Banish Pet Poop Stains From Your Carpet With A Few Household Essentials

In the United States, 66% of households own one or more pets in 2023, as per research conducted by Statista. However, owning a pet is no small feat, especially if they're still in the dreaded potty training phase or are elderly and prone to accidents. So, if your pet poops on the rug, don't roll up the ruined carpet and take it out with yesterday's trash. Instead, roll up your sleeves and grab a few household essentials, like dish soap and vinegar, to banish poop stains and clean your carpet in a chemical-free and budget-friendly way.

The first step is to remove the feces from the rug as soon as you notice it to prevent it from settling into the fibers. To do that, don a pair of rubber gloves (disposable ones work, too) and wear a face mask to not only prevent touching the goo and getting a whiff of the overwhelming smell but also prevent transmission of disease-causing bacteria. Next, use a marginally damp paper towel or baby wipe to collect the solid matter and throw it away. However, a disposable spoon should be your weapon of choice if you're dealing with watery waste.

After you pick (or scrape) as much of the poop as possible, mix 1 tablespoon of white vinegar with 1 tablespoon of your preferred dish soap and 2 cups of cool water (warm works, too). Ensure the dish soap doesn't contain bleach to avoid combining vinegar and bleach and inhaling the resultant poisonous fumes, as per Grove. After preparing the solution, spritz it onto the stain and let it work its magic for around 10 minutes. Once the time is up, use a clean microfiber cloth (or paper towel) to blot the muddy spot, working your way from the outer edges to the heart of the stain.

Continue blotting the spot using clean portions of the cloth till the stain is gone. Remember, you might have to do this a couple of times, depending on the size of the stain. After the stain is no longer visible, dampen another microfiber cloth and blot it on the spot to eliminate the soapy residue. This will keep dirt away and prevent leftover waste from settling into the carpet. Now, enlist another cloth or a wet/dry vacuum to dry the spot. To eliminate the foul odor, sprinkle some baking soda over the spot, gently pressing it into the fibers and letting it sit undisturbed until the next day or 12 hours before vacuuming the area. You can even add a few drops of essential oils to the soda to replace the awful smell with something pleasant.