Quick-Fire Ways to Remove Pesky Pet Stains

You've just brought home a brand new ball of fluff, it's love at first sight, you welcome your extended family member in, and all of a sudden - there's a puddle on your expensive carpet.

It's a risk we're willing to take for the companionship of a beloved pet in our homes, but one that evokes a lot of frustration when disaster strikes and a stain is left behind on the floor.

Never fear, you don't have to compromise the cleanliness of your carpets and rugs when introducing a pet into your home.

We've compiled a few steps you can take to make sure everything stays hygienic and clean in your home, as well as a helpful video on what to do when you need to hit the panic button.

Pet Preparation

You've managed to choose the perfect pooch, and you're getting ready to introduce them into your home. There are a few things you can do in preparation for their arrival, in order to make your life (and your new furry friend's life) a little easier during the transition. A little preparation in the beginning can lead to less stains in the future.

• Buy your pet a bed. Both dogs and cats enjoy having their own spot to lay down and get some rest. Any pet owner knows that where your four-legged family member sleeps is where the most fur ends up, so making sure they have a designated spot to sleep can go along way in future proofing your carpets and rugs from a fur-frenzy.
• Allow access to the outdoors. Animals love exercise and play, and if you're lucky enough to have a back garden or decked area, it's important to make sure your pets have access to it. Whether this involves installing a cat or dog door, or perhaps making sure your garden is secure with fencing and your pet can't escape, it's worth the extra effort. The more time your pets are outside, the less their mess is inside. It also give your pets the opportunity to relieve themselves outdoors, reducing the chance of accidents inside.
• Kitty litter. This one goes without saying - if you don't have access to a garden, make sure there's somewhere for your pet to go indoors. A designated spot is much better than free reign on your favourite shaggy rug.
• Invest time into training. Just like a child, pets need direction and help when learning what to do in a new environment. If it's a puppy you're introducing into your home, make sure to look into puppy school as a resource for quickly teaching your furry-friend manners. If your pet is of the feline variety, there are plenty of resources available for how to toilet-train your cat. Try keeping your pet in one room with tiles or lino while they learn.

Understanding Acidic Stains

You might have noticed that people who own pets often have patches on their lawn that look dry and brown. This is because the PH level of dog or cat pee sits at around 6.5 - 7, meaning it's acidic in nature. Pet urine can quite literally burn grass.

With this in mind, it's pretty important to understand the nature of acidic pet stains before you tackle removing them.

Pet pee can contain all sorts of chemicals, water and waste, which can leave behind a nasty stain on your carpet. The key here is to use a product that neutralises the acidity in the stain, and act quickly. The faster you get to removing the stain, the less time it has to set in.

Removing the Pet Stain

The worst has happened, and Jimmy the Jack Russell has left a mark on your favourite carpet, right in the middle of your lounge.

Stay calm, and grab your bottle of Rug Doctor Stain Remover.

Here are some quick steps to ensure you successfully remove the stain:

1. Remove any excess liquid by gently blotting the stain with an absorbent towel. It's important to be gentle here, so not to spread the stain or push it further down into the pile.
2. Lightly spray a small amount of Stain Remover onto the effected area. Make sure you don't oversaturate the patch of carpet - less is more.
3. Gently agitate with a clean cloth. It's important to work from the edges of the stain inwards, to ensure you get every spot and you don't spread the stain.
4. Rinse and repeat with your cloth dampened with clean water. You want to aim to get rid of any extra product so no product residue is left behind. If your cloth is looking a little dirty, grab a clean one!
5. If all else fails, take another look at the instructions, or refer back to our Stain Removal Guide.

Here's a quick little instructional video to help you along the way.

A Deeper Clean

Lets face it, sometimes a stain remover alone won't always do the job if your pet has left a puddle on the carpet, and trudged it through the rest of your home. When this happens, it's time to hit refresh and opt for a deeper and more thorough carpet clean.

This is also likely to happen fairly often, so save yourself the cost of a full professional clean and hire a Rug Doctor. You can calculate how much it'll cost you, here.

The great thing is, you can also give your upholstery a full clean too, so if your cat or dog has been napping on your favourite piece of furniture you can easily get rid of the grub and freshen it up.

We'd recommend a regular clean in order to keep your home free of dust-mites, dirt and other allergens, especially when owning pet.

If you're interested in finding out how you can get rid of pesky pet stains better, download our guide to stain removal below - the best part? It's free!

Make sure to also check out our Ultimate Guide to Owning a Pet: Everything you need to know.