Natural Cleaners for Permanent Pet Stain Removal

We all love our pets dearly, but sometimes they leave messes that can be frustrating when you are trying to keep a clean house and protect your carpet and upholstery. You don't need to buy special cleaners that may be costly and unhealthy for your environment because there are natural cleaners that do a fantastic job without unnecessary chemicals.

For SOLID PET WASTE on your carpet or upholstery, first remove all the solid with a paper towel and dispose of it in a waste receptacle. Then if a spot remains, use ordinary club soda and pour it onto the area. (Don't be afraid to pour a good amount. According to Linda Cobb, also known as the "Queen of Clean," carpets are dipped in water up to sixteen times when they are dyed.) The carbonation in the club soda bubbles up and the salt keeps it from staining. Then using paper towels or an old cloth towel, blot, DO NOT RUB, the area to remove the club soda. (If you don't have club soda, you can use really cold water.) If any stain still remains, mix a half cup of hydrogen peroxide and a teaspoon of household ammonia and pour over the stain. Walk away and let it soak for thirty minutes. Then blot, not rub, dry. (Hint: Standing on the towel is a good way to blot up the liquid.)

For PET URINE, first blot as much as you can from the carpet, and the proceed with the club soda and stain removal instructions above.

For PET VOMIT, when the spaghetti didn't agree with your puppy or your cat gets a hairball, don't touch it or try to remove it. Just pour ordinary baking soda in a pile to completely cover the mess. Let it sit overnight if possible. Then the next day, using only the vacuum hose with no attachments, vacuum up all the mess and baking soda. If there is any stain, use the peroxide/ammonia solution above and repeat those instructions.

For PET HAIR on upholstery or clothing, you can put on rubber gloves, dip your gloved hands into a bucket of water, and rub the area. The gloves will pick up the hair. Keep rinsing them in the bucket to remove the hair and repeat until all the hair is removed. If you have clothing that is really covered with pet hair, put your clothes into the dryer with Velcro hair rollers or a ball of nylon net. These will remove the pet hair from your clothing.

With all the environmental contaminants we come into contact with, it's nice to know that there are still tried and true methods that have worked since our grandmother's day. Taking care of pet accidents as quickly as possible will also help to insure that the stains can be removed.