forces the liquid deeper into the padding and then into the subflooring. Instead, invest in a handheld carpet extractor. Don't use a shop vacuum—the smell will linger in the filter and it's much harder to clean than a small extractor. Hit the carpet as soon as possible and vacuum like there's no tomorrow. Liquid messes spread as they're absorbed into the carpet, so always treat a larger area than the original stain. HOW TO CLEAN UP SOLID MESSES Scooping up the solids with paper towels or rags can actually force them into the carpet. Instead, use a putty knife and dustpan to scrape them up. Sink the edge of the putty knife into the carpet at the edge of the mess. Then push it forward to scrape the solid waste up and into the dustpan. For all solid messes, saturate the stain with an oxygenated bio-enzymatic cleaner. Let it sit for 45 minutes to separate additional solids from the carpet fibers. Then clean up those solids. Bio-enzymatic cleaners take a long time to work. Just let the treated area air-dry. Then vacuum to raise the nap. Lifting stains To remove a pet urine stain, dilute the spot using a cloth dampened with water. Then, clean the area with an acid solution consisting of one quart water mixed with one teaspoon white vinegar. If necessary, you can apply a pet bacteria/enzyme digester according to the directions. You can find these products at any pet store; they effectively counter both the stain and the odor. Even if the stain has disappeared or our human noses can no longer smell anything, a pet will repeatedly return to the same spot if he can still smell his own odor. Here are some other hints: * Be sure to use enough bacteria/enzyme digester to penetrate the carpet and pad. * Keep in mind that digesters work well but slowly. Leave the solution on as long as indicated. * After applying the solution, cover with plastic and step on the spot several times until the area is well saturated. * Keep the plastic on the entire time the digester is working to make sure the spot doesn't dry out. For more helpful ideas, check out our main page here: Auckland carpet cleaning
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