You love your pets, but one of the biggest downsides of pet ownership is that pets can make your apartment smell. And that can mean you might not get your full deposit back when you move out if the odor is too strong and the pros have to be called in. Here are tips on how to clean up common pet messes and banish odors for good. We interviewed Jeremy Strickland, marketing director for Holland, Michigan-based Randy’s Carpet Care with the help of the company’s senior technician Mike Sheridan who gave us tips on how to get rid of common pet odors. But first, it’s advisable to clean up messes regularly and not wait. Keeping your apartment clean is key.
Cat and Dog Pee
If your dog or cat has peed on the carpet, it can be tough to clean.
“Urine spots are like icebergs: what you see on the surface may be but one-fifth of the problem,” says Strickland. “The other four-fifths is underneath the carpet, onto and/or into the padding and perhaps even on the sub-floor.”
To remedy this, sop up as much as you can with paper towels.
Next, “mix a solution of equal parts hot water and vinegar. Wet a towel and scrub the spot with a circular motion. If it still smells when the spot’s dry, try it again. Once the spot feels dry, if the odor has improved, but the spot still looks ugly, mist hydrogen peroxide onto it and rake it in with your fingers. No need to soak the fibers, just make sure they are coated. NOTE: Don’t use peroxide on wool or other natural fibers,” says Strickland.
If vinegar and peroxide aren’t effective, search an enzymatic pet spot cleaner at your local pet store. Follow the directions on the bottle.
Please note that if a male cat won’t stop spraying, you might want to talk to your vet. Neutering your cat might help with this, says Strickland.
Pet Smell
Any pet owner can tell you that dogs or cats can make a home smell.
“Your dog’s lingering odors are, in large part, body odors. Body odor is caused by bacteria, so not only do you need to deodorize, you need to kill the bacteria, which is tough to do without hiring a professional carpet cleaner or renting an ozone machine,” says Strickland.
But all is not lost. To get rid of the pet smell, you can try sprinkling baking soda on the carpet and vacuum it up. You also can find products that can help eliminate this odor. If you have tile, mopping them with a 50/50 mixture of white vinegar and water may help with the smell.
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Pet Hair
To take care of pet hair: vacuum, vacuum, vacuum. Strickland recommends vacuuming daily, if possible. Try to focus on well-traveled areas of the home like your entrance.
Feces
Step one: let it dry. Remove the solid parts.
“Scrape any excess off the top, then dilute a small amount of dish soap in hot water, mixed with a cap full of ammonia. Clean the spot(s) with a disposable towel dipped in this solution. Scrub in a circular motion. Careful not to get things too wet,” says Strickland.
”White vinegar and water mixed 50/50 after the ammonia and dish soap solution should neutralize the pH so it doesn’t brown as it dries,” says Strickland. “Finally, when the mess is clean and you’ve dried it as best as possible, put a spray nozzle on your hydrogen peroxide bottle and give the area a good misting (don’t saturate). Peroxide is great for organic stain removal, and it also helps prevent browning. After you’ve misted, use your fingers to rake it in.”
You now know how to best clean your apartment when you have pets. Here are five best practices when caring and living with animals.