Tips for Getting Pet Odors Out of Carpet and Upholstery

Being a pet owner can be rewarding. Owning a cat or a dog can bring a lot of joy to your life, and create memories that the whole family will cherish. However, if you have pets that frequently urinate or create other types of odors within your home, you may find being both a pet owner stressful.

Some may feel helpless when it comes to dealing with these issues. While it may take some work, the reality is that there are ways to address these situations and improve the way that your home smells. If you are dealing with pet odors and are looking for ways to fix them that can leave your home smelling fresh, then here are some things to try out.

Understanding Pet Odors

While many different types of pets can cause odors, the primary pets that create odors in the home are cats and dogs. Cats and dogs create different kinds of odors, and they may create these smells for different reasons. The more often that your pet does things like urinate or defecate in the home, the more likely there is to be a strong odor and the more difficult that it will be to eradicate it. Along with that, the longer that this has been an issue, the more likely there are to be smells built up.

Along with understanding how odors build in the home, it is also important to understand different types of odors and the way that they form. For example, if there is a mild pet smell all throughout your home, then it may be pet dander causing the issue, and you may benefit the most from keeping your home well-ventilated and taking the time to wash your and your pet’s bedding on a regular basis.

On the other hand, if you are noticing strong and pungent odors in only one or two locations, then it is more likely that you are dealing with urine smells. In this case, you will need to do more work to target the specific areas where the smells are coming from, as well as take steps to prevent your pet from going to the bathroom in those areas.

Understanding Why Pets Create Odors In the Home

There can be a lot of reasons why your pet is creating odors in the home. For some pets, especially older pets, physical issues or health problems could be the cause. For other pets, behavioral issues could be the root of the issue. The more you know about why your pet is urinating in your home, the easier it will be for you to find ways to prevent them from creating more odors.

However, urine may not be the only odor that you need to take care of. You may have a pet that defecates in your home, or you may be dealing with general dander or litter box smells. These smells may not be as strong as a urine scent, but they can still be distracting, and cause your home to feel less comfortable. It may not be possible to simply clean up these smells, or get rid of the source of them, so you may need to come up with different kinds of solutions or seek other long-term ways to manage the smells that they create. Many may benefit from getting professional help to take care of a urine scent in their home.

What You Need To Know About Getting Odors Out of Upholstery

One big issue for many pet owners is taking care of odors in upholstery. Whether you have a new puppy that accidentally urinated on your couch, or you have an older cat that likes to spray on your reclining chair, there can be many reasons why you might want to get a pet smell out of upholstery. The good news is that there are ways that you can resolve this problem.

When it comes to getting rid of a pet odor, it is important to take care of it as quickly as possible, so that the urine cannot soak into your upholstery deeper. First, you will need to blot up as much of the urine as possible with a rag, or some paper towels. Once you are no longer soaking up liquid, you can move on to the next step.

If you are able to remove the cover from the cushion, then you should do so, and machine wash it. If not, then you can simply proceed to the next step, which is to sprinkle the area with baking soda. The baking soda will help to draw out the rest of the urine and absorb the scent.

By leaving the baking soda to do this until it dries, you can help ensure that it is neutralizing as much of the smell as possible. After it has dried, you may notice that it has begun to look yellow or become more crusty in appearance. This is a sign that it has been soaking up the urine. Once you notice this, you can then vacuum the cushion, and make sure that you get all of the baking soda removed.

If the cushion has dried, you can spray it with a mixture of water and white vinegar, and then scrub the solution in. You may also let it soak for a while, for at least ten minutes. After that, you let it dry and then assemble your couch cushion. If you still notice a urine smell, you may need to repeat the process. If that still does not work, then it may be best to seek out professional help.

What You Need To Know About Getting Odors Out of Carpet

In many ways, the approach to getting pet scents out of carpet is similar to the approach you would take to get it out of upholstery. It is important to take care of it as soon as you notice it and to blot up as much liquid as you can. However, the kind of fiber your carpet is made of can have an impact on how you need to clean it. Additionally, the way that you would clean urine stains and feces stains can differ.

