The Best Way to Clean Up After Your Dog's House-Soiling Accidents

Dogs

There is nothing like that new car smell, the odor promising thousands of worry-free miles. Unfortunately, your beloved dog had an accident in the back seat and that new car smell is now just a dream within a dream.

You can get your car (or area rug, or carpet) clean again, but you need to work fast. Cleaning up accidents is a race against time and chemistry. The longer the urine sits, the more time it has to leave a permanent impression. Even if the stain is lifted, the smell may remain. It is extremely important to get the odor out completely – so that your pet's supersensitive nose can't detect it. Otherwise, your pet may hit the same spot again. And again. And again.

Urine Stains

Mop up the puddle as quickly as you can, especially on carpets. You don't want the urine to seep into the underlying carpet pad – otherwise the smell will always be there. Use absorbent material, such as a sponge or paper towel, to soak it up and be sure not to make the situation worse by spreading the urine around.

Getting the odor out is extremely important because the odor signals that the area is an "acceptable" toilet.

There are many products available to get out pet stains and odors. These are typically pet bacteria/enzyme digesters designed to eliminate stains and odors completely. (Products such as Nature's Miracle® work very well on both.) Use enough of the digester to penetrate the carpet pad. Let it sit for as long as the directions say – it takes time for digesters to break down the urine.