Cleaning Tips for Pet Accidents: Stain and Odor Removal Made Easy
January 03, 2025
Having pets is great, at least until one has an accident in the house or office, which may require office cleaning or house cleaning. We can house train them all we like, but sometimes it’s just unavoidable.
Luckily, cleaning up after pet accidents isn’t too difficult as long as you get to them early. In this article, we’ll look at some of the best tips for dealing with pet whoopsies around the home.
Cleaning Tips for Hard Floors
There isn’t much to say about cleaning up accidents on hard floors, such as tile, laminate, etc. Provided the surface is sealed, it should be a case of dealing with the accident itself and then spraying the area with some antibacterial spray and wiping it down.
Sealed surfaces shouldn’t hold stains or smells. But if you’re concerned the area is a bit whiffy after washing, sprinkle on some bicarbonate of soda and then hoover it up after about half an hour.
For unsealed surfaces, such as slate, wood, and so on, you’ll want to clean a bit more thoroughly. Use a mop and bucket to wash the area but try to avoid it getting too wet. The aim is to wash the accident out of the floor before it can penetrate into layers you can’t clean, where it’ll start to smell.
Cleaning Tips for Carpet and Upholstery
Dealing with pet accidents on soft surfaces can be a bit trickier. Again, if you tackle it early enough, it should be fine. To deal with them, you’ll need:
- Kitchen paper
- A cloth or sponge
- Washing up liquid
- Bicarbonate of soda
- White vinegar
The steps are as follows:
- If it’s a solid accident, remove it and throw away.
- For both solid and liquid accidents, blot the area with some kitchen paper or a cloth. This should be a dry cloth to ensure you absorb as much liquid as possible.
- Sprinkle some bicarb on the area and leave it to absorb for 10-15 minutes.
- Hoover this up.
- Wash the area with a sponge or cloth and some warm soapy water. Washing up liquid is fine, but you could also use laundry detergent.
- If the area still smells, spray on some white vinegar and leave it to soak in.
- Wipe the area down again and leave it to dry.
This method should effectively neutralise any odours. Nothing listed above should cause stains, but consider doing a patch test in advance so you know you can use the products when the time comes.
Dealing with Stains
If you clean the accident quickly enough, the chances are fairly low that it’ll stain. But if it’s gone unnoticed for a while, you might have to break out some stronger products.
Hard surfaces can be challenging to remove stains from, but if the material is sealed then it shouldn’t stain in the first place. For something like unsealed wood, you can try oxalic acid (which is sold as wood scrub). The nuclear option would be to sand the area to bring it back to the original colour.
On carpet and upholstery, you’ll again need to get a bit more involved. However, there are a range of products you can try, including:
- Enzymatic cleaner (sold as pet stain remover)
- Oxygen bleach
- Hydrogen peroxide
The best option is probably enzymatic cleaner, which is widely available online and in DIY shops. It’s designed for this sort of thing and is relatively safe to use on all kinds of pet stains. Unlike bleach products, it contains enzymes that break down the organic components of the stain, making it easier to remove.
It bears repeating that you should always spot test products on carpet and upholstery. Follow the product’s instructions and ensure it’s diluted properly if needed. If you need a deep cleaning option, a carpet cleaner is the best tool. You can rent them from lots of places and most can be used on furniture and rugs too.
Final Thoughts
Dealing with pet accidents doesn’t need to be a complicated process. The most important tip is to tackle it as early as possible to avoid the worst stains and smells. But if that’s not possible, be prepared for some more in-depth cleaning.
The next most important thing is to have the necessary products in advance, so you don’t have to buy them after your pet has had an accident! To avoid getting loads of unnecessary products, pick up some enzymatic cleaner as that’ll do the best job.