How to Keep Your Carpets Free of Pet Odor and Stains

You surely hold your pets dear, but do not want your carpets to hold onto their odor. Soft home accents and features like carpets, furniture, blankets, and fabrics can hold unpleasant odors for a long period of time. Fortunately, you don't have to live with bad pet smells in your carpets.

You can free your carpets of pet odor by following several prevention steps:

• Vacuum regularly to keep odors from settling. Aim to vacuum the furniture, carpets, and other fabrics at least once a week.
• Deal with any mess immediately and spot clean the area with a deodorizing detergent.
• Sprinkle baking soda over the entire carpet and let it sit for a few hours before vacuuming it up on a regular basis.
• Rent a steam cleaner to take care of particularly strong odors.

When removing any pet stain, follow these steps:

• Remove any solid matter first.
• Blot up as much moisture as possible with paper towels or soft towels. Do not rub into the carpet, but gently blot.
• Spray a mixture of dish detergent and water on the stain - take care to not overwet the carpet. Blot again.
• Spray a mixture of one third vinegar and water on the area and blot again. Vinegar helps to break up the stain and contains agent that kill bacteria and remove odors.

Keeping your home clean may seem like a time-consuming process, but it is actually much less time-consuming - and cheaper - than dealing with residual allergies, pet dander, and odor. For more tips on cleaning and maintaining your carpeting, contact National Floors Direct. National Floors Direct provides expert carpeting and flooring installations throughout Rhode Island, Connecticut, and the Boston metropolitan area, in such neighborhoods as Hartford, Bridgeport, Concord, and Middletown.