Dog owners know how risky it is to have a carpet around when you have a dog. Accidents happen, and carpets are usually the first ones to suffer.
Carpets are a great addition to many homes and the perfect household item for those who love a comfy home atmosphere.
Decorating your space with dogs can be challenging. How many times did you try to teach your dog to not rest on the couch directly, but on a blanket that you have put over? It’s a real struggle, right?
Now, compared to the couch area, flooring is even more challenging. In fact, one of the most important decisions as a dog owner is floor-related.
Is there a way for floors, carpets, and pets to co-exist? Is it too much work? Luckily, there are ways to keep your carpets clean and keep your time in balance.
Do Carpets And Dogs Mix?
Let’s be honest – having a dog means cleaning a lot. Even if you have a dog who doesn’t shed a lot, you still need to have a vacuum cleaner on hand.
You also have to clean bed sheets more often and wash everything more frequently. It’s just how it goes.
Dealing with dog hair and odor is something that not everyone can easily deal with. In fact, it’s something that only those with good organizational skills and a calm temper can deal with.
This is the main reason why dog owners choose to have their floors naked, without any floor covers. Even in those cases, cleaning more frequently is mandatory, because dogs still shed and spread pet dander.
If you want to go with carpets, there are certain things that you should know. Here is how to keep your carpets clean.
Choosing Pet Friendly Carpet
Living with a dog is exciting. You get to enjoy furry playtime, get cuddles and have a moving shadow all day long.
Still, the biggest downside is that you will have to clean more often here and there.
Your home can still be dog-friendly and fashionable if you manage to organize and clean properly. To keep your floors clean, and your carpet long-living you need to choose the right carpet first. Here is what to look for.
Purchase Stain Resistant Carpet
Finding a stain-resistant carpet is the best possible way to keep your home clean. These carpets are always the way to go.
If you are replacing carpets, or just getting new ones, think about investing in high-quality stain-free carpets. They are usually costly, but they are definitely worth it.
Plus, stain-resistant carpets will last far longer than regular carpets. These carpets come with a protective layer that is applied to the fibers, making them highly protective.
Once you get the stain-free carpet you won’t have to clean it as much, vacuum, or expect to replace it first few months of purchase.
What About Non-Stain Resistant Carpets?
If you already have a regular carpet you know how much work it takes to keep a single item clean and fresh.
If you want to keep your traditional carpet resistant you should scotch-guard your carpets. This way you will protect your carpets.
After some period fibers will maintain their structure and this should help create additional protection as much as possible. This isn’t a DIY project, but a task that should be done by professionals.
This is something that should be done by professionals because you don’t want to miss a spot. Missing a spot can lead to poor outcomes and can cause stains to get under fibers that are treated. This way stains can get past the scotch guarding to be harder to get out.
Cleaning Is Always A Must
No matter how well-trained your Fido might be, accidents still happen. This means that a urine-related accident can happen here and there.
As a dog owner, you know how persistent and troublesome pet urine can be. It can be cleaned, but it requires a lot of work. Plus, we all know that pet urine is one of the most challenging things to fight against when it comes to proper carpet care.
The most effective way to deal with pet urine on the carpet is to notice it as soon as an accident happens.
When you catch it early, you need to bring in paper towels. Here is what you need to do:
- Place towels on urine
- Gently press with your hand
- Wait for a few seconds for paper towels to soak in the urine
- Repeat this few times, until majority or urine is collected
- Remove towels and toss them away. To prevent any additional urine spreading within the bag, place towels in separate, smaller bagS, and then place them into garbage
- Mix teaspoon of ammonia with one cup of water
- Spray mixed ingredients on the spot
- Let it sit in for five minutes or longer – depending on the stain
- Use an old towel or a stiff brush to clean
- Make small and circular motions from he inside of the spot outward
- Let it dry
- Repeat until the area is urine-free
- Use a vacuum cleaner to pull up the rest of the area
These steps should be enough to prevent the urine from going deeper. Moreover, this should pull all urine up from the carpet.
Keep Dog’s Nails Trimmed
A big part of dog ownership is proper care.
Once you get a dog, you are entering the exciting world of dog grooming. Grooming goes beyond regular brushing.
Regular brushing is just a small part of a dog’s grooming care. Next to brushing, keeping a dog’s nails is highly important.
If Fido’s nails are too long, it can lead to many scratched on people, other animals, and furniture. Longer nails can cause pain in a dog’s spine and create walking disturbances.
Long nails can also cause also significant damage to your floors, and even carpet, no matter how soft they might be.
When your dog is super excited, he probably runs around continually walking over the carpet. This action can snag the strands of material.
As result, carpets can end with spots that are bare and look less fluffy. This is why trimming or grinding your dog’s nails regularly is important.
