Everyone loves their furry family members, but sometimes they leave behind messes in your home! Pets usually end up going to the bathroom inside your home and once they’ve picked a spot, they tend to go back to it. Whether or not you plan on selling your home, these stains should be removed. And if you do plan on selling your home, you need to make this a priority.
Some pets may even do major damage inside which can cost you money to repair. When you’re putting your home on the market you should be aware that having an indoor pet can be a negative for potential buyers. This post will help with how to clean pet stains before selling your house.
Get rid of any evidence of indoor pets when putting your home on the market. Other pet owners will see spots on the carpet and know they will have issues with their pets wanting to go in the same spot. The last thing you want to do is give potential buyers are reason to ask for new carpets throughout the home.
If it’s time for new carpets, then prep your realtor so that this can go into a closing negotiation or at least be aware that this may come up in any offers. Even buyers with pets will want new carpets. If their pets smell old urine odors, then they will go to the bathroom in the same spot.
Before any showings, hide dog or cat bowls that are inside. Be sure to vacuum all of the pet hair, remove and pet toys, and double check that there isn’t any hair on the floors or furniture before potential buyers come over. You want the inside of your home to look and smell pet free.
If you have any stains, new or old, you need to give them some attention. Here’s how to get rid of those pet stains and odors lurking in your home so that buyers will love your house.
Carpet Cleaning for Pet Stains
There are two different types of messes on carpets: new messes and old messes. We will cover newer messes first. The main thing to realize is that what you see on the surface is just a small part of the stain. Urine will spread below, so when you clean it’s important to clean all of the mess and not just the visible part.
When you catch a new mess, refrain from putting a paper towel on it! You need something more absorbent to get all of the mess out. Remember that a small area on top of the carpet may just be the top of a larger area that has spread underneath. Put an absorbing mat in a large circle with the top of the spot in the middle.
Do not scrub the mess. If you scrub, it will only soak the carpet more and get the mess set in deeper in your carpet. Blot the area and give it time to absorb into the cloth. Then use a stain remover product to clean the area. You don’t just want the mess gone, but the smell as well. Lastly, put a pet odor neutralizer on and around the spot in a large circle to ensure the mess is eliminated.
You may need some equipment for messes that are older and have turned into stains. Anything that has had time to dry or has set for more than a day may require a pet cleaner for removal. You can rent a pet cleaner instead of buying one.
Purchase a stain remover product and pet odor neutralizer. The stain remover product will make sure that the stain is broken down. Remember to spread it out over the surface area. You can then scrub the area to break up and remove the stain.
Then use the pet odor neutralizer to freshen the area. When potential buyers come in to see your home you do not want any visible pet stains or odors anywhere in your home. So it’s important to eliminate these.
Natural Solutions
A natural solution for removing pet stains is to put vinegar on the stains and surrounding area. Go with a vinegar solution of one cup white vinegar and two cups water. Let the solution sit, then scrub to remove it. Don’t let the vinegar sit too long on colored carpet or it can bleach the area.
If you’ve read any of our other cleaning posts, you know we’re fans of baking soda already! The best news is, baking soda can help get the odor out of pet stains as well as leaving a fresh smell! Baking soda eliminates odors, it doesn’t just cover them up. So use this to your advantage and get your home smelling pet clean.
Upholstery Cleaning for Pet Stains
Removing stains from furniture uses the same process as removing messes from your carpet. Just use a cloth to clean areas instead of pouring solutions on top. You’ll still want to stay away from using paper towels and blot at a new mess, don’t rub. Rubbing will just make the mess absorb into the fabric more!
Wash the area if you can. Cover up stains before a showing with furniture covers, pillows, or even throws! As a last resource, hire the professionals to take care of furniture or carpet stains in your home.
Anything more permanent, like chewed carpet or scratches on the walls or flooring will need to be repaired. If you have the budget, go ahead and fix these areas before listing your home. If not, be prepared for these repairs to come up when you receive offers in.
Now Your Home is Pet Stain Free and Ready to Show!
Your house should look and smell fresh now! You will be surprise how different your floors will look once pet stains have been removed. Be sure to completely eliminate odors or your pets will keep going back to that same spot.
There are a few things you can do to prevent pets from making messes in your home once you have cleaned up the old stains. The main thing is to remove all older odors. You can also place something over any spots to prevent messes in the future. Towels may need to be placed over certain areas or even on furniture. Now is the time to prevent any future messes from occurring!
Now that you home is pet stain free and ready to show, buyers are going to love floors! And the fresh smell in your home. This will help you sell your home faster! If you’re wondering what to do with your pets during a house showing, we’ve got you covered! Click here for a post that covers how to sell your home with pets.
Related Posts
We have some other posts that you might find helpful when getting ready to sell your home. Now that you’ve cleaned the pet stains out of your home, learn how to clean your entire home here so it’s market ready! We also have tips on how to stage your home in this post so your house will be more attractive for buyers.If you’re looking for information on how to declutter your home, check out this post, and if you want some organizational tips, read this post. If you want help with a bigger home project, like remodeling your home, click here. Or, you can learn how to sell your home in this post, which outlines all the steps!
