Best Pet Stain Remover For Carpet And Pet Odor Eliminator: Spring Carpet Cleaning Tips & Tricks For 2017

SPRING CARPET CLEANING

Spring is here! After months of having the house closed up, it's finally time to open the windows, air out the house and clean. One of the first things you might want to tackle is your carpet. Moisture and humidity can be a breeding ground for mold and bacteria. A good thorough cleaning with Genesis 950 will not only remove the dirt, dust, dander and stains that have accumulated within your carpet, but it will also make your home healthier by removing particles in the carpet that can add to allergy and respiratory issues.

Genesis 950 is the perfect cleaner for not only cleaning your carpet, but also for restoring the fibers a plush, soft state. Genesis 950 is a green, all purpose cleaner that works different than other cleaners. It is surfactant based and when mixed with water, it works to break down the bonds of stains. As a result, the stains lose adherence and can be flushed away from the surface.

GENESIS 950 CARPET CLEANING

Genesis 950 can be used in any type of carpet cleaning machine. Because it is not soap based, it is safe for any type of machine.

There are 2 basic designs of carpet cleaning machines.

The majority of machines sold for home use have 2 compartments, one for water and one for cleaning solution. These are the easiest to use as far as measuring how much cleaner to use. Simply fill the solution compartment up with Genesis 950, and the water compartment with water. These machines typically have settings such as "High," "Medium," "Low" and "Rinse." By choosing the appropriate setting, the machine will automatically mix the water and solution for you. If you are giving your carpet a general cleaning, select the "Low" or "Medium" setting. In areas where you have heavy traffic stains, extreme pet stains or any type of odor, select the "High" setting. As you clean, keep an eye on the solution tank to ensure it has not run out as you clean, particularly if you choose the high setting.

Other machines have 1 large tank where the water and the cleaning solution are mixed together. This is very typical of industrial machines or machines at rental locations. For these machines, simply mix the solution as needed based on the severity of the stains. If it is a general carpet cleaning, stick to the 1 part Genesis 950 to 7 parts water mix. For pet stains and food stains, a 1/3 Genesis 950 to 2/3 water mix can be used. If the carpet is obnoxious and filthy, you can go as high as a 50/50 mix.

When cleaning carpet, take your time and slowly go over the area you are cleaning with the carpet cleaning machine. Release the mixture of Genesis 950 and water onto the carpet. Once you have gone over the carpet, allow the mixture of 950 and water to soak into the carpet. The solution will work to make stains in the carpet water soluble. When a stain becomes water soluble, the stain can then break down. Once broken down, the stain lifts away from the surface. In addition to breaking down stains, the 950 will also break apart dirt, pollen, and any bacteria in the carpet.

Typically, the carpet should be left to soak for about 45 minutes to an hour. However this can vary based on your cleaning needs. For a general cleaning, you might not need that much time. For extreme pet stains, you may want to let the solution sit for a couple hours. As you use the product, you will become accustomed to how it handles different cleaning tasks. After the carpet has been left alone for the desired time you will need to thoroughly rinse the carpet.

In machines with 2 compartments, simply remove the solution compartment or change the setting to "Rinse." In a machine with 1 compartment, completely fill the compartment with fresh water and nothing else. Next, slowly go over the entire carpet and thoroughly rinse. As you clean, you will notice the return is brackish in color. In cases where it has been a while since the carpet was last cleaned, the 950 will break down so much dirt and dust that the return water almost looks like mud. If possible, keep rinsing until the water comes back looking clear. If the carpet has not been cleaned for some time, or it is a high traffic area, you may have to rinse several times until the water begins to come back clear.

After you have rinsed the carpet, it is important to allow the carpet to dry. While excess moisture in the padding may promote bacteria or mold growth, the Genesis 950 fights that with it's antibacterial agents and actually prevents such growth. However, thoroughly drying the carpet is recommended. If weather permits and humidity levels are low, open windows to help the process. Fans and dehumidifiers can also be used to speed up the drying process.

