CLEANING UP CAT BARF ON CARPET
One of the most common questions we get asked—and we get asked a LOT!—is
"How do I get stains out of my carpet where my cat (or dog)
barfed?" This is something we've had plenty of experience with and
we've come up with a method that never fails to work for us—even on off-white
carpet (as pictured, which is in our bedroom). I literally have videotape of the WORST cat barf on some of our
off-white carpet—and I'm not talking about a little furball, I'm talking about
real, copious vomit that left a stain 10" in diameter—and you can watch
the stain disappear right before your eyes as I demonstrate this
technique. Trust me, this method will work for you.
If you don't want to use this method,
you can also use DooDoo Voodoo, either by itself or with your carpet
cleaning machine. To read about the methodology we use, visit our
Stain Removal
page.
|
Disclaimer:
We are not chemists and can only relate to you our personal experiences
using these two products together. We disclaim any and all
liability connected with your use of these products, either jointly or
separately. As the user, you shall assume total liability when
using these products jointly or separately and you agree to hold
harmless Four On The Floor Pet Products, Inc., its volunteers, founders,
employees, agents or assigns with regard
to any direct or consequential damages to persons, pets or property
incurred by your use of these products. We assume no liability
whatsoever. We're just trying to be helpful. |
SUPPLIES
NEEDED
 You only need three things and, if you happen to live in a market where
there is a Sam's Club, you're in luck; Sam's carries all three items.
•
White, unprinted paper towels (Sam's Club's house brand works well and is a
great value)
• Dow® brand Scrubbing Bubbles® "foamy-type" spray bathroom cleaner
(also available at Sam's)
• Spot Shot® brand spray stain remover (rated #1 by a leading consumer
magazine)
Click on the thumbnail picture to view a full-sized,
full-resolution version of the image.
THE USUAL DISCLAIMERS—DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I DO
Be sure to test the two products on a hidden area of your carpet for 24 hours to
make sure your carpet is colorfast and that they won't bleach out your
carpet. Wear gloves to protect your hands. Use plenty of
ventilation. Keep people and pets away from the area until the carpet is
dry to the touch. Always wear your seatbelt (ok, this has nothing to do
with cleaning up cat barf, but it's a good idea anyway). Four On The Floor
Pet Products, Inc., and anyone associated with it are not liable for incidental or consequential damages to
people, pets or home furnishings.
IT'S ALL IN THE TECHNIQUE
It normally takes us less than 90 seconds to fully clean up a stain.
1. Using a clean, white paper towel, first remove as much of the
solid material & liquid as you can. Don't be stingy with the paper
towels—keep using clean ones so you don't just rub the stain into the carpet.
2. Once you've removed as much of the solid
and liquid as you can, spray the stain generously with the Scrubbing Bubbles
("foamy cleaner", we call it). The cleaner will foam up.
Let it soak in for a few seconds or as long as a few minutes if you have the
time. If you have an old toothbrush, you can use it to work the foamy
cleaner into the stain so the cleaner gets down deep into the fibers. We
never seem to need to do this, but it might help you.
3. After you've let the cleaner soak in for
as long as you'd like, wipe it up using clean paper towels. If you're not
afraid of trashing your fingernails, work the paper towel down into the carpet
fibers by pushing it down in with your fingernails. Keep throwing the
soiled paper towels away and using clean ones until you can't get up any more
stain. At this point, you can proceed to the Spot Shot step or, if you
like, you can do what I do and repeat steps 2 and 3. If you're antsy about
using your bare hand, put on a rubber glove.
4. Once you've gotten up as much of the stain
as you desire to, perhaps by repeating steps 2 and 3, spray the stain with Spot
Shot until the entire stain—including a "margin" around the edge of
the visible stain—is wet with Spot Shot. Let it soak in for as little as
15 seconds or as much as 5 minutes depending on the severity of the stain.
5. Using generous amounts of clean paper
towels, wipe and blot up the Spot Shot. If the stain isn't completely
gone, repeat step 4, but chances are you won't have to 'cause this method
really, really works. Keep wiping and blotting with clean paper towels
until you don't pick up any more moisture.
6. DONE!
These
products are not intended to be odor neutralizers, so if that's something you
need, we suggest you check out our phenomenal, all-natural odor evaporator, DooDoo
Voodoo. It is highly
affordable and incredibly effective, as shown on our
Stain Removal
page! |
