We love our fur babies. Clearly, with 68% of American households being pet owners, we’ve put a premium on our animal companions. However, this premium can come at an unintended cost to not only our investment, but to our health as well.
Despite our best efforts, indoor accidents can, and frequently do, happen. For many of us, our initial reaction may be to douse the offending mess with vinegar and baking soda, perhaps vigorously scrubbing the area with a cloth. Please don’t do this.
Pet stains don’t function like other stains like coffee and juice, and require a conscientious level of care in their removal.
Why it’s Important for Pet Owners to Regularly Clean Their Carpets
Basically, pet stains have two levels of existence: odor and discoloration. Odor indicates that detrimental proteins are still present, and discoloration can be hard to get out once the stain has been “set” via panicky cleanup attempts like scrubbing or misuse of cleaning products.
Even if you think that you zapped the stain itself, the proteins can still be left behind and cause issues such as:
- Allergic reactions.
- Asthma.
- Molds and bacteria.
- Respiratory infections.
Reports have shown that prolonged exposure to animal feces and urine, along with the proteins and ammonia they can leave behind, can impart detrimental health effects such as cramps, diarrhea, intestinal illness, and serious kidney disorders to unaware pet owners.
What Should You Do If Your Pet Has Already Soiled the Carpet
Rule #1: Do not scrub! Doing so may spread the stain, or worse, set it thanks to the heat generated from friction.
Other methods have suggested using vinegar, then baking soda directly on the stain. When combined, they produce a chemical reaction in the form of bubbling, which is said to lift the stain and neutralize the odor-causing proteins, and harmlessly vacuumed away once dried.
However, if not done correctly, the stain could become set and discoloration from the baking soda can occur, leaving you in a worse spot than you were previously in.
Is it Time to Call a Professional?
If you’ve owned a pet or pets for multiple years, having your carpet regularly cleaned is the best way to ensure that your indoor environment is healthy and free of contaminants.
Single stain management may not seem so bad to those who have had success with at-home methods, but when these accidents accumulate over time, it can become hard to manage and even harder for those who may not know how to effectively remove these stains.
Even if all of the stains have been rectified, allergens and other illness-causing contaminants can still be transferred via saliva and pet danger. These are typically missed by even the most vigilant pet owner, but are just as much a carrier as animal feces and urine.
Do you want to know the best way to maintain a healthy indoor environment while also enjoying the awesome company of your beloved animals? Having your carpets regularly cleaned and your pet stains professionally assessed.
