What do you do when you love having pets, but you also love having a fabulous carpet? One of the biggest downfalls of having one pet or more in your family is the work it takes to keep the house clean. The carpet might be the worst area when it comes to pet messes. Not only do they use the carpet to wipe their feet after being outside, but the carpet also traps hair and dander in its fibers. The most important thing for San Antonio pet owners is to do their carpet cleaning as quickly as possible if there is a mess. The longer something sets in, the harder it will be to clean it out. Having a clean carpet is especially important when there are pets in the home since pets are notorious sources of allergens and bacteria that can get caught in the carpet. Here are some carpet cleaning mistakes that many pet owners make.
Rubbing While Carpet Cleaning
When it comes to getting floors clean, it can take scrubbing and elbow grease to get them to shine. Carpet cleaning requires a different method. If you scrub a carpet stain, you are just pushing the stain deeper into the fibers. This can lead to pet odors getting set into the carpet, which means pet odor removal will be even harder. The proper technique is to dab at the affected spot. This means you are putting in less effort, but the method is more effective. Dabbing will keep the substance from getting pushed into the carpet. You can use a clean cloth with soap and water, or a preferred cleaning product. Pushing down will help the substance absorb into the cloth so that it will not stick to your carpet.
Letting the Mess Settle In
We have probably all been there. You move a piece of furniture that hasn’t budged in years, only to find a stain that has ruined your carpet. Pets have a habit of getting into strange and sneaky places that are hard to access. It is important that you clean not only the visible spots but to actively hunt out hiding spots as well. The longer a stain sits on your carpet, the harder it will be to remove. Do a spot check on a regular basis to make sure that stains don’t have the opportunity to settle in. It might be best for your carpet to do a little preventative maintenance as well. Keeping your pets in areas that do not have carpets may be your best options. The carpet can’t get stained by pets if they are never in contact with it. You can let them into carpeted areas when you are at home and can monitor the situation. When you are out, however, you can keep them segregated so you have nothing to worry about.
Going Steam-Less
Too many pet owners forego professional steam cleaning and try to deal with cleaning and maintenance their carpets themselves. This is a big mistake. Steam can help not just with cleaning, but with pet odor removal as well. To keep your carpet looking and feeling clean, it is vital to have it steamed on a semi-annual basis. Steam will help kill any stubborn bacteria as well, which makes it much healthier for you and your family. Using a professional steam cleaning service will prolong the life of your carpet, and it keeps it looking great.
If you own pets, make sure to avoid these carpet cleaning and pet odor removal mistakes.
