Pets are lovely, but no one can deny they’re high-maintenance creatures. Caring for your furniture, curtains, and carpets with a pet around the house is challenging.
The cute furry things do have some unsavoury accidents from time to time, and incidentally, some of that happens on the carpet. They shed, let off dander, and slobber all over your fancy furnishings. They could also vomit, spill food, or bring in mud from the garden.
Your pets might also scratch or munch the carpet a little if they feel excessively energetic. But don’t let that frustrate you. Here are 10 carpet care tips for pet owners to make your life much easier. Peachy!
Choose the Right Carpet
If you haven’t bought a carpet yet and have a pet, please consider a weave that’s easy on your pet’s paws and a material that’s easy to clean.
Most pile types are usable, but the best is the Saxony pile. It’s incredibly soft, and your pet’s claws won’t get entangled in the fibres.
The worst is the loop pile, which is especially unsuitable for cats and little puppies. Their claws catch in the loops, and that’s not good. It’s also bad for the carpet, as it will eventually look pitted and poked.
If you already have a carpet, don’t worry. By following the next steps, you can still keep it in mint condition.
Remove Pet Hair Before Vacuuming
I have already lost three vacuum cleaners because, at one time, I had four cats in the house, and that was too much pet hair for a regular vacuum cleaner. It’s best to get a specialised vacuum cleaner, but even these suffer with all the shedding around the house.
A smart trick is to remove pet hair from the carpet and upholstery before vacuuming. You can use a lint roller, a carpet rake, wet rubber gloves, or even your pet’s hairbrush. These tools will remove most of the scattered hair, and the rest should be easier for the vacuum cleaner to handle.
Vacuum Your Carpet Regularly
If you have a Maine Coon cat or an Alaskan Malamute, then you probably deal with copious amounts of shedding all year round. More in summer, naturally! If your pet isn’t in that category, you must deal with dander and other waste.
To avoid an uncontrollable buildup, it’s best to clean your carpet regularly and frequently. Once a week is usually good, but twice a week might be necessary if you have a heavy shedder or more than one pet.
Use a Specialised Vacuum Cleaner
Investing in a vacuum cleaner for handling pet shedding would save you time and money. It’s best to get one with various attachments. Some come with a gazillion contraptions, but you only need a small brush, a large brush, and a nozzle extension for tight nooks and crannies.
Some vacuum cleaners have a feature that I find fascinating. The odour neutralisation function is amazing, leaving the house smelling fresh. Also, there’s the charcoal filter addition, which traps many allergens and cleans up the air.
A handheld extractor is also great for absorbing liquid waste. It’s far better than mopping and often removes most of the stain. Cleaning the extractor after use is pretty easy, and the whole process is more hygienic than manually cleaning up pet accidents.
Careful While Mopping the Carpet
Mopping the carpet is something pet owners do occasionally when their pets have “accidents.” However, this could be a frequent occurrence if your pet is stressed, sick, jealous, bored, or just marking territory.
While using a paper towel to mop up a cat or dog’s excrement, be careful not to get too enthusiastic and push the paper towel down. This is always tempting, as one needs to soak up all the mess.
Unfortunately, this only forces the nasty substance deeper into the weave. Sometimes, it reaches the padding and even the floor below it. So blot the stain lightly and keep mopping to a minimum.
Use a Putty Knife to Remove Solid Dirt
Solid excrement on the carpet is among the most challenging issues a pet owner has to deal with. The hardest part is removing the icky substance as neatly as possible. To that end, you can use a putty knife to scrape it off, then put it in a garbage bag. Simple and efficient.
Mud is another type of solid dirt your pet might bring to the carpet. A common scenario involves a pet playing in a freshly irrigated garden and then rushing into the house with muddy paws. It’s easy to panic at that point, but chill and leave it to dry. It’s much easier to deal with solid clay dirt than mud.
Use Bio Enzymes for Stain Removal
Plenty of carpet cleaning products on the market use bio enzymes to eliminate waste stains and odours. It would be best to invest in these detergents. A spray bottle of carpet cleaner would be your friend.
Look for a stain remover that’s safe around kids and pets. Also, look for one that’s eco-friendly and will not harm nature.
Neutralise the Odours After Cleaning
Once you’ve cleaned the carpet, try using an odour neutraliser to eliminate any remaining signs that the carpet had a nasty incident. Some people use vinegar, baking soda, or some other home remedy for obnoxious smells. Unfortunately, these pantry products aren’t very effective.
Pets often repeat incidents and accidents in the same spot. To deter and discourage this behaviour, a powerful odour remover is necessary.
Spraying fabric freshener on the carpet can add a fresh scent. That would be a nice touch after the potent smell of the pet’s affair.
Use a Fibre Protector
Fibre protectors are materials that form a thin coating around the carpet’s fibres. They repel moisture and stains and strengthen the fibres. If you have a pet, you might want to use this product.
You can also use it to protect your upholstery. It would make your surroundings easier to maintain, especially with a pet around the house.
Get a Scratching Post
A scratching post is a great idea if you have an energetic cat. Cats usually scratch carpets, sofas, and curtains whenever they feel bored or naughty, so giving them a scratching post is often the best solution.
With the cat’s little paws off the carpet, you can enjoy its clean and mint condition for years!
Keeping the house neat and tidy when a pet is running around isn’t easy, but it’s achievable. The carpet is an especially challenging item due to all the hair, waste, and scratching it’s subjected to.
Setting up a routine for cleaning your carpet would keep it looking great. Additionally, being well-prepared for any stains means tidying up quickly and effectively.
