Pets are a wonderful addition to any family, however they occasionally cause problems. Pets, whether it is a dog, cat, or other type of pet require some special training to know where to go when they got to go. Even with training it can be difficult to keep your floors and house looking great and pet stain free. When pets become older or are left alone for too many hours during the day accidents can happen. If you have hardwood floors and find you are having trouble removing the stains left behind by your pet then you will need to gather a few items. It will also depend on how fresh the stain is. Older stains on hard wood floors will take some extensive work, while fresh stains can be remedied in a short period.
Part of a pets nature is too mark their territory, which means an old pet stain can have a new pet in the home trying to mark that territory as their own. It is very important when removing fresh pet stains or old pet stains to remove the odor from your pet’s senses.
Fresh Pet Stains:
Fresh pet stains by nature have not soaked into the floor to a great extent. You will be able to remove the stain and odor from the accident without too much work. For this job you will need paper towels, warm water, white vinegar, and a specialized stain and odor- removing agent with bacteria and enzyme properties. When you shop for the stain remover check the label to make sure it is usable on hardwood floors. Some stain removers can actually harm the coating on hardwood floors because the ingredients are too powerful. Below is the process for removing fresh pet stains with the above materials.
– Blot the affected area with a paper towel to remove the urine.
– Scrub the area with white vinegar to help remove the stain and the odor.
– Rinse the stained area with warm water.
– Blot the area dry with paper towels. Make sure to dry the area completely so that you will not leave any water damage. You do not want to let any of the liquid remain for long are it could warp the area of the wood.
– Apply a specialized stain and odor remover with bacteria and enzyme properties to the affected area to avoid future instances.
Old Pet Stains:
Older pet stains may have seeped into the wood and the sub- flooring, which means you need to sand the wood to find out the extent of the damage. Sand the stained hardwood flooring until you reach a point that is not stained or if you find the stain is too deep. If the stain is deeper than the surface you will have to remove that section of flooring. You may have to redo the entire hardwood floor depending on the extent of the damage. When a stain has been left for several years the urine may seep into the sub- flooring or at least the odor. Sometimes commercial bleach can remove the stain and odor from old pet stains, however it is a very sensitive solution and you need to have proper gloves and training. If you have to sand the floor you will want to resurface the area with shellac based primer.
