What to do When a Pet has an Accident on Your Rug

If your pet has an accident on a valuable or heirloom area rug, the initial reaction may be despair – but all hope is not lost. Whether it was your cat, bird, pet lizard, hamster, bunny or miniature horse who accidentally soiled your area rug, the Dry Guys can help you, and following these six guidelines can result in a restored rug that looks, feels, and smells fresh as a daisy.

Remove Your Pet from the Scene

You should take your pet away from the area rug so they don’t track their mess around. Don’t punish them by swatting them or shoving their nose in the accident – this doesn’t work and will only make them anxious and more likely to have another accident.

Solid Waste

Solid feces are easiest to deal with, as they can be carefully picked up with a bag over the hand and disposed of or grasped with a small handful of tissue and flushed down the toilet. Small spots of discoloration often are handled with club soda as described below.

Small Wet Spots

A small bit of Urine can be blotted (not scrubbed!) carefully with a clean white cotton towel. Once as much liquid as possible is absorbed, test an inconspicuous area of the rug with club soda to check for color bleed, and if none is present, you can apply it and dab carefully to remove soaked in urine. If the color bleed is present, pack both sides of the rug with baking soda and call The Dry Guys immediately.

Large Wet Spots

Use a larger cotton towel under the rug and another on top and apply pressure to soak out as much urine as possible. Use the club soda as directed above, unless there is color bleed. You’ll probably want to call the Dry Guys for significant urine damage, but if you feel you have gotten all urine out, you can prop the rug up before aiming a fan at it to dry the upper and lower sides. Check it for odor after it is dry.

Liquid Waste

For loose stools, carefully picking up as much as possible without smearing or spreading the waste is best. If the rug is tightly woven, you may be able to let the stool dry and then lift the entire section free. Club soda can be used if applicable to lift small stains, but an area rug contaminated with liquid stool often requires professional cleaning.

Call the Dry Guys

If your rug smells or has visible stains, call The Dry Guys and have a professional rug cleaning done. You can also ask us for a spot cleaning kit, which can aid you if there are future mishaps. A pet’s accident doesn’t have to be the end of your area rug – it just needs a little TLC.