Will Professional Carpet Cleaning Remove Pet Odors?

Do you have carpet in your home? Is your dog, cat, or other pet prone to accidents or shedding? You're probably wondering, "Will professional carpet cleaning remove pet odors?" Luckily, if you address pet odors and stains in a timely manner, a professional can remove the smell.

If you're having problems with pet odors, reach out to Steam Smart Pros, the best provider of professional carpet cleaning in Vail, AZ. Our professionals expertly manage all forms of pet stains and odors.

Why You Need a Professional

If your pets cause your carpet to smell, you're probably tempted to try a DIY solution. You might save money in the short term, but in the long term you risk further damaging your carpet or making your pets sick. 

Professionals know which materials and equipment are safest for your pets and carpet. Call an expert to keep your pet healthy and your carpet intact.

Avoid Health Risks to Your Pet

Many common household cleaners can make your pet sick. Ammonia, bleach, and certain detergents all cause digestive problems, kidney damage, or other severe health issues. These substances can stay on the carpet even after you've cleaned them.

Do not try to remove pet stains yourself. You can manage them with a solution of white vinegar and water, but only until a professional arrives to remove them.

You Risk Further Damage

When you try to remove pet odors yourself, you risk damaging your carpet further:

• You could reactivate the enzymes and make the smell worse.
• You might spread the odor across your carpet.
• You could fail to get the entire stain.
• Using the wrong material can destroy or degrade your carpet.

You Need Special Materials and Experience

Removing pet stains and odor requires proper equipment and special chemicals. Different carpets and types of stains require different methods and chemicals. Only an experienced cleaner can know what to use.

You Need it Done Promptly

The number-one factor professional uses to determine if they can remove a pet odor is how long it sat there. Pet urine is particularly bad. Over time, it oxidizes and permanently stains your carpet and subfloor. You need quick, professional action to ensure the problem isn't permanent.

How We Target Odors

Will professional carpet cleaning remove pet odors? In most cases, the answer is yes! A professional cleaner can remove most or all of the odor and stains using the following steps.

1. Remove Furniture

If furniture restricts access to the damaged area, or if the cleaner is doing the entire room, they remove the furniture. For the most effective cleaning, they need unobstructed access.

2. Inspection

A good professional carpet cleaner always inspects the carpet before cleaning. Each type of fabric and each stain is different. The carpet cleaner inspects the area to know which cleaner, equipment, and technique they need to purge the odor and stain and restore the carpet to its intended state.

3. Pre-Treatment

For the worst stains, your professional cleaner should use a pre-treatment. The cleaner uses a different type of pre-treatment depending on the type of stain and its severity. 

4. Extensive Cleaning

Once the carpet cleaner knows how to proceed, they begin the deep cleaning. At Steam Smart Pros, we only use steam cleaning. This technique uses hot water to break down dirt and debris and brings it to the surface, where the technician removes it.

Professional cleaning also targets the underside of the carpet where the stains and odor settle. By treating the stain at its base, the cleaner often removes the stain completely and prevents it from coming back.

5. Apply Odor Eliminators

As an extra layer of certainty, your cleaner applies odor-eliminating chemicals to the stained area. These chemicals don't mask the scent; they change the chemical composition of the stain. If the deep clean failed to remove some of the pet stains, the odor eliminators deal with what remains.

6. Educate on Prevention and Maintenance

After cleaning, the professional can educate you on preventing future stains and maintaining your carpet between cleanings. After a steam cleaning, the carpet needs about a day to dry. Do not return furniture to wet carpet.

How to Manage Until Help Arrives

Maintaining your carpet allows professional cleaners to do their job more effectively. Follow these steps to maintain your carpet or to manage your pet's odor and stains until the experts arrive.

Regular Cleanings

How frequently you should clean your carpet depends on the situation. If you have a pet, schedule professional carpet cleaning at least once a year. Vacuum the pet hair from your carpet at least twice a week. 

At least once a week, sprinkle baking soda over your carpet. Let it sit for a few minutes before vacuuming. Baking soda reduces excess moisture and keeps your carpet healthy.

Odor Management

If your pet stains the carpet, you can manage the odor in several ways until an expert comes to remove it:

• Sprinkle baking soda and vacuum
• Increase ventilation in the house by opening windows
• Wear gloves and use paper towels to clean up the pet's urine; use a mixture of cold water and vinegar to manage the area until an expert arrives

Other Carpet Care Tips

Here are a few more tips for caring for your carpet:

• Plan to replace your carpet every 10 years. Most carpets retain an unhealthy amount of allergens beyond that time.
• Keep the humidity in your home low. A damp environment makes smells worse and increases your chance of mildew.
• Remove your shoes. Even if you wear them briefly outside, your shoes pick up a wealth of bacteria.
• Promptly train your pets to go outside. Realize they might not hold their bladder as long as you expect. 

Call Steam Smart Pro for All Your Carpet Cleaning Needs

Will professional carpet cleaning remove pet odors? In most cases, yes! But remember, because carpet cleaner can make your dog sick and the process requires special equipment, don't DIY it.

If an unpleasant smell is ruining your carpet, don't wait. Call Steam Smart Pro today at 520-416-4308.