Getting Rid of Pet Stains in Hardwood Flooring
Let’s put it simply: pets and hardwood floors might never be the right combination in the house. But unfortunately, we can’t do without both. Between dog claws, scratches, and pet stains, your hardwood flooring can take a beating for the worst.
When it comes to pet stains, you have to be quick on your feet, and clean up vomit, urine and any other pet damages immediately, to avoid harming your hardwood floors.
Pet damages on your prized hardwood flooring
Young pets and accidents go hand in hand; till the time you can get your pet potty trained, you need to be on the lookout for any “wet accidents” within the house. While younger pets have potty training issues, older pets might have incontinence and other age-related problems, which can again prove to be an issue.
Urine contains ammonia, which causes dark staining on your solid oak flooring and engineered oak flooring. If urine is left on the floors for long periods of time, you would either need to replace your flooring or call in experts to do damage control. However, there is very little even the experts can do in such situations.
Home remedies for curing pet staining
Pet stain removal products are readily available in the markets. Even though these might seem like the go-to option in the time of need, rest assured there are a few effective homemade options which can be utilized. Some common options include, but are not limited to, white vinegar, hydrogen peroxide and baking soda.
White vinegar is a well-known disinfectant and has a deodorizing effect, which goes a long way in neutralizing pet stains and odour. All you have to do is mix a cup of white vinegar in a bucket of water. Add some grapefruit oil to this concoction and you will be able to remove the odour completely. Another option includes combining vinegar and baking soda; the resulting paste can be used to remove stains. However, for best results, leave the paste on the stain for a while, before you clean it off.
Last but not the least, hydrogen peroxide is yet another option which can be utilized for cleaning hardwood flooring with pet stains. Soak a cloth in hydrogen peroxide, put it over the stain overnight and clean the next morning. Repeat the process, in case the results are not satisfactory.
Conclusion
Pet accidents might vary, but the degree of hardwood floor’s damage may not. Even the smallest of accidents can cause discolouring, staining and leave a trail of odour, which won’t give you the best results for your hardwood floors. By using simple remedies, you can take care of these issues, and give your hardwood floors a new lease on life.
