Pet stains often go unnoticed, and the longer they sit, the more difficult they are to remove. The convenience of DIY YouTube videos, online hacks, and non-specialty cleaners provides a false sense of security. They’re easy to follow, simple, and quick, but they’re not effective. Worst of all, they often appear to solve the problem until your cat or dog decides to relieve themselves in the same spot.
Common DIY Methods & Their Hidden Risks
Baking Soda, Vinegar, & Other Home Remedies
If you search ‘at-home pet stain removal,’ you’ll find plenty of helpful DIY videos and hacks that claim household items like baking soda and vinegar are the all-important elixirs to removing pet stains.
Baking soda, vinegar, and other home hacks do not break down the urea, uric acid, sodium chloride, and proteins found within pet stains. Your pet’s stains can penetrate deep into your carpet or upholstery’s fibers, and neither baking soda nor vinegar is an effective deep cleaning solution.
The biggest mistake is mixing baking soda and vinegar, thinking a combination of the two will effectively remove the stain. It won’t. Vinegar is an acidic liquid, and baking soda is an alkaline compound. When mixed, they cancel each other out. There can be some benefits during the chemical reaction when the mixture bubbles, but once the reaction stops, the mixture is totally useless.
At best, these home remedies only mask the smell of pet stains; at worst, they can damage upholstery and delicate carpets.
Non-Specialty Carpet Cleaners
Non-specialty carpet and upholstery cleaners contain low-quality surfactants, formaldehyde, irritating solvents, binders, and oxygenated bleach. All can be extremely toxic to your pet, causing issues ranging from severe diarrhea and vomiting to extreme breathing difficulties and seizures.
Additionally, like baking soda and vinegar, non-specialty carpet cleaners only mask the scent and provide surface-level cleaning. They do not penetrate deep into the fibers and effectively remove the source of the pet stain. And if they’re powdered, they can leave behind a residue that attracts dirt.
Even pet stain removers are often ineffective. While most contain enzymes that have been shown to destroy the uric acid and urea in pet stains, they have short shelf lives, and the enzymes themselves can degrade when not stored properly.
Lastly, we’ve seen homeowners use non-specialty cleaners that contain ammonia, which has a smell that is virtually indistinguishable from urine. When a pet stain dries and is exposed to humidity or moisture, it releases ammonia. For your pet, that smell of ammonia is just another reason for them to urinate in the same spot.
Over-Wetting
More is not always better. Over-wetting pet stains can cause irreparable damage to your upholstery or carpets. It won’t remove the uric acid and proteins responsible for odors and discoloration, and too much wetting can cause delamination of the fibers and underlayment material. Another problem caused by over-wetting is that the surface area quickly becomes a breeding ground for bacteria. Excessive moisture and humidity breed bacteria, which can lead to noxious-smelling mold.
Scrubbing
Even if you use the right amount of specialty cleaner, a wrong cleaning technique, like scrubbing, can damage your carpet or upholstery. Scrubbing weakens material fibers and can even cause the proteins, urea, and uric acid to spread out and bond to the fibers, making the stain even more difficult to remove.
Why DIY Solutions Often Fail Long-Term
While DIY solutions and hacks may appear to offer short-term relief, they fail to eradicate the cause of the stains. The inability to penetrate deep into a carpet or upholstery’s fibers and remove the proteins that cause pet odors makes these solutions ineffective.
Whether it’s over-wetting, scrubbing, relying on household items, or mixing substances, the inability to effectively dissolve the proteins and uric acid in pet stains means odors and stains remain, and the incidence of bacteria and mold growth becomes more prevalent. The inability to effectively remove these stains and odors is what leads to repeated accidents.
When & Why to Call in the Pros
For homeowners dealing with recurring pet stains on high-value carpet and upholstery, the solution is to work with a professional cleaning company. These companies have specialized enzyme-based cleaners and deep extraction tools that can provide a deep-down, below-the-surface clean. These solutions are then combined with proper drying and sanitization steps to offer longer-lasting results that remove stains and odors, effectively ending the vicious cycle of repeated pet stains.
Get a Quote for Pet Stain Removal Today
Duo Care has over 40 years of experience providing effective deep cleaning services to homeowners throughout southeast Michigan. As an IICRC-certified company, we’re focused on quality and only use the safest detergents to remove deep-set pet stains without damaging the fibers in your upholstery, area rugs, and carpet.
If you are dealing with recurring pet stains and need an experienced carpet cleaning company, contact us today for a free quote.