The steps to cleaning carpet are similar for many different types of fibers, like acrylic, nylon, and polyester. If you have a wool carpet, though, you may need to approach cleaning your carpet differently. For most fiber types, you can begin cleaning with hot water. For wool, though, you will need to use cold water while cleaning.

If your pet has urinated, then you will need to soak up as much of the urine as you can. If they have defecated, then you will need to remove the solid matter before you begin cleaning the stain. Once you have done this, using an oxygen-based cleaner to spray on the affected area can be a good way to pre-treat the stain. It can be helpful to let it soak for a while at this stage so that the cleaner can do its work. However, it may not be a good idea to scrub it or mush it into the carpet, as this could end up driving the stain down deeper.

After the stain remover has had some time to soak, the next step is to soak the stain again, this time with a mixture of detergent, or carpet cleaner and hot water. The length of time you want to let it soak is up to you, but letting it sit for at least ten minutes can be a good way to ensure that the cleaners have enough time to work properly.

Once your stain has soaked for long enough, you can begin scrubbing. Most types of scrub brushes will work well for this task. You can use more cleaning solutions to scrub, or just plain hot water, depending on how bad the stain is. You should scrub until the stain is worked out. It is also important to be mindful of the direction that you are scrubbing in. You will want to make sure that you start at the outer edges of the stain and scrub inward. If you scrub in an outwards direction, you may begin to spread the stain out further and create a bigger mess. After you have finished using cleaner, you can scrub with plain hot water to rinse, and then let the area dry. By this point, the stain should be removed.

Tips for Preventing Pet Odor

Even though it may not be possible to stop your pets from creating odors in your home altogether, there are steps you can take to help reduce the possibility of them urinating or defecating in your home. If you are trying to potty train a new puppy, it can be beneficial to try crate training. With this type of training, the puppy will remain in their crate unless they are being taken outside to use the bathroom, or they are being closely supervised.

If you own a cat, then there are other steps you can take to help prevent them from urinating or defecating other places besides their litter box. One way to help ensure that they continue to use their litter box is to make sure that you clean it regularly. If a litter box smells too strongly, a cat may feel that it is too dirty to use, and may choose to go elsewhere. Along with that, it can also be a good idea to make sure that you have an extra litter box in the home, especially if your home has multiple levels.

For both cats and dogs, it can be a good idea to look into whether or not there are potential behavioral issues that are causing them to have accidents in the home. This can be particularly important if there are no clear physical or environmental reasons for them having frequent accidents. If your pet does not have incontinence issues or other health issues, they could have an emotional reason for leaving messes in your home.

Some pets may urinate in the home when they are going through periods of change. For example, if you have just moved into a new home your cat or dog may feel stressed by this change. Also, if there are smells from the previous home owner’s pets, they might feel the need to cover up these scents with their own.

A cat or dog may also feel threatened if there is a change in your schedule, or if a new pet has been introduced into the home. These kinds of shifts in their daily life can leave them feeling disrupted and can cause them to behave in ways that they wouldn’t usually. If the cause of this new behavior is emotional, then you will need to take steps to address your pet’s emotional stress if you want to stop these behaviors.

How To Know That You Need Extra Help

Even though some may think it is best to take care of pet odors in their home on their own, the reality is that there are some situations where you will need extra help. This can be particularly true if the pet odors have been in your home for a long time. For example, if you bought a home that already had a pet smell in it before you moved in. Additionally, since you may not know exactly where most of those smells originated, it can be a good idea to seek professional help to eradicate them.

Some Parting Words

While your pets may be endearing, their smells are likely not. That doesn’t mean, though, that you are simply stuck dealing with unpleasant odors in your home. Whether you have a dog, a cat, or another pet, there are ways that you can reduce and eliminate their unpleasant scents in the house. While some may be able to tackle bad smells with a little elbow grease and natural solutions like essential oils, there are those that may need help from professionals like Safe-Dry Carpet Cleaning of The Woodlands for example. Check out the website, and reach out today to learn about options that can leave your home refreshed and feeling comfortable again.