Carpeting feels excellent underfoot, and it’s available in a variety of attractive styles. However, it can stain easily, especially if you have pets. Fortunately, learning more about carpet cleaning and pets can help you protect your carpeting as well as keep your home stain- and odor-free.
From general dirt and pet hair to odors and the occasional pet accidents, here are some tips for managing your carpet:
Get Rid of Everyday Odors & Dirt With an Effective Carpet Cleaning Tool
Pets often track dirt and mud from outside on your carpet. So to keep your carpet looking like new and remove pet odors, it’s a good idea to use a larger carpet cleaner every few months.
One option is the BISSELL TurboClean DualPro Pet Carpet Cleaner, which looks like an upright vacuum cleaner. This machine uses a Four-Row DeepReach PowerBrush to extract embedded dirt and allergens, making it a powerful cleaning tool.
Another plus is that the BISSELL Pet Stain & Odor + Antibacterial Formula comes with this carpet cleaner, and it eliminates 90% of bacteria that cause odors.
The TurboClean DualPro Pet includes a variety of other convenient features, including:
- An Express Clean Mode that leaves carpets dry in about 45 minutes
- A cleaning nozzle and tanks that are easy to remove for cleanup
- An easy-fill cap to make measuring the amount of cleaning formula needed simple
- Tanks that hold 1.25 gal. of liquid
- An 11-in. cleaning path
- A 3-in. tough stain tool that connects to an 8-ft. hose
This cleaner only weighs 12 lbs., so it’s easy to move it around your home.
Still, many accessories are available to add to its cleaning power:
- 4-in. upholstery tool
- HydroRinse self-cleaning tool
- Powered TurboBrush hand tool
- Spraying crevice tool
- 3-in-1 stair tool
And since you have a pet, you may be happy to know that buying this carpet cleaner helps animals as well. BISSELL saves many homeless pets by supporting the BISSELL Pet Foundation. Now that’s a great combination of carpet cleaning and pets.
To Clean a Large Area, Use a Powerful Automatic Device
When it comes to carpet cleaning and pets, if you have a larger carpet with lots of dirt, you need to choose a powerful device. If this is what you’re dealing with, consider the Hoover SmartWash+ Automatic Carpet Cleaner, which is designed for difficult jobs. It offers deep cleaning, but it’s as easy to use as a regular vacuum.
This is Hoover’s first automatic carpet cleaner, and it includes:
- FlexForce PowerBrushes
- An auto-mix dispenser for the perfect mix of cleaning solution and water
- Heating system with a dry-only button for faster drying
- 12-in. cleaning path
- 5-year motor warranty
- Stair tool with an antimicrobial coating to prevent odors
- Motion-sensing wash and dry technology to wash when you move the machine forward and dry when you pull it back
- 6 oz. of Paws & Claws Carpet Solution
- Storage bag for the antimicrobial bristle brush and rubber nub tool
What helps with the ease of use is that you can remove the nozzle and brushes with no additional tools. The water storage tanks are also removable.
For Area Rugs, Try the Washing Machine Instead of a Carpet Cleaner
Many bathmats and area rugs are small enough to fit in a washing machine. So instead of spending time using a carpet cleaner, you can toss your rug into the wash and forget about it until the cycle completes. But if you have trouble getting a rug to fit, use a cleaner instead of washing it.
If you opt for using the washing machine, make sure you use cold water. This is because using cold water helps remove stains. Plus, high temperatures could damage the glue that holds many rugs together.
If you’re still unsure about throwing your area rug into the wash, check out our handy guide all about washing machine cycles.
Use an Oxygenated or Bio-Enzymatic Pet Stain Cleaner to Remove Odors
When your dog or cat has an accident on your carpet, an unpleasant smell can linger after you remove the stain. And unfortunately, that scent could also encourage a repeat mess in the same area.
So, when it comes to carpet cleaning and pets, use an oxygenated or bio-enzymatic cleaner, which uses bacteria to neutralize the chemicals that cause bad smells and eliminate starches and proteins.
Some carpet cleaners have these solutions available. But you can also buy a separate bio-enzymatic cleaner. Use the bio-enzymatic or oxygenated cleaner first to keep pet stains from setting and eliminate lingering odors. Then, treat a bigger area than the original stain to keep accidents from spreading and becoming absorbed into the carpet.
How to Clean Pet Stains Quickly
On the subject of carpet cleaning and pets, it’s important to clean up messes as soon as possible because letting the stain dry could make it more difficult to remove.
