Let’s be honest, as much as we love our furry friends, none of us enjoy cleaning cat poop or dog urine from flooring. If your four-legged buddy tends to leave ‘special surprises’ for you on the hallway runner rug, you know it can be a pain shifting the stains (not to mention the smells) from the fibers.

Cleaning up pet mess might not be the most glamorous job in the world, but it certainly pays to know how to get dog and cat poop out of carpet if you’re going to keep it in tip-top condition for longer. And of course, pets do more than poop. With this in mind, we’ve put together an expert guide to help you remove urine, hair and fleas from your carpets, rug runners and stair runners, too.

This is the ultimate pet owner's carpet cleaning guide from our experts here at runrug.com. Carry on reading to discover the advice you need to keep your rugs, runners and carpets looking spic and span.

Expert tip: Before we begin, make sure you check the care guide you received with your carpet. Some carpet fibers, especially wool, can react negatively to different cleaning products and techniques, so it’s worth double-checking before you start.

Table of contents

• How to remove dog and cat urine from carpet
• How to get dog and cat poop out of carpet
• How to get dog and cat hair out of carpet
• How to get rid of fleas in your house and carpets
• Carpet cleaning tips for pet owners: a quick recap

How to remove dog and cat urine from carpet

Sadly, cleaning carpet with pet urine can be a regular activity for cat and dog owners. What makes it worse is that carpet fibers can soak up cat and dog urine extremely quickly. But, if you move fast, removing urine from carpet will be a lot easier. Follow our four straightforward steps and you’ll be getting dog and cat pee out of your carpet in no time.

What you’ll need:

• Cold water
• Paper towels
• White vinegar
• Baking soda
• A spray bottle or cloth

Method:

Step 1:

Blot the urine with paper towels as soon as you notice Fido or Felix has had an accident. Next, use a few slightly damp paper towels to cover the affected area, as the moisture will help remove these dreaded pet stains from the carpet. Check back after the wet towels have been left to sit for five minutes.

Step 2:

While your wet paper towels are doing their job, prepare the mixture that will lift the stain out. Add one cup of cold water to one cup of white vinegar before adding two heaped tablespoons of baking soda. Stir the solution and apply it to the patch of urine.

If you have a spray bottle to hand, use it to apply the mixture to avoid soaking your carpet. Otherwise, gently dab at the area using a cloth that’s damp with the solution.

Step 3:

Let the vinegar and baking soda solution sit for five minutes, and then blot the area again with dry paper towels. Don’t rub or scrub, as the paper towels will disintegrate.

Step 4:

Wash your hands thoroughly. This won’t help remove pet urine from carpet, but there’s no denying your hands could probably do with a good clean at this point.

Now that you know how to remove urine from carpet, there’s no need to worry if your pet has a little mishap.

Want to know how to get rid of that cat pee smell?

The answer lies with our baking soda ingredient. This kitchen staple can help deter your cat from returning to leave their scent by neutralising cat urine smells. Reapplication may be needed to keep your carpet or runner fresher for longer.

How to get dog and cat poop out of carpet

In some ways, poop can be slightly easier to deal with than dog and cat urine. Sure, the smell might be worse and no one wants to get the stuff on their hands, but at least carpet doesn’t absorb poop as much as it does urine. It’s the little things you have to be thankful for.

But, having pet stains on carpet is still unsightly. Maybe you’re wondering:

• How to clean cat poop off carpet?
• How to clean dog poop off carpet?

At runrug.com we have the answers! Simply follow our instructions on cleaning up pet mess to restore your carpets, rugs and runners.

What you’ll need:

• Paper towels/baby wipes
• Cold water
• Washing up liquid (non-bleach)
• White vinegar
• Baking soda
• Spray bottle or cloth
• A vacuum cleaner
• A strong stomach

Method:

Step 1:

Try to gently scrape up as much of the cat poop or dog poop on carpet as you can, trying your best not to rub it any deeper into the carpet. Using damp paper towels or baby wipes, pinch at the carpet fibers to pick away as much of the mess as possible.

Step 2:

Make a cleaning solution consisting of two cups of cold water, a tablespoon of liquid dish soap (non-bleach) and one tablespoon of white vinegar. Using a spray bottle or cloth, apply the mixture to the poop mark. Blot away at the stain until you can’t see it anymore.

