Pet Odor Removal Tips That Keep Your Home Smelling Fresh
Pets are wonderful companions, but they aren't the best-smelling creatures. You get used to the way your animals smell, so you don't notice their body odors like guests to your home do. You can live happily with your pets, but you should be aware that you need to clean up after them thoroughly to keep odors away, even if they don't urinate in the house. Here are some tips for dealing with body and urine odor from your indoor pets.
Have Regular Professional Carpet Cleaning
Regular carpet cleaning is important even when you don't have pets, but when you have a cat or dog sleeping on the carpet, you'll need to do it more often to get rid of their body odor. You may also want to have your upholstered furniture cleaned at the same time if your pets are allowed on the furniture. A rented carpet cleaner from the grocery store doesn't get the same results. Rented cleaners also tend to leave the floor too wet, and that can make pet odors worse.
Professional carpet cleaning gets rid of body odor and urine odor, too. It helps if you can pinpoint areas that are stained with urine for the cleaners. Go through your home the night before with a black light to find urine stains that need to be treated.
Clean Up Accidents With An Enzyme Product
Professional cleaning of your floors and furniture helps your home smell fresh and clean, but you'll still need to work on pet odor removal between visits. One way to do that is to vacuum regularly to keep pet hairs and dander out of the carpet, and another way is to clean up urine accidents promptly. Check your home occasionally with a black light for urine accidents you may have missed.
When you see a spot, or when you catch your pet going on the floor, clean up the urine as soon as possible. Your pet may keep going in the same spot and this could lead to permanent damage to the floor or wall. Blot urine out of carpet and then soak the area with an enzymatic cleaner made for pet odors. Enzyme cleaners break down urine, which is a much better way to remove odor than just masking it with a traditional household cleaner. Just be sure the product you use is safe for the flooring in your home; some products may harm wood or stone if they are acidic.
If your pet continues to have accidents in your home, you may want to consult the vet. Your pet might have medical problems that need attention and having your pet treated might put an end to an ongoing problem. However, your pet doesn't have to be sick to have accidents. They happen with the best-behaved pets and you may not even know it. Regular deep cleaning of your home will get rid of occasional accidents and prevent odors from being overwhelming for you and your guests.