Your puppy (or kitty or gerbil…) probably sits, lies, rolls and crawls around on the carpets in your home, sticking toys in his mouth that have been sitting on the carpet. Obviously, you want to keep your carpet clean to protect your pet’s health. But did you even know that the mere presence of carpet (and necessity to clean it with chemicals) has made your home a hazard to your pet’s health? So many of those commercial carpet cleaners on your grocer’s shelf contain harsh, even toxic, ingredients that can harm your pets—and even your family—way more than the dirt or germs that may be residing in the fibers.
There are some basic ways to choose pet-friendly carpet and rug cleaning options for deep cleans, and some ways to keep your carpets tidy in between.
Basic Cleanliness
If you live in a house full of people, some of whom put other things before the cleanliness of the home, it’s crucial to minimize the overall dirtiness of carpeted areas with basic preventive and care measures.
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Place doormats outside of all the entrances so everyone can wipe their feet of undesirable dirt.
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Encourage visitors to take off their shoes upon entering by placing a mat inside the door to accept footwear.
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Upgrade to a strong vacuum with a HEPA filter.
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Vacuum the carpets at least twice per week to keep dirt, dust, dust mites and other irritants at bay.
Non-toxic Alternatives
You’d be surprised what kind of non-irritating, pet-safe carpet cleaning power you can find in your home pantry. Try one of these nontoxic alternatives to chemical cleansers before doing anything else. Soak up liquid spills right away by gently blotting with a paper towel or absorbent cloth. Blot, don’t rub!
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Use club soda to loosen and remove red wine stains.
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Sprinkle cornmeal, cornstarch or baking soda over greasy stains. Let set-in stains sit for about six hours, then vacuum the newly deodorized spot.
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Use baking soda as a deodorizing agent.
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Steam clean with plain water or use 2 1/2 gallons of water mixed with 1 1/2 cups of white vinegar for tougher stains.
Fungal Factors
One more additional concern exists on top of daily cleanliness and pet-friendly cleaners. Your carpet, when wet, is the perfect environment for things like mold and mildew. The ability for your carpet to dry thoroughly could be the difference between stopping mold from growing, or letting this toxic substance grow wild across the floor—where your pets live.
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Open some windows to expedite the drying process when you must wet your carpet to clean it.
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Don’t wet-wash a carpet on humid or rainy days.
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Direct fans or heat lamps on damp carpeting.
Tougher Measures
If simple home remedies aren’t getting at your carpet’s toughest spots, you may need to call in additional (aka professional) help. Doiggs offers pet-friendly and environmentally-friendly cleaning at a reasonable cost. We are upfront with the types of products we use, so you know exactly how much we care about the health and home of you and your pets. Doiggs even guarantees its work up to 10 days after the initial cleaning.