How to Clean Dog Pee Out of Your Carpet

Adopting a dog into your family is one of life’s little joys. Who doesn’t like to come home to someone that is always eager to see you, even if you aren’t feeling your best? There’s only one small problem our furry friends sometimes find themselves in…having an accident on your carpet. Now what? Here are some tips for how to clean dog pee out of your carpet so both you and Fido can get out of the dog house.

How to Clean Dog Pee Out Of Your Carpet

The first step to keeping your carpet clean of pet stains is prevention. Why did your dog urinate on the carpet? Did you wait too long to let him out? Perhaps he is sick and needs to see a vet or maybe something happened to cause your dog some nervous stress. You will want to figure out why he is peeing in the house in order to prevent it from happening. An ounce of prevention, in this case, is worth a pound of the cure.

When you take your dog for a walk have you ever noticed that he tends to pee in the same spot? Or that he has to sniff out the perfect spot to do his business? Your dog’s sense of smell is 40 times greater than the average human being. They use this smell to sniff out other dogs, other animals or changes to their environment and they can smell where other dogs have left their mark. Since dogs are territorial creatures they use urine to leave a calling card, letting others know what’s theirs. This is fine if they are claiming the fire hydrant in front of the house, but if it is your living room carpet you may have a problem. Dogs can smell the odor of urine even if you can’t. This smell may draw them back to the same spot, telling them THIS is where they are supposed to go. This can be a particular problem for puppies who haven’t figured out the whole house breaking routine and for older dogs who can’t quite hold it as long as they used to. If you notice that your dog keeps returning to the same room to do his business it is time to get cleaning, even on the spots that you think you have already cleaned. Chances are your dog smells something you don’t.

Now you know why your dog is peeing in your room, but the important question still remains: how do you clean the dog pee out of your carpet?

• It is always best to clean up the stains the moment you notice them as fresher stains are easier to eradicate. No matter what cleaning products you use to clean, always sop up as much of the mess as you can. An effective method can be a combination of paper towels, newspapers and a large heavy book. Layer the paper towels on the stain, top with news papers and then the book. Be careful that the paper towel layer is large enough to block direct contact with the newspaper as the newsprint can stain the carpet. Layer the book on top to apply pressure to the papers to absorb as much liquid as possible.
• Rinse the area with clean water, as best you can. Using a wet vac or more paper towels, soak up the rinsed water from the carpet.
• Use the vinegar mixture mentioned in our using vinegar to clean carpet post and spray the affected spot. Pour baking soda over the vinegar mixture and let the foam work its magic. It’s best to cover it with a towel for 24 hour while the mixture works into the carpet. Rinse well, and dry with paper towels.
• Enzymatic cleaners are also a great way to clean pet stains from your carpets and can be found in most pet stores or discount chains. The enzymes in the cleaner break down the stains into their basic elements, removing the odors and breaking down the proteins in the urine that draw your pet back to that spot. After blotting and rinsing use the enzymatic cleaner according to the manufacturer instructions. Be sure to test an inconspicuous spot first, to make sure that the cleaner will not harm your carpet. Read the warnings carefully to ensure the product is not only safe for your carpet (many of these are unsafe for wool rugs) and safe for your pet.
• One trick for finding older spots is to use a black-light in the room, which will light up on old pet stains as well. A black-light can be purchased at most hardware stores. To clean these older stains, first rinse and blot the area to sop up any residual urine then use the cleaning method of your choice.
• If these methods don’t work your best bet is to call in the professionals, like E&B Carpet Cleaning. Pet stains, especially old stains, can penetrate deep in your carpet all the way to the pad making at home remedies less effective. Our machines can extract deep into the carpet fibers, down to the pad, removing pet stains and odors.

If your dog has turned your carpet into his restroom, call the experts at E&B today. Our process for pet stains and odor will help you reclaim your carpets and leave your house smelling fresh and clean.