Best Pet Stain Removers

Pet stain removers have a dual purpose: to remove spots and to neutralize odors. As a pet owner myself, I know first-hand how hard it can be to get out those stains. I have used a large variety of pet stain removers in the past, and the results varied. Instead of wasting money trying to figure out which pet stain remover will work and which won't, check out this list of the best products out there.

1. Kids 'N' Pets. This stain remover is the best I've tried. It completely removes the pet stain and odor, and the application and cleaning process is extremely simple. As a bonus, it also gets rid of stains that kids inevitably leave behind. It's available at most drug and grocery stores, and also online.

2. Resolve Pet Stain and Odor Carpet Cleaner. In my experience, this product is great at removing stains, it just took a few tries to get all of the spot discoloration out. End result (after a few applications) was great. The product also claims to deter pets from re-soiling the same area. Buy it at a grocery store, retailer, or online.

3. Woolite Oxy Deep Spot and Stain. I found this worked well, but again, required a few more applications to get the job done. Like the other cleaners, you can buy it at grocery stores, drug stores and online.

4. Spot Shot Pet. This is some tough stuff. It did the job really well. It's at grocery stores, drugs stores and of course, online.

5. Dish soap. This takes a lot of effort, but it's worked for us. A simple mixture of 2 tbsp dishwashing liquid mixed with about a cup of warm water sponged on the carpet, then covered with a thick towel with a heavy object on top and allowed to dry gets out all the pet stains we've had. It requires several reapplications, especially if the stain is set in.

As a reminder, all pet stains need to be treated immediately for best results. Once the stain is set in, it's extremely hard to get it all out.

With all stains, get up all the debris first, then treat the carpet.