Pet Stain Removal

With so many pet stain removers on the market, it can be a challenge finding one that actually works. In addition to expensive store bought pet stain removers, there are many homemade pet stain remover recipes available. These can actually create more problems!

Vinegar & Ammonia - Nearly every DIY pet stain remover recipe calls for Vinegar. While it is true that Vinegar, along with Ammonia, are natural cleaners, they are the WORST things you can use to clean pet stains. For general cleaning, they are green, natural products with enough acidity to break down stains without damaging surfaces being cleaned. Both are cost effective and likely to be found in any home. However, the acidic properties have elements comparable to the acidic base of urine. Likewise, the odor released has similar properties found in urine. Animals urinate in areas where they smell urine, the use of ammonia and/or vinegar can serve as an open invitation for your pet to go in the spot you just cleaned with either of the products. Pet owners who use either of these often find themselves confused and perplexed when their pet keeps going in the same spot no matter how many times they clean the area. Pets will go in that spot because the odor of the vinegar and ammonia do not remove the urine odor, they only enhance it from your pet's perspective of scent.

Enzymes - Enzymes line the aisles of pet stores. They are often hailed as the go to miracle cleaner for pet stains. This couldn't be further from the truth. Enzymes work on a principal that when two specific substances come in contact with each other, there will be a natural reaction in which one breaks the other down. It sounds simple enough, release the enzymes into the urine and they break down naturally. Unfortunately, it is not that simple. Enzymes are very complex. It takes specific factors to make an enzyme work. The process is often explained in comparison to using a lock and key. There can be a thousand keys and one lock. For the lock to be activated, the correct key needs to be used. All the other keys can be put to the lock, but if there is not a 100% match,there will be no reaction. Enzymes can only break down an element if they have the biological capacity to do so. The DNA strands have to be a 100% match. In addition to the DNA matching, there are other factors in play: temperature, moisture, age and so on. If any of these factors are off, the enzyme can not work. To complicate the process even more, enzymes sold are sold in general mass production. They are not designed to react specifically to the pH levels of individual pet's urine, variables in pet's diets, health issues and other details that vary from one animal to another. One of the most common complaints about enzymes is that the stain typically reappears a few days later or the odor returns. This happens because enzymes do not have the strength to get deep into the padding. So, while the stain on the carpet may be removed, what is left behind below the surface can rise to become visible as temperature changes. They also can not kill the bacteria which creates the odor. Without proper deodorizing, the odor returns.

Household Cleaners - Many DIY pet stain removers call for everyday cleaning products such as dish washing

soap. Soap based cleaners designed as surface cleaners. They perform well when removing stains from hard surfaces. Some can do a good job at lifting light food or drink stains from dishes, but they do not have the power to properly clean pet stains. When soap based cleaners are used on carpet, they can lift some of the surface stain, but in doing so, they can leave other stains. Soap attracts dirt. Rather then break down dirt, it pulls it together and can cause it to clump up. In the process, streaking can occur in the carpet. Typically when issues occur where a stain is cleaned, but then comes back a few days later, it is because a soap based cleaner was used. Another problem with this type of cleaning is that it can not remove pet odor. Pet odors are in the padding of carpet and can not be removed by surface cleaning.

Oxidizing Cleaners - These cleaners work using a process called oxidization. Many of them use Nirtic Acid (which is in fertilizer - do you really want that in your carpet?) to remove electrons in an effort to displace a stain. It's a little more of a complex process. The chemistry used is not natural and very chemical based. Because of the use of chemicals, this is the process of cleaning pet stains where a consumer is most likely to damage their carpet. Discoloration can be a common effect when using oxidizing cleaners. The chemistry in the oxidizer can react to the carpet and turn it various colors, although a pinkish tint is the most common side effect. This type of discoloration can not be reversed.