prevent pet spots from staining
follow these steps to quickly get rid of rug stains and smells
Serafian's Oriental Rugs
WE LOVE OUR ANIMALS. They brighten our days, lift us up when our spirits are down, and make our homes feel complete. Unfortunately, accidents are inevitable and even the best dogs and cats will occasionally have an accident on your best area rugs. Below are a few quick steps you can take to help prevent damage and odor from pet urine. These steps can be effective at removing urine from your wallto-wall carpet as well.
step 1
If the spot is still wet, poultice the area. If it is already dry, move on to step 2. The first thought a lot of folks have is to wipe the area up with a wet rag. A much more effective method is poulticing. To poultice a spot, take a dry rag or paper towels and apply downward pressure on it. The moisture will soak into the rag and get "sucked" out of your rug. A poultice is more effective because it doesn't spread the spot around and removes a much greater quantity of moisture. If you own good wet-vac that is capable of removing moisture, you can use that instead of poulticing the spot.
step 2
Apply white vinegar. White vinegar is great for eliminating the odor of most pet urine. It also helps to keep the dye in your rug set, preventing color migration. Pour enough white vinegar directly onto the spotted area to soak it. While the odor of the vinegar is intense, it will fade quickly as the area dries out.
step 3
Let it sit for three to five minutes. We call this "dwell time". The white vinegar will break down the bonds holding the urine in place. This is especially important if you are dealing with cat urine as it tends to have oils that need to be broken down.
step 4
Poultice out the white vinegar. Much like step 1, use a poultice to remove the white vinegar.
step 5
Smell the area, possibly repeat steps 2 through 4. Take a quick smell of the area. If you can still smell the urine over the vinegar, repeat steps 2 through 4. Otherwise, move on to step 6.
step 6
Dry the area quickly and correctly. Getting your rug dry quickly and effectively is a big part of keeping the bacteria in the urine from heavily reproducing. Air flow is key here, so using a fan to blow over the wet area will go a long way toward this. If you can expose both the top and bottom of the rug to that air flow, it will speed up the process tremendously. You can prop books up underneath your rug or even drape it over a chair to achieve this.
Once dry, you have done all you can to treat the spot. In most cases, you will find that the smell is gone and the staining reduced. It is important to note, that while this helps the appearance and smell of your rug, it does not really disinfect it. If disinfection is what you are after or if problems still persist, it is probably time to have your rug washed professionally. Full immersion cleaning is by far the most effective technique for eliminating and disinfecting urine.