pets, carpets, and babies

24 years ago

I have two dogs, a carpeted house, and a baby who will probably be crawling soon. Up close, our carpet smells a little "doggie". I vaccuum regularly and use the Hoover Steamer occasionally. Are there any safe (for babes and dogs) powders or foams that will help clean the carpet a little better?

Featured Answer

Karyl5

24 years ago

I have a small rug shampooer (I smoked the motor in my larger one - but have found the small one - altho I have to refill more often - cleans as well as the larger one did), After cleaning with whatever, then rinsing with vinegar, I finally just started using a mixture of 1 gal hot water, 1/2 cup Mr. Clean, and 3/4Cup white vinegar - mix and use. My rugs come out clean, and still smell good and are soft, plus they dry faster not doing the rugs twice wash and rinse). Having 2 large dogs that have not learned how to clean their feet when they come in the door (after always finding some mud), my rugs get washed sometimes every week depending on the season.

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Comments (11)

jayme24baby
24 years ago
i wouldn't use anything you could get at a store. you could try some baking soda. just sprinkle it on and leave it overnight and then vacuum in the morning.
also, if you have a health food store you might want to try going there or calling to see if they have anything:)
Karyl5
24 years ago
Being a grandmother with 2 dogs, 2 cats and 4 grandchildren.....when I wash the rugs, I also put into the water, white vinegar. It seems to take out more of the smell that washing always doesn't (also makes it softer by taking out more of the soap). In between, I use the baking soda. Does work wonders.
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Jill_NC
24 years ago
I have the same problem, Stacie--and my DS just got very mobile over the past couple of weeks...just before we went on vacation for 2 weeks. I don't want him crawling on those carpets when we get home...but my mom said it never hurt me and they always had a dog. My house is dusty, too. We did just buy one of those bagless HEPA-filtered vacuums. I couldn't believe how much stuff it got out of the carpets!
StacieZ
Original Author
24 years ago
How do you sprinkle baking soda over a whole room? Do you put it in a shaker of some kind or right out of the box? How often?

And to Karyl5...Do you use white vinegar in the shampooer instead of