Step 3:

Once you can no longer see the stain, pour a small amount of cold water onto the affected patch of carpet, and blot until dry. Sprinkle some baking soda where the stain was and leave it to sit for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes have passed, vacuum the baking soda up, and your carpet (or runner) should look as good as new.

And now you know how to get poop from carpet. We never said these tasks would be fun, but we do hope this pet owner's carpet cleaning guide is making them easier to deal with.

How to get dog and cat hair out of carpet

Chances are, removing dog and cat hair from carpets will be your main gripe as a pet owner. Sometimes, it feels like your furry friends wait for you to finish vacuuming before immediately moulting again. Luckily, pet hair removal is relatively easy, even if it’s the one you’ll be dealing with most frequently.

What you’ll need:

• Baking soda
• A vacuum cleaner
• A rubber squeegee (optional — and no, we’re not pulling your leg)

Method:

Step 1:

Sprinkle baking soda over the worst affected areas of your carpet (they always have that favourite sleeping spot that gets completely covered, don’t they?). Leave this to sit for five minutes.

Step 2:

Thoroughly vacuum where you sprinkled the baking soda to get the dog and cat hair out of your carpet. As well as helping to lift the fur from the carpet, the baking soda also helps absorb those doggy and moggy smells from your carpet. Ah, bliss!

Step 3 (Optional):

We’re not sure who first had the idea to run a rubber squeegee over carpets, but we’re glad they did. If your pet’s hair is firmly embedded into your carpet fibers, rubber can effectively lift out the hair without damaging your carpet. Simply run the squeegee over the carpet gently and lift or vacuum the collected fur.

Is pet hair removal enough?

Now you know the best methods on how to remove dog and cat hair from carpet! But with pet hair comes one more possible issue for your carpet; fleas.

How to get rid of fleas in carpet

This problem is a big deal because fleas can be very difficult to get rid of and can be hazardous to your health, as well as the health of your furry pet. The only fleas most people see are the adults, and killing them only removes approximately 5% of the population. The rest is made up of eggs, larvae and pupae, which resist certain clean-up methods.

With this in mind, we’re going to show you the best way to get rid of fleas in carpet; even the ones you can’t see. Brace yourself for a long slog when tackling these little beasts. Before you wage war on the fleas jumping around your carpet, you should wash any fabrics — like pet bedding and cushions — that could harbour an entire secret platoon of fleas. The higher the temperature, the better. But make sure to check the washing instructions so nothing comes out of the washing machine looking worse than it went in.

At least our stain-resistant and easy-clean materials can lighten the load for pet owners. Here’s how to get rid of fleas in carpet.

What you‘ll need:

• Natural flea spray
• A vacuum cleaner

Method:

Step 1:

Spray every fabric in your house with a natural flea spray. Double-check that the spray you use has natural, organic ingredients, or otherwise you may be spraying your home with a chemical that could be harmful to your pet. The best place to get these sprays is from your local pet store as the retail assistants will be able to provide advice on finding the right spray to avoid harming your dog or cat.

Step 2:

Give the spray 10 minutes to sit, then vigorously vacuum your entire house, including the sofa and curtains. Don’t worry, you’re almost finished!

Step 3:

Fleas can be tricky to deal with, so it’s unlikely that spraying and vacuuming your house once will get rid of them all. If possible, try to repeat the process every day for at least a week while remembering to use the flea treatment recommended for your dog or cat by a qualified veterinarian.

It’s not a quick solution, but spraying and vacuuming is one of the most effective ways of getting rid of fleas from carpet; it’s also budget-friendly and safe for your dogs and cats. We know having a pet comes with its ups and downs, but now that you have the ultimate pet owner’s carpet cleaning guide to hand, you’ll never have to worry about keeping your carpets clean.

Carpet cleaning tips for pet owners: a quick recap

Whether your pampered pet has left your carpet with urine and poop stains, hair shedding or unwanted flea guests, these carpet cleaning tips are the perfect way to look after your Runrug runners and carpet. It shows that pets and carpets can co-exist… but this guide is here for you should any marks or visitors appear.

Let’s be social

Do you know any other effective methods of removing urine, poop, hair and fleas from carpet or runners? Feel free to share your tips with us on Facebook and Twitter, using the links below.

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