Shedding … illness … accidents. Let’s face it – a lot happens on your carpets if you have a pet or two. But don’t sweat that security deposit! You can keep your apartment looking (and smelling) great with these easy steps:
Tackle Those Stains
Accidents happen, especially if you have a puppy. You want to catch these accidents as soon as possible to prevent spots from taking hold. Use a dustpan, a dull knife, and plenty of paper towels (just grab the entire roll). Remove what you can with the dull knife and dustpan, then layer paper towels over the stain. Weigh them down with a heavy object or stand on them. Once the area is dry, clean the area with warm water and dish soap to prevent discoloration.
If the accident happens while you are at work or during the night and you don’t discover it for hours, removing it will be trickier. A combination of vinegar and cold water will help get rid of the odor, followed by a good scrubbing with some carpet cleaner.
You can have your carpets professionally cleaned, but avoid steam cleaning – this will set the stain and make the odor worse.
Shed the Shedding
Long-haired cats and dogs are adorable! Don’t stress about the extra shedding. You can keep your apartment free of unwanted pet hair by vacuuming frequently. Before vacuuming, use a lint roller or duct tape to pick up larger clumps of hair. If all you have is a pair of rubber dish gloves under your kitchen sink, you can use those as well. Put them on, run your hands quickly under water to get them slightly damp, then brush your hands over the carpet. The static created will make the pet hair stick to the glove.
Simple Solutions
If you prefer natural cleaners, the vinegar and water combination mentioned above is the best. Mix one cup of white vinegar with two cups of water. Baking soda works nicely for odors. Just sprinkle some across your carpet, wait a few minutes, and vacuum. If you have a carpet cleaner, sprinkle the baking soda over the carpet, then add the vinegar and water solution to the tank of the carpet cleaner and use that over the baking soda – the combination will clean your carpets nicely. For even more freshness, add a drop or two of lemon oil to the water/vinegar solution.
