What’s involved with pet stains?
We all love our pets, but sometimes accidents happen. When your pet soils your carpet some quick action on your part can save you money on professional rug cleaning and expensive replacement costs. When a pet spits-up on your rug most homeowners are faced with an unpleasant mixture of solid food waste, saliva and stomach acids. Solid food particles need to be removed promptly before the dyes found in many pet foods, combined with the animals saliva alters the chemistry of the rugs fibers and stains them a different hue. Because most dyes used in making Oriental rugs are acid-fast the addition of white vinegar to the cleaning solution will help maintain the bond between the fibers of the rug and the dyes used in their making.
Assembling your spot cleaning kit
No one plans on their pet getting having an accident all over their beautiful rugs, so it is helpful to assemble a small spot cleaning kit before hand to have ready when such accidents do occur. There are many products on the market for cleaning pet stains, but an effective spot cleaning kit can be made from the following common items found in most homes. Your cleaning kit should contain the following items: Large spoon, Clean dry cloths (a roll of paper towels is fine), White vinegar (not cider or balsamic), Mild liquid dish-washing soap (preferably with no dye/coloration), Cleaning bucket or bowl.
Making your cleaning solution
Your simple area rug spot cleaning solution consists of:
- 2 cups medium warm water
- ¼ cup white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon mild liquid dish-washing soap
Mixing up smaller quantities of the spot cleaning solution as measured out above will allow you to change it out as the solution becomes cloudy during cleaning.
Quick stain cleaning of your area rug
First – Use a spoon to scrape up all the solids. Work from the outer edge towards the center to minimize the possibility of spreading the stain. If you are spot cleaning a hand knotted rug, be aware of, and work in the direction of the nap so you do not press the solids further down into the carpet.
Second – Blot, do not rub or brush, the area dry removing as much moisture as possible. Once you have lifted up as much moisture as possible begin to sponge the area with the cleaning solution shown. Work again from the outer edges of the stain towards the center to avoid creating “rings”. Try not to over saturate your rug with your cleaning solution. You can always go back and repeat the cleaning process, but excess water and soap can cause it own damaging issues.
Third – Blot your rug with a dry rug using pressure to lift out as much of the cleaning solution as possible. You may need to repeat this process, alternating between clean damp and dry cloths until you have successfully removed all of your stain.
Fourth – Do not vacuum your rug until it is completely dry. Vacuuming a wet rug may cause damage to the fibers and electrical shock to you. Instead, gently brush the nap of your rug in its natural direction and allow it to dry completely before vacuuming.
