Is your pet not feeling so well? Taking them to the vet and they have an accident in the backseat? Well it could be caused by any number of things – your vet will help you there. But what can you do to take care of your back seat? Well we can help you there! This isn’t our first rodeo!
Cleaning Your Car After a Pet Accident
Cleaning Up Urine
Before anything else, gather up what you need:
- Paper towels
- Club soda
- White vinegar
- Pet enzyme cleaner
- Baking soda
- Water
First, Blot
Take your paper towels and bloat the area. Soak up as much liquid as possible as soon as you can for best results.
Second, Treat
Take that club soda we listed earlier and use a small amount to treat the area. There is carbonation in the soda water that helps agitate the stain, breaking up and pulling it away from the fibers that make up your car’s upholstery. If the stain is older, it might take a try or two to get right.
Third, Treat – Again
Now it’s time to bring out the heavy guns. Take the pet enzyme cleaner you have and treat the stain. It’s going to take more than just club soda to clean up the seat or carpet. Follow the instructions as listed on the enzyme cleaner as they have very specific uses. Roll down your car windows while working on the area to allow it to dry fast and to help keep the fumes from getting to you. Repeat as necessary until the stain is removed.
If there is a smell lingering, sprinkle baking soda on the stain and allow the baking sode to sit for several hours then vacuum it away. It should capture the smell easy, peasy!
Cleanining Up Feces
As you might imagine, when it comes to cleanuing up a number two from your dog, it will take extra steps and you do not want to wait long at all, otherwise it will just be even harder to clean up!
You’ll need:
- Plastic scraper
- Dust Pan
- Pet enzyme cleaner
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Baking soda
- Wash cloth
- Water
First, Remove
First remove as much solid matter as possible, using paper towels, plastic scraping tools and a dust pan. If there is anything that’s somewhat solid, make sure you’re taking it out. If the feces was less solid, or closer to liquid, take baking soda and cover the area. Go crazy. You can’t overdo this part. Let the baking soda sit fo several hours until it dries then scrape or vacucum as needed.
Second, Blot
Ok, with all the physical matter cleared away it is time to tackle the stain proper. For this you want to take a cloth, get it wet, and press on the stain. Move, fold, or rotate the cloth to get a new clean section of it and press again. Do this repeatedly until the cloth is not longer pulling up waste.
Third, Enzyme Time
Alright, take that enzyme cleaner, and just like if you were cleaning up after urine you need to follow these instructions precisely. They are specific formulas for specific purposes and following their instructions will give you the best shot to clear the stain.
Fourth, Wait
Roll down your windows and let the interior of your car dry and air out!
Now, this should have taken care of everything but there’s always the chance the stain was worse than it appeared. Or, starting to clean your backseat has you itching for a cleaner car. In the worst case scenario you can take your car into a professional detailer who, for a fairly reasonable price, can get the inside of your ride looking, and smelling, brand new. We’ll catch you next time on the Acoma Animal clinc blog!
