Carpets and Pets
Carpets and pets, can they live in harmony?
The brand-new carpet that you’ve bought from QCF and had expertly laid by our professional fitters, including quality underlay and edgings, and it looks just right. Then you decide to get a pet, whether it be a kitten or a puppy, that adorable bundle is going to steal your heart (or you might already have a furry companion.)
Inevitably though, your four-legged friend will soil your carpet, either a genuine accident or it’ll be marking its territory.
You probably won’t be quick enough to stop your new pet (or even an older pet – strange smells from a new carpet could trigger an ‘accident) from depositing something somewhere, usually in a place you can’t see or easily reach but you’ll know that it’s there!
So, what do you do to rid your new carpet of smells and stains that Tigger or Butch leave behind? Here at QCF Bournemouth, we’ve been in the carpet business for over 40 years, and we’ve learned a thing or two when it comes to carpets, stains and smells from man’s best friend or their feline counterpart.
Here are our top tips for when carpets and pets battle.
• First, don’t panic because if dealt with promptly, most ‘accidents’ are little more than an inconvenience – but the keyword here is prompt. Deal with the issue as soon as you find it.
• Know your carpet. Make sure you know exactly what substances or products you can and can’t use to clean up the offending mess. If in doubt, ask us and regardless, ALWAYS follow any instructions and test on an inconspicuous area first – just in case.
• Clean up the urine, faeces or vomit first and NEVER use any cleaning product on it first – it’ll smell (and probably stain) worse than ever. Don’t be tempted to wipe – always blot because this avoids spreading the stain, and if the faeces aren’t particularly ‘solid,’ sand can be used as a bit of a binding agent to aid removal.
• Baking soda is your friend. It can be used with vinegar to remove almost any stain, new or old and is cheaper than buying a commercial product. Vinegar and baking soda cause a chemical reaction that will obliterate the smell and stain.
• You can use either product first; ensure you cover the whole stain. This method is non-toxic to both humans and our four-legged friends. Leave it overnight for the best results, and then in the morning, get rid of excess baking soda and let the carpet dry naturally.
• You could use hydrogen peroxide (3% only) with baking soda, but the solution needs to be made up as follows, and you’ll need an empty spray bottle (according to cleanthese.com):
o Add water to the spray bottle by a ratio of 1:4 (1 for the hydrogen peroxide and 4 for the water)
• Spray the solution over the affected area you’ve previously covered in baking soda. Wait 2 hours until the area is dry, then vacuum the excess baking soda. You should be left with a clean carpet and no smell. It’s worth noting, however, that hydrogen peroxide isn’t a smell that children and furry family members will tolerate & it can also cause discolouration of some carpets, so test an inconspicuous area first.
We’re a nation of animal lovers, and the joy we get from our pets can’t be measured, so when accidents happen or they’re ill, by following our advice, your carpets will still look as good as the day you bought them with no stress.
As always, we at QCF Bournemouth can offer help or advice, so feel free to call or pop in to our showroom,
