Upholstery Cleaning Tips and Tricks for Pet Owners In California
California is renowned for its pet-friendliness so much that Reader’s Digest named it the “Dog Friendliest State” in 2019. But owning a pet in California also means a lot of hair, danders, and musty odors, especially on your upholstery.
Luckily, companies providing professional upholstery cleaning services in California cover your upholstery cleaning needs. Also, they give excellent tips and tricks to pet owners on upholstery cleaning. Here are some of the best ones.
1. Vacuum Frequently
Unless you are into the sphynx cat, owning pets means hairs everywhere, and we mean everywhere! And this hair can pile on your carpets and upholstery, mingle with other contaminants and make a mess. Before this mess grows to a substantial size, you should prevent the accumulation of pollutants by regular vacuuming.
To do this, you have to set up a regular schedule for vacuuming first. While general vacuuming recommendations are once or twice a week, you should increase it to at least three to four times a week as a pet owner.
However, many cities in California, like San Diego, also have the added issue of pets carrying sand from the beaches into the house. This sand then ends up on couches. Combined with the pet hair issue, you may have to call in experts providing upholstery cleaning in San Diego to vacuum them off using their powerful machines.
2. Remove Pet Hairs
You should never underestimate the omnipresence of your pet’s hair. It will be on your clothes, your carpets, and your upholstery. While vacuuming is a part of the ongoing battle to minimize pet hairs, you also need some other tools.
- Start with your pets. If you don’t groom them regularly, start to do that. Take a brush and comb their fur with it. It will make your pet’s fur healthier, reduce shedding and give you some quality bonding time with them.
- Next, vacuum, as we discussed in the previous step.
- Purchase a squeegee, and run it over your upholstery to remove the accumulated pet hair.
- You can also wear common rubber gloves and run your hand over the upholstery to reduce fur sheddings on the couch.
- Always remove hairs from the pillow and cushion covers before washing them.
In some circumstances, pet hairs can also cause severe allergic reactions, especially in Californian cities like San Marcos during spring. If anyone from your family is prone to allergies, contact a company providing upholstery cleaning in San Marcos to prevent any harmful consequences.
3. Clean Stains Immediately
Spots caused by pet urine are a huge danger to your upholstery. They can discolor the couch, make it smell bad, and even cause wear and tear. The best way to treat these stains is to clean them off as soon as they occur.
Cleaning spills quickly will prevent them from getting too deep, which will make them easier to remove. You can do this to ensure the fast removal of fresh stains.
- Check the cleaning instruction on the upholstery tag.
- Bloat all the excess liquid from the stain with a paper cloth or a sponge.
- Mix a little bit of dish soap in cold water and dip a cloth in the solution.
- Gently dab the stain with the cloth taking care not to rub it.
- Continue to dab until you no longer see the stain.
- Wet another clean cloth in clear water, and clean the excess solution.
- Let the area dry without any interruptions.
If you act quickly enough, this method can remove any fresh stains from your couch. But if you live in cities in California that have hard water and experience frequent dust storms like Riverside, old stains can be difficult to remove with DIY.
Therefore, to remove these stains and maintain your upholstered furniture, you will need to get professional upholstery cleaning in Riverside.
4. Eliminate Musty Pet Odors
When there is a musty odor in your home whose source you cannot identify, it may be coming from your upholstered furniture. Upholstery fibers can trap particles from your pet’s urine and feces and cause them to smell for a long time.
The best way to deal with these foul odors is by using enzymatic cleaners. These can break down the odor-causing particles and neutralize the odor. The other way is to use vinegar and baking soda.
- Sprinkle baking soda on the couch and let it sit for a few minutes.
- Mix one part of white vinegar with two parts of warm water. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle.
- Spray the vinegar solution directly over the area covered with baking soda. Let it sit for a few minutes.
- Dry the area completely by dabbing it with a dry clean cloth.
These will eliminate the odor if you know the source of the smell. But if you don’t know the source, your best option will be to ask pros for help.
5. Take Help From Experts
While Pets are cute and excellent companions, they can wreak havoc on upholstered furniture and carpet. These tips and tricks may help you maintain your furniture, but as a pet owner, it requires deep cleaning at least two times a year for your upholstery to look its best.
Experts have experience cleaning upholstery stained by pets. And they have the right tools and equipment to get the work done. After the pros clean your furniture, you can enjoy playing on it again with your pet without any worries.
So, professional upholstery cleaners uphold California’s reputation as a “Pet Friendly” state by cleaning up their mess in cities like San Diego, San Marcos, Riverside, and many more.