Dealing with Pet Odors and Stains

I’m a dog person. I grew up in a house with both hunting dogs and a house dog. My husband grew up in a home with dogs. We’ve both had dogs in the past. Which is why in 2009 it seemed like a natural thing once the kids were both school age to add a new member to our family:

Hubs found this beautiful little ball of fir at a shelter. She was the runt of the litter but playful and friendly. We brought her home as a surprise for the kids–they were thrilled. We named her Summer.

Over the years Summer has been awesome. I work from home so she is my little buddy–we spend the day together and she follows me around like, well, a little puppy dog! She’s definitely “Mama’s girl”–I can’t count the number of times I’ve stood up from the sofa and stepped on her because she has quietly moved into her favorite spot right by my feet when I wasn’t looking. Whenever I go on a trip she goes on hunger strike for the first couple of days because Mama isn’t home.

She knows Papa is the top dog, and loves playing with the kids (she gets all excited when they come downstairs in the morning or back from school), but I’m the one who feeds her, walks her, and spends the most time loving on her. As I said, she’s my little buddy.

But having dogs isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, especially at first. House training can be a challenge, and there are the inevitable messes to be cleaned up. That’s why the folks at OUT! and Simple Solutions wanted me to share with you some tips for getting rid of tough pet stains and odors.

Tip #1: Understand your stain & odor. Pet odors come from urine and other messes that seep into your carpet fibers and pads. Normal pet waste has bacteria in it that help to create an odor that we don’t like. To counteract that odor you need a cleaner with enzymes.

Simple solutions is the first pet product company to offer stain and odor products with Pro Bacteria ™ and enzyme formula. . . [they]engineer the bacteria in the Simple Solution products to find these odor-causing bacteria and they become the food for the good bacteria.

Tip #2: Get the right product for the job. Getting out a stain and getting out odor are two different tasks. Make sure the product you choose is formulated for the job at hand.

Simple Solution Urine Destroyer Stain and Odor Remover-breaks down urine proteins to permanently remove stains and smells.
Orange Oxy Charged Stain and Odor Remover–Triple Oxy formula removes tough stains such as feces, blood, vomit, grass and wine while the orange leaves the room smelling fresh and clean.
Simple Solutions Spring Breeze Extreme Stain & Odor Remover-3X more concentrated than the original, harnessas a unique blend of Pro-Bacteria and enzymes to organically remove the toughest pet messes while also removing odors.

Tip #3: Read the directions and use enough product. After you’ve removed as much mess as possible with a paper towel, apply the product according to the package directions. Make sure you use enough and cover a wide enough area–using too little will give unsatisfactory results. The older the stain, the more product you will need to use.

Urine leaks down into the backing and spreads for several inches, so it is best to spray a ring several inches outside the stain area and then flood the inside with the stain remover. Make sure you spray enough liquid on the stain. Keep spraying until it is really wet—but not saturated.

Tip #4: Try to avoid the mess in the first place. If you have a new puppy, crate training is the way to go! Of course while you are home pay attention to your dogs signals and take them outside on a regular basis to give them the opportunity to take care of business in the correct place. (When Summer was a puppy I actually set the timer on the stove to remind me to take her out every two hours until she both got the idea and had enough bladder control to wait longer.) When you aren’t there to monitor your dog, then use the crate with a quilted dog pad to contain any messes and neutralize the odor!

OUT! Odor Control Quilted Dog Pads-diamond quilted to prevent puddling and direct the liquid into the absorbent core, reduces odor by 50% compared to standard pads and has a unique, advanced dog attractant to make sure dogs know where to go potty.

For more great tips and ideas for living with your pets, check out the Living the Pet Life blog! You can also download a FREE Pet Stain and Odor Ebook. . . scroll through to the last page and you’ll find a coupon for 10% off your orders online. . . but hurry, it’s just good through March 31st.