Having a dog is wonderful, but our furry family members can be really messy sometimes, leaving muddy traces, urine, poop, vomit and who knows what else all over our homes. When a dog decides to mark his territory in the middle of the living room, many of us will probably seek help from our know-it-all friend, Google, hoping to find some quick, miracle solution in a form of a recipe for a natural or DIY cleaner that we can quickly mix from the ingredients we already have in our kitchens or bathrooms. But please don’t try out the first thing you come across – there’s a good chance you will only make it much worse.
Homemade pet stain removers made with ingredients like vinegar and baking soda can serve as first aid in situations where we don’t have something more effective on hand, but if we want to properly clear that poop, urine, vomit or some other stain, we will need some quality pet stain and odor remover that will help us clean up our dog’s worst messes efficiently. An ideal stain remover shouldn’t leave any visible trace or bad smell, but a homemade solution will do so in most cases.
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Pet Odor and Stain Remover in One
There are many different pet stain removers on the market, with fancy names and interesting ingredients. It’s not an easy task to find the right one, especially if you care about your health, your dog’s health, and your furniture. In order to help you choose the product that will most effectively clean up the mess your dog has made and eliminate unpleasant odors, I have put together this little guide.
To avoid wasting your money on something inefficient, I have done research on what types of dog pet stain removers exist, how they work, and which formula is the best at removing stains and the nasty odors our dogs leave behind.
Types of Pet Stain Removers
Based on the method of cleaning, there are two common types of pet stain removers: enzymatic and peroxide-based products.
Enzymatic Pet Stain Removers (Liquid)
Enzymatic pet stain removers use enzymes and non-pathogenic, beneficial bacteria to remove stains and malodors. Most of these products come in spray bottles, so you just need to spray them on the affected area and let it air dry. They don’t contain harsh chemicals, which means you don’t have to worry about the health of your dog or the humans in your home.
Enzyme or probiotic-based products are a particularly good solution for tough pet stains and odors because their advanced formula effectively breaks down stains, and such products completely eliminate unpleasant odors, instead of just covering them up. That is possible thanks to the enzymes like lipase, protease, and amylase, which, combined with beneficial bacteria, act against a wide array of stains.
Microorganisms from enzymatic pet stain removers can penetrate into tiny cracks and eliminate dirt and repulsive smells that traditional cleaning products often can’t remove.
Enzymatic pet stain removers are mostly safe for all surfaces, including carpets, rugs, upholstery, hardwood floors, and concrete. Still, since every formulation is a little bit different and could interact differently with each surface, it’s always better to test out a product on an inconspicuous area just in case.
Oxidizing/Hydrogen Peroxide Based Pet Stain Removers (Liquid and Powder)
Oxidizing pet stain removers can be useful in removing the stains themselves, but some of these products don’t penetrate the material deep enough, and it usually takes multiple applications to effectively remove urine stains and odor. Such pet stain removers aren’t always effective on older stains, and they can discolor carpets, fabrics, or other surfaces, so they definitely need to be tested in a less visible area first.
Liquid vs. Powder Pet Stain Remover – Which One is Better?
Powder pet stain removers are mainly used to remove pet stains from carpets and upholstery. The way to use powder pet stain removers is to sprinkle them on the surface where the dog has made a mess, and then rub them with a cleaning brush so the powder can penetrate as deeply as possible into the fibers. After that, it’s necessary to wait at least 20 minutes for them to absorb the dirt and then vacuum up the surface.
Although the powder pet stain removers will soak up dirt, they can’t completely break down and remove unpleasant odors, especially the smell of urine, which is why they are not the best choice. These products will only cover up the urine odor, but your dog will still be able to smell it and be tempted to repeat his mischief at the same place again. Liquid bio-enzymatic pet stain removers are a better choice, especially when it comes to urine stains, because they completely remove the odor.
Pet Odor Eliminator
Most products that are advertised exclusively as pet odor eliminators generally act like air fresheners, which means they just cover up unpleasant odors, instead of removing them permanently. In order to get rid of bad odors for real, it’s still necessary to thoroughly clean the places where our pets have made a mess.
Since such products in most cases only mask unpleasant odors, they will appear again after a while. Therefore, it is best to use enzyme-based products because, in addition to cleaning stains, they break down and literally digest substances that cause unpleasant odors, thus removing them forever.
How to Get Pet Stains Out of Carpet?
Stains that our pets leave behind will be most effectively eliminated with a bio-enzymatic pet stain removers. The stain removal process itself depends on whether the dog has vomited, pooped, or peed on the carpet.
How to Get Dog Poop Stains Out of Carpet?
