Joe and I are dog people! Our dogs, Mousse and Eleanor, are our family and we love them dearly. But sometimes with dogs, nature calls before we can get outside and so…accidents happen.
Oopsies!
When they do, I don’t fret too much because I know some creative ways to remove stains from the carpet in a safe and environmentally friendly way. It’s always important when I’m going to clean the carpet that I make sure it’s going to be safe for Mousse and Eleanor.
What is Dog-Safe Cleaning?
Hives!
The problem with a lot of cleaning products that were “designed” for use on pet stains or pet odor is that they actually contain a lot of chemicals that can cause health problems, not only for pets but for humans as well.
This Hoover Expert Pet contains the solvent Cyclomethicone, the fragrance component Linalol, and the pH adjuster Potassium Hydroxide, all of which are found on the EU chemicals legislation list of chemicals of concern. And the Resolve Spot+Stain contains sodium dodecyl sulphate, which can cause serious eye irritation or damage, and in dogs was found to be a skin irritant and can cause hives!
Natural Alternatives
Safe and environmentally friendly
Since our furry friends are much closer to the floor than we are, it’s even more important that we consider them when we are cleaning up stains on our carpets or rugs.
Vinegar + Baking Soda
These can be used separately or together in combination for a reactive effect. My favorite thing about vinegar is that it evaporates odorless and neutralizes the odor of whatever you’re trying to remove. Together with baking soda, vinegar is great for dark stains such as red wine.
Baking soda can be used on it’s own too. Just mix it into a paste with water and rub into the stain. This can be mixed with a pinch of cinnamon for a nice odor-removing effect.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen Peroxide is an oxidizing agent, which means that it breaks down safely into water and oxygen and can be used as an environmentally friendly alternative to bleach. It’s great for protein- and plant-based stains such as blood, food stains, or even mildew stains. A word of caution however: just like bleach, hydrogen peroxide can have a lightening effect and can cause stains of its own so always test an inconspicuous part of your carpet before commiting to this method.
Lemon Juice
A common ingredient found in many stain or glue removers is citric acid and there’s a reason. You know how it’s a bad thing to rub salt or lemon juice into a wound? Well rubbing them into a stain is a good thing! Lemon juice with a little salt is my favorite way to remove pet stains. It’s effective, safe for the doggos, environmentally friendly, and leaves behind a light lemon-fresh scent completely naturally!
When life gives you stains, get out your lemons!
For Mousse’s accident, I used the following to make this rug as good as new:
- Mix 1/3 cup of lemon juice and 2/3 cup of water
- Sprinkle salt to cover the stain
- Apply lemon juice mixture to stain
- Rub in with a toothbrush
- Wash rug in washing machine
Results
Clean rug, safe fur-babies
I would like to thank Dalworth Rug Cleaning for sponsoring this scholarship. For more tips about stain removal, or for professional services in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area, please visit their website at: https://www.dalworthrugcleaning.com.
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