Pets and Carpet – can they live together?

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Pets and Carpet – can they live together? Yes, but it takes some effort.

Do you have a dog or cat – or several? We do, too! We love them dearly, but they can be really rough on carpet. Day in and day out, we see just how rough at homes all around Asheville. Pets can bring in an amazing amount of dirt and hair. Here are some ideas from one pet lover to another about how to keep it under control.

Wipe Those Feet!

You can prevent pets from putting dirt on your carpet by. Keep a towel close to the door, especially on rainy days, and wipe their paws off when they come inside. It may take a few times for them (and your kids) to get used to the idea, but it will make a big difference. Once they know it’s part of the routine, it gets easy.

Add an Area Rug to the Room

Does your pet have a favorite area in the room? Consider putting an area rug there – you can find nice looking but inexpensive ones pretty easily, and train your pets to spend most of their time on the area rug and not the carpet.

Clean urine and feces quickly

If your pet makes deposits on your carpet, remove solid matter and blot up the liquid quickly with paper towels. Mix white vinegar and water half and half, and dampen the affected area with it

thoroughly, then blot up with paper towel. You can then use your Citrus Spotter spray bottle we leave with you to clean any remaining dirt and neutralize odor.

Brush regularly

It’s amazing how much pet hair we pull out of carpet every day when we are cleaning. The easiest way to keep it out of your carpet is to get it off your pet fist. Most pets love a good brushing, and if you have kids it’s a great task for them to do. They might just come to love making the family pets happy! Have your pets professionally groomed regularly if you can – but know that you can do a lot. 5 minutes of brushing a day will make an amazing difference.

Change the entryways to hard surface flooring

Consider installing hard floor near the pet entryways and doorways. There are many choices ranging from tile to laminate to vinyl that you can combine with a washable entry rug to prevent pets tracking dirt and grass into the carpet in the house.

Vacuum, vacuum, vacuum!!

Vacuuming regularly is the best thing you can do. If you can stay ahead of dirt and hair from building up in the carpet. You may have to vacuum your carpet several times a week. You will also need to vacuum your furniture. Any dirt that is on the furniture can easily end up on the carpet.

Confine Them to One Place

If you have a pet that keeps messing up your carpet, then you may want to consider putting them in a room that does not have carpet. You do not necessarily have to keep your pet in this area all of the time. You can just keep them there when you are not home or at night.

What Your Pet Eats Matters

Check out our friends at Woof Gang Bakery in Biltmore Park Town Square for great tasting, responsibly made pet foods. You don’t feed yourself or your kids junk food – check ingredients labels to see what your feeding your pets. Common pet foods are mostly made of corn meal and other ingredients that are not natural diet elements for dogs and cats.

Keep Those Nails Trimmed

Paws and claws damage carpet. Period. Get some trimmers and learn how to use them or have a professional groomer trim them regularly.

Have your carpets professionally cleaned regularly

The aforementioned tips will help, but depending on how well you can follow them, and how many pets you have, you will need to have your carpet professionally cleaned two or three times per year. Call CitruSolution of Asheville for the most effective, safest, natural carpet cleaning available.