Pets make life more fun and fulfilling, but they have one big drawback, and that's the odors they leave behind. Pets sometimes have accidents on the carpet, and that's to be expected. Besides urine odors, pets can have strong body odors too that get transferred to the carpet since they spend a lot of time on the floor.
You might get used to living with pet odors, but guests might notice right away that your home has a bad smell. That's why it's important to have regular carpet cleaning done by a professional. Here are three tips for keeping your carpets clean and fresh when you have indoor pets.
1. Use A UV Light To Find Stains
Unless you see your pet urinate on the carpet, you may smell the odor but not know where it's coming from. A UV flashlight is inexpensive, and it's a good way to find pet stains on the carpet and furniture. You can't see the stains normally, but they glow under the light. When you know where the stains are, you can work on removing them.
2. Buy A Product That Neutralizes Pet Odors
Don't make the mistake of trying to mask pet odors because that doesn't work very well. The urine has to be broken up and the odor neutralized so it goes away and doesn't come back. Certain enzyme cleaners are good for this as well as products specifically made to neutralize pet odors.
You can use the product to lift out stains and odors between visits from the carpet cleaning company. Just be sure the product is safe to use on the carpet. It's best to blot up and rinse a stain as soon as it happens, but if you can't, you may still be able to remove odors from old stains.
3. Get Professional Carpet Cleaning Services
Even if you keep up with cleaning urine, or if your pets don't urinate on the floor, you may still have smelly carpets from pet body odors. You should probably be cleaning your carpets every year or as often as recommended by the manufacturer anyway, but when you have pets, you may need professional cleaning more often.
When you call to book your appointment ask the company if they can remove pet odors. It's important that they have supplies and equipment that removes and neutralizes stains and odors, or the odors could actually get worse. You may also want to use your UV light to find stains and mark their location so the carpet cleaner doesn't miss any. However, the cleaning service may bring their own UV light too.
The carpet cleaner may start by treating the stained area with a product that breaks down the urine and eliminates the odors before proceeding with cleaning the carpet. A wet carpet can make odors worse, so they'll take care to extract all of the water so your carpets are almost dry. This process should eliminate urine and body odors so your carpet smells fresh again.
For more information, contact a company such as DiCaprio Carpet Cleaning.