Use a plastic bag to pick up pieces of feces from carpet, but try not to further embed anything into carpet fibers. Take a baby wipe or a moist paper towel and remove any remaining pieces using a pinching motion. Spray the affected area of the carpet with a bio-enzymatic pet stain remover until it’s damp enough, then let it sit for about 5-10 minutes. Use an old towel to blot dry the stain, and if there is a residue that needs to be removed, scrub that area and vacuum the carpet.
How to Clean up Dog Vomit?
When your dog vomits on the carpet, act as quickly as possible, because the acid found in dog vomit can damage the carpet. Remove as much of the vomit as possible by using paper towels first. Fold the paper towels and try to remove most of the vomit, but avoid applying pressure so that the vomit doesn’t penetrate deeper into the carpet. After that, spray the area with an enzymatic pet stain remover, let it air dry, and then vacuum the surface if there is residue.
How to Get Dog Pee Stains Out of Carpet?
If the pee stain is fresh, it will be relatively easy to clean that spot on the carpet. First, try to soak up as much of the urine as possible using a combination of paper towels and newspaper. Place a thick layer of paper towels on the wet spot and cover it with the same amount of newspaper. Stand on that for about a minute, then remove it, and apply bio-enzymatic pet stain remover following the instructions on the package.
When it comes to old urine stains, they may smell bad, but we can’t always notice them so easily, especially on dark fabrics or carpets. If you can’t find exactly where the unpleasant smell of urine comes from, consider investing in a UV flashlight. You can get a decent one that will do the work for about $15.
Dried urine crystals are easy to see under UV light, and once you find them, put a piece of tape or something else in the center of the stain to mark it. Then apply an enzyme-based cleaning product. Consider covering the area with a plastic bag, because that way you will create a damp and warm environment, which is most conducive to bacteria (the longer the affected area on the carpet is wet, the better the beneficial bacteria from the cleaner will do its job).
Before using any bio-enzymatic pet stain remover, avoid using steam cleaners or any other cleaning products (even baking soda or vinegar) as they will reduce the effectiveness of the enzymes and beneficial bacteria.
How to Prevent Future Stains?
Keeping your home free of pet stains is an ongoing process, especially if you have a new puppy. You will have to work on house-training, and some behavioral techniques will help you train your dog to relieve itself on the appropriate spot.
Dogs react strongly to smell, and they will probably want to mark where they smell odors, so try to place paper towels stained with dog’s urine in places where you want it to relieve itself. Each time the dog does that, reward him with a treat or use a lot of verbal praise because that will encourage good behavior.
Potty accidents are a relatively common issue in dogs of all ages, not just in puppies. If your dog was well house-trained in the past and recently began having accidents, that could be an indicator of some serious health conditions (urinary tract disorders, such as bladder stones, bladder infection, or kidney disease), so it would be a good idea to take him to a vet for a checkup.
Conclusion
When buying a dog pet stain remover, be sure to pay attention to the ingredients in the first place, because many products that are available on the market contain synthetic perfumes and harsh chemicals that might help you remove dog stains, but they might also damage surfaces in your home, or worse yet, they might harm your pets and children. On the other hand, bio-enzyme cleaners are safe for you and your pets, and they will effectively remove the stains and odors they leave behind.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Pet Stain Remover
How to Get Dog Urine Stains Out of Hardwood Floors?
Wipe the puddle or the wet area with a rag or an old towel to blot the wetness away. Try to get as much moisture out of the hardwood floors as possible, and then use an enzyme-based pet stain remover following the instructions written on the package.
How to Get Dog Diarrhea Stains Out of Carpet?
Same as any other, diarrhea stains should also be addressed as soon as possible. Before it sets in, put on latex gloves and carefully remove the feces that is sitting on top of the carpet. Use a paper towel or a paper plate to scrape up the mess without pushing it deeper into the carpet fibers. After that, use some more paper towels to absorb as much poop from the carpet by lightly pressing a paper towel onto the surface. Spray some enzyme-based cleaner onto the affected area and continue to blot up the moisture, and then let it dry. If necessary, repeat the process. If you want to know more about how you can prevent diarrhea in your dog, or how to effectively solve this problem if your dog is already facing it, read our article 'Dog Diarrhea.'
How to Remove Dog Urine Stains From Concrete?
Concrete is porous like a sponge, and it’s hard to remove pet stains from it using regular cleaning products. The stains and odor should go away if you scrub the area with cold water and a short bristled nylon brush, and then apply a bio-enzymatic cleaning product.
Will Steam Cleaning Remove Pet Stains?
Using a steam cleaner to clean pet stains from the carpet or upholstery is not recommended because the heat could actually bond the protein from the urine into the carpet fibers, making the stain and smell permanent. It is better to use bio-enzymatic pet stain removers because the enzymes can actually digest the stain and the proteins from the pet urine that are causing an unpleasant odor, and thus remove them permanently.