So, be sure to follow these steps:
- Use paper towels to remove any solids
- Add laundry detergent or stain remover to any liquid stain
- Blot the area dry with paper towels
- For large or stubborn stains, use a portable carpet cleaner
For a speedy cleanup, consider the RugDoctor Pet Portable Spot Cleaner. It’s lightweight, and it comes with a retractable handle and convenient, carpet-friendly wheels. Furthermore, its powerful suction can remove tough odors and stains.
The handheld, dual-action pet tool uses rubber bristles to get rid of pet hair, dirt, and stains. This means it’s ideal for stairs and other small spaces with carpeting. Plus, its compact construction makes storing it in a closet or cabinet easy.
This carpet cleaner comes with a one-year limited warranty and a trial-sized Rug Doctor cleaner and odor remover. You’ll also get 8 oz. of pet stain and odor cleaning solution.
For Solids, Use a Knife & Dustpan
Solid waste from a dog or cat can dry on your carpet and keep your bio-enzymatic cleaner from being effective. But with a knife, you can scrape solids off your carpet and into your dustpan before you use a cleaning solution.
This can prevent stains and help the carpet cleaners work their best. Also, it keeps you from forcing your pet’s accident further into the carpet by trying to rub it with paper towels.
A Wet/Dry Vac Can Help You Clean Many Pet Messes
Don’t discount the power of a wet/dry vac in connection with carpet cleaning and pets. And though these machines sound a little intense, the models for home use are just as easy to use as regular carpet cleaners.
The Shop-Vac 10 Gallon 5.5 Peak HP Wet/Dry Utility Vacuum with SVX2 Motor Technology can help you get rid of dirt, accidents from pets, and many other messes. It works on a variety of surfaces including carpet, tile, and wood floors. Plus, you can use it with or without water and cleaning solutions.
An 8-ft. hose with a 1.5-in. diameter attaches to the rear blower port to help you move dirt out of hard-to-reach places. Additionally, the cord is 12 ft. long, and this device comes with a limited lifetime home use warranty.
You can add many accessories to this wet/dry vac, including:
- 2 extension wands with 1.5-in. diameters
- A 12-in. floor nozzle
- A gulper nozzle to collect solids or liquids from pet accidents
- A crevice tool
- A hose holder
- Dolly tool storage
Get Rid of Any Lingering Smells With a Purifying Fan
Even if your pets rarely have accidents, they can make your carpet smell unpleasant. Enter the Dyson Pure Cool TP01 Purifying Fan in the matter of carpet cleaning and pets. This specialty fan helps clean the air in an entire room and it’s certified as asthma- and allergy-friendly by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.
This Dyson fan comes with:
- A HEPA filter that captures 99.97% of particles that are 0.3 microns or larger, including pet dander
- Powerful, efficient Air Multiplier technology to capture pollutants from distant corners of a room
- The ability to oscillate up to 70 degrees to send cleaned air throughout a room
- Cooling capabilities to keep you comfortable on warm days
- A remote control with a storage space on the machine
- A filter that’s easy to change
- A 2-year parts and labor warranty
Other convenient features are that it doesn’t have sharp blades that could hurt pets or kids, the cord is 6.6 ft. long, and it weighs less than 10 lbs.
Train Your Pets to Keep Carpets Clean & Prevent Accidents
If you’re looking for a solid method when it comes to carpet cleaning and pets, maybe the best solution is to prevent pet messes in the first place. Though accidents happen, a well-trained pet will know to keep the dirt and other stains outside.
So, when you’re with your dog and they go to the bathroom outside, reward them with a treat and praise. This encourages them to let you know when they need to take care of business, and it prevents accidents. With cats, clean the litter box at least once per day as many felines don’t like using a dirty litter box.
If you’re a cat owner, it’s also a good idea to get an extra litter box so that your cat always has somewhere clean to go. But if your cats still make your carpets dirty often, try moving the litter box to somewhere quiet and secluded. Cats are often more willing to use litter boxes when they feel safe and secure.
Then, after an accident, keep pets away from the area to prevent a similar occurrence. Avoid punishing pets because they could become afraid and have accidents more often.
When It Comes to Carpet Cleaning and Pets, a Messy Pet Won’t Prevent You From Having a Beautiful Carpet
With these tips, you can keep your carpet in excellent shape and prevent bad smells. Carpet cleaning and pets go hand in hand, and all pets have accidents occasionally. But using a strong carpet cleaner and an effective cleaning solution will make your carpet look new again.
