What to use?

Vinegar, Nature’s Miracle enzyme treatment (sold in pet stores), club soda, corn starch.

Of all the possible spills to happen to your rugs, pet urine and vomit are some of the worst. Because they go on hot and acidic, they can re-dye the fibers, and “set” them at the same time. If you are not quick to clean up these may become permanent stains that will devalue your rug. You need to blot the stain, rinse and blot again. If the rug has dyes that show up on the towel in the first blotting step, then substitute a 50/50 Vinegar and water mixture for the Club Soda AND get the area only slightly damp – NOT wet. For pet feces and vomit, you must pick up as much as you can before you begin the Club Soda process.

So, the key in handling all pet stains is getting to the area as soon as you can (and use the blot-rinse-blot steps so that you can minimize the damage). Immediately blot the wet area with a white cotton towel. Do not scrub the affected area, as this untwists and breaks the wool, silk, or cotton face fibers. (For vomit and feces, use a smooth/gentle tool to scoop up as much as you can before you begin the blotting process.)

Look at the white towel for two things: is the liquid spill absorbing into the towel, and, are any of the rug’s dyes absorbing into the towel? If the rug’s dyes are absorbing into the towel, blot a bit more and then STOP. No more work can be done to this area without causing the area’s dyes to bleed together. This type of damage can devalue your rug, so you want to stop before you make it worse. At this point you can pack the area with corn starch (or salt) and this will absorb the moisture and the spill into the powder. Bring the rug to Imperial Rug Cleaning ASAP.

If the rug’s dyes are NOT absorbing into the towel, then place a folded towel underneath the affected area and using a sponge dampen the affected area with club soda. This will help you continue to remove the spill substance into the towel. We also like to use a strong shop vac at this point for more removal and quicker drying. If still unsure of stain removal or possible bleeding, pack with corn starch. Once you believe you have removed as much as you can through blotting and/or shop vac, elevate ( prop it up) the treated area so that airflow can reach the back of the rug and dry the foundation thoroughly. Do this for at least one day to ensure complete drying. The rug will feel dry to the touch; however, the cotton foundation will still have moisture within it, and without air drying it will eventually lead to mildew and dry rot. Use a WARM hair dryer to assist if you don’t have strong fans. (If you have used corn starch it becomes hard to the touch when dry, and this can be broken apart with a spoon and scooped up and vacuumed away. However, you want to make sure the inner most cotton fibers are 100% dry, so still elevate the rug to dry for at least a day.

Cleaning Pet Stains