It’s understandable that puppies and kittens are prone to toilet training mishaps, however it’s important to attend to any accidents immediately.
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That’s because the smell of old pee is an attractant for dogs and cats, and if not cleaned properly off the floor, you’ll have yourself a repeat offender, urinating in the same location again and again.
To avoid this paw-tential disaster, Carpet Court national merchandise manager Brett Talbot has the following floorboard and carpet tips, to ensure your home doesn’t end up smelling like a doghouse or kitty litter tray.
DO:
- Soak up as much urine as possible using paper towels (use white paper towel only to avoid dye transfers).
- After you’ve blotted the area, spray affected floorboards or carpet area with an enzyme-based solution (one part white vinegar and one part cold water) as it neutralises the smell. Carpet Court’s Pinnacle Collection hybrid flooring range from STAINMASTER PetProtect resists absorption, stains and odours from pet accidents where accidents can be cleaned solely with water.
- Leave the enzyme solution on the affected area for 10 minutes. Blot the affected area with paper towel and leave to dry.
- Once dry, sprinkle some baking soda over the area and leave for 24 hours as it sanitises the area; then vacuum the area.
- If discolouration is still evident, repeat steps 2 and 3 with cold water only. Note, this can be done up to four times.
- If stains or odours fail to respond adequately to treatment on carpet, call a professional carpet cleaner to attend to the area within 48 hours.
DON’T
- Never wash affected carpet areas with regular soap or cleaning products – if applied immediately after the enzyme treatment this will deactivate the neutralisation process (meaning the smell will remain). Additionally, cleaning products can permanently stain your carpet.
- Do not clean your floorboards with ammonia-based products as the smell can attract your pets to ‘mark’ the area.
- Do not use a steam mop to clean floorboards.
- Never rub or scrub the stain, as it can result in the creation of ‘fuzzy’ areas on your carpet.
- Do not be tempted to immediately use a steam cleaner on the affected carpet area, as this can embed the stain and smell into your carpet fibres.