It keeps both his health and your carpets fresh and well-polished. Trim or grind nails once to twice a month, depending on your dog’s nails length.
Use A Tile Entrance
When having a dog, tile entrance is a great option. You can also think about hardwood entrance, it can be beneficial as well.
You know just how messy those walks on rainy and snowy days can be… Entering home when your dog is wet, is stressful, requires additional cleaning and extra paws cleaning. Moreover, during the snowy days, you might need to clean your paws additionally which only can leave you stressed.
Plus, it requires cleaning the surfaces after your wet dog stood or walked around. However, having hardwood, and especially tile entrance can prevent wet and muddy feet from making prints on the floor.
No matter how small or big the dog might be, he will always leave some prints behind.
To keep your floors and carpets clean, keep a towel nearby, next to the entry door. This is an easy and fast way to wipe paws off.
Some types of mud are easier to clean than others, and it can be really difficult to remove those stains from the carpet.
Vacuum At Least Twice Per Week
Having a dog means a lot of vacuuming. It just goes like that. Maybe having a Pomeranian makes vacuuming easier, than having a large Bernese Mountain Dog, but it still doesn’t mean that you won’t have to vacuum.
Even in low-shedding breeds dander is still created. Dander is what creates allergies in people and additional stress in carpeting.
In fact, dander is what can cause a carpet to get weighed down and have a pet odor to it.
To prevent this and have a home that is low in dander amount, you should vacuum regularly. In fact, you should vacuum at least twice a week.
At least once you should move furniture and thoroughly vacuum. Dog hair and dander can move easily, landing on the carpet that is fixed underneath furniture.
Plus, if your dog loves lower areas and enjoys playing or eating treats on the carpet, you shouldn’t neglect those areas as well.
Pet saliva also gets within the carpet area which creates an unpleasant odor over time.
Could A Carpet Powder Help?
There are many solutions on the market that can help you keep your carpets fresh and smelly.
Did you know that there are carpet powders for homes with pets? There are and you should check them. They are pet-friendly, easy to use, and effective. However, you will have to test a few of them before you make the final choice.
What may work for your friend’s home, may not work for you. So, arm yourself with enough patience and go powder by powder.
How do powders work? All you have to do is to sprinkle the powder on the carpet and vacuum thoroughly.
Go over the entire carpet twice – it’s mandatory. The first pass will deal with topical particles and pull them up together with powder.
The second pass should pull up hair, dander, and other particles that are located deeper into the fibers. The second pass should be performed slowly to provide real effectiveness.
Steam Monthly
Getting a dog means that you will have to invest a significant amount of your time and money into dog ownership.
From food, over veterinarian check-ups, to unplanned situations – having a dog is costly. When you add to that additional cleaning you know that dog ownership is, in fact, a privilege.
When it comes to keeping your carpets in order, you should think about steaming them regularly.
Steam cleaning carpets monthly keep dander, hair, and alive away. You can do this on your own, by using a mild cleaner. Make sure that you use a cleaner that is specially designed for homes with pets.
How To Choose A Pet Friendly Carpet
If extra cleaning doesn’t bother you, and you want that carpet, you need to know what to search for.
Any carpet isn’t suitable for homes with dogs, or any pet in fact. Once you are sure that carpeting is the best option for you, you need to be well-aware of cleaning practices.
You should also be well-prepared and aware of this. Otherwise, you might think about leaving your floors naked.
Here is what you should bear in mind when choosing the best carpets for your dog-friendly home:
- Always choose materials that repel spills
- Choose a carpet that comes with stain resistance
- Make sure that carpet handle heavy traffic
- Your carpet should handle wear-and-tear
- Always choose carpet with a serious warranty
Once you find the perfect carpet, you should be aware of cleaning moments.
Make sure that you choose a carpet cleaning service to prevent heavy wear and tear on carpet fibers. Don’t forget that acting fast can save your carpet. With that in mind, make sure that you react fast.
The longer you wait to clean spots or traffic patterns, the more likely your carpet is to be definitely destroyed.
All carpets are different: they have different structures, are made from different materials, and react differently to various factors.
The Botton Line
Carpets and dogs can go together if you are ready to work a bit. Investing a small frequency of your time and energy cleaning a bit will help you keep your hoem in order.
Your carpets can survive dog hair, dander, odor, and saliva if you provide regular carpet cleaning.
Maintaining your carpet should be a representation of your home and your lifestyle.
Keeping it fresh will help you feel better, appreciate your effort much more, and love toward your Fido well-balanced. When you own dogs, there are a few extra steps to keep your hoem fresh.
In the long run, it will demand more of your time, energy, and even money, but it will be worth it.
