A Safe and Healthy Home for your Dog! By Naturally Clean
If you’re owned by a doggie like us, we understand your struggle in keeping the house clean for the four-legged master. While there are many ways to healthily clean surfaces that humans use, how can one keep surfaces for the furriest member of the family clean?
The faster you clean up the mess, the easier it will be…and the less likely stains will set.
You need to clean as well as deodorize and remove the odor. That includes what you can’t smell…remember that animals have a much greater sense of smell. If animals can detect a prior pet mess or marking, they may try to mark over it.
Use nontoxic products that are specifically made for pet messes and pet odors. They are typically more effective, since they organically break down waste while neutralizing odors, and they are safer for homes with animals. But always check the label to be sure.
There are nontoxic, inexpensive cleaning solutions you can make at home using standard ingredients such as baking soda, white vinegar and club soda.
Urine
It is important to remember that you must eliminate all odor. Even if you cannot smell it, companion animals can, and they will likely try to pee on or mark over the same area. They do that out of instinct, not spite. Follow these clean-up steps for wet or dried urine spots.
* Soak up urine with a white towel or paper towels. Blot, don’t rub. Rubbing can damage carpet fibers. Clean starting with an area sufficiently outside of the stain ring, moving inward.
* Rinse the area with water to dilute the urine.
* Blot again using clean towels.
* Optional but reportedly very effective: rinse the area with club soda, then blot up.
* Absorb the remaining liquid with towels – stand on the towels or place heavy books over them. Be patient; it may take 6 hours to dry. To hasten the process, extract moisture using a wet/dry vacuum. If you let the carpet or upholstery stay damp, trapped moisture can lead to mildew and eventual crumbling.
* Apply a cleaner/neutralizer formulated for pet messes such as Simple Solution. See suggested products below. Some contain nontoxic enzymes or safe bacteria that digest the pet mess residue.
* If stains remain, try another commercial stain remover formulated for pet stains. However, do not use such products before applying enzymatic cleaners. Proper sequence is important.
* Do not use ammonia, since ammonia smells somewhat like urine to animals.
* Alternate cleaning/deodorizing method: cover pet accidents with baking soda, let it stand for at least two hours, then vacuum. Proceed with other steps above as needed.
Keep in mind…
* Liquid messes seep downward and outward so be sure to also clean the area surrounding the visible stain.
* If you are able to pull up the carpet, clean the carpet pad beneath the affected area.
* If spot cleaning results in the surrounding area looking dingy, use a steam vac to clean the carpet.
* If a stain reappears on the surface of the carpet a few days later, dilute the stain with water and clean again. Steam-cleaning can be a last resort.
* Commercial cleaners usually advise that you test a carpet’s color fastness before applying a product to clean a spot. Do this by applying a small amount on a hidden part of the carpet, then wait 24 hours to see if the carpet has changed color. Of course, you don’t want to delay cleaning up urine, feces, vomit or other organic stain – so test products right after you buy them, instead of waiting until you actually need to use them.
Poop
Scoop up solid matter, then blot up moisture with paper towels. Vacuum up loose bits. Then follow the procedure for urine removal above.
Vomit
* The acid in vomit can stain fast, so immediately scoop up solid particles.
* Add a bit of water to help loosen stuck particles.
* Then coat the area with baking soda or salt.
* Let it dry, then vacuum.
* Repeat the baking soda and vacuum step.
* Next, pour club soda on the area, and blot with paper towels.
* If the area remains discolored, try Oxy Clean or a nontoxic cleaner/stain remover formulated for pet stains. Remember to give cleaners adequate time to digest stains.
* Regular vomiting of yellow bile can indicate impacted anal glands. This can be very uncomfortable for your dog. Your vet can gently express the dog’s anal sacs to relieve the pressure.
* In some dogs, vomiting results from lack of any food in the stomach. One solution is to give the dog a small biscuit or two before bedtime; also, feed the dog’s first meal in the morning.
Odors
* For an inexpensive odor remover, mix baking soda in water and saturate the area. Let stand a few minutes, then blot with paper towels and allow to air dry.
* Smelly vacuum cleaner? Some folks suggest placing a fragrant dryer sheet inside the vacuum near the exhaust vent. Also, you can place dried
Blood
For fresh stains, try soaking with cold water. Avoid warm or hot water, which can set the stain. It can also help to rub an ice cube over the stain, then rinse with cold water and clean or launder.
Hydrogen peroxide is one of the best ways to remove blood stains. Apply the hydrogen peroxide to the stained area, letting it bubble. Repeat this until stain is gone. Following by dabbing the area with water, then dry. Or if clothing, launder it. Keep in mind that hydrogen peroxide has a limited shelf life; you may need to replace your bottle annually.
Pour some milk over the blood stain to loosen the blood, then blot it up.
Mix corn starch and water into a paste, then apply it to the stained rug or fabric. Rinse with cool water and blot dry. Afterwards, use a brush or vacuum to remove the remaining corn starch.
Mix meat tenderizing crystals with cold water, then apply this paste to the area. Let stand for an hour, then rinse in cool water.
Rubbing with ammonia sometimes works, but remember that ammonia smells somewhat like urine to animals, so your pet may try to mark on the spot.
Finally…
Never punish your dog or cat for having an accident. Dogs do not potty indoors out of “spite.” If you catch a pup or dog in the act of pottying indoors, state firmly “Nah-ah-ah!”, scoop him up, put on his leash and/or carry him outside to an approved potty spot. And if you do not catch him “in the act,” and discover the mess after the fact, just clean it up. Scolding doesn’t work; in addition, dogs don’t remember what they did even a minute ago.
Naturally Clean, the healthy living and green cleaning experts, wants consumers to understand how harsh chemicals and unhealthy practices can negatively affect them physical and mentally, with the hope that they will be able to make informed decisions and pursue a more green and healthy lifestyle.Naturally Clean is always available to answer your questions or discuss a topic. If you have a question, send us an email at, www.naturally–clean.ca and we are happy to help.
