Dirty Dogs and Carpet Stains

Dogs are known affectionately all over the world as ’man’s best friend’. Dogs are loyal companions, full of energy and joy, always ready to play and go out for walks and any sort of interaction with their masters. Their frolicsome nature encourages their owners to get more active as well.

As wonderful as dogs are to own as pets, they can be a little difficult to take care of in the early days of their initiation into your home. They tend to make big messes inside the house, whether they wrestle with the curtains or leave poo on the floors. Dogs can leave a trail of destruction all over the house. Besides, they can bring outside dirt and grass into the home, leaving nasty stains all over your carpets and floors.

Even the most well behaved pooch can sometimes become overexcited. So here’s some help in identifying and cleaning up the three most common dog related carpet stains, with tips on how you can treat them quickly and effectively with Vanish.

1. Mud stains

Mud tends to leave stubborn stains on whatever it touches. If your dog trails mud all over your carpet, the stains can be quite difficult to remove indeed. Mud stains can ruin the look of your carpet, especially if they are of a lighter colour.

As much as you strive to keep your rugs and carpets clean, your enthusiastic dog can walk all over your soft carpets with paws wet with mud – and suddenly, your tidy home is covered with paw prints.  This is how you can remove mud stains and preventing mud from getting embedded in the carpet:

Wait for the mud to harden. Now take a bristled brush and gently remove as much of the mud as possible. You will find that the mud flakes leave behind a stain – combat it with Vanish Oxi Action Carpet and Upholstery Pre-Treat spray, which works on the tough mud stains in just one application.

It’s easy to use the product; just spray the liquid onto your carpet stain, rub gently and leave for up to five minutes before washing the carpet as normal. If you have a particularly stubborn stain, repeat the steps above until the stain disappears. 

2. Faeces and urine stains

An unpleasant occurrence that’s particularly common with dogs, is ‘accidents’ inside the house. This happens when little puppies and frisky dogs go to the toilet all over the house, instead of outside!

You will have to deal with this mess quickly, because it will attract flies and other pests. Also, the longer you take to remove it, the harder it will become to remove the stain. Start by removing anything that’s visible on the surface, and blot the rest of the area with a wet paper towel to prevent the stain from setting.

With the help of a cleaner such as the Vanish 3 in 1 Carpet & Upholstery Shampoo you’ll be able to remove any residue and treat the stain. Not only will the mess be cleaned in no time, your carpet will also emerge looking as good as new.

3. Hair

Just like humans, dogs shed hair. But they shed in copious amounts and you can see dog hair all over the house in large swathes. Particular breeds of dog such as German Shepherds, Border Collies, Golden Retrievers and Pugs often shed the most hair. While hair shedding is not such a problem with hardwood floors – you can just sweep them up quickly – it becomes a nightmare to get the hair out of carpets.

But there are ways to remove dog hair from the carpet, and you can start by using a rubber bristled brush or broom. The rubber bristles employ static electricity to attract even the most stubborn hairs. If you can’t find a rubber broom, use a stiff bristled brush or rug rake, but be careful to not pull the carpet fibres.

Once all of the hair has been removed, you must ensure its complete hygiene (the hair may harbor ticks, for instance) by treating the carpet with Vanish Oxi Action Carpet & Upholstery Pre-Treat Spray. Simply spray over the area that needs to be treated, and work it into the carpet using a clean, damp cloth. Leave it on the carpet as directed on the package, and then vacuum as usual.

Even though dogs can make unpleasant stains or leave a mess on your carpet from time-to-time, with Vanish’s range of carpet cleaners it’s easier to forgive them and continue showering them with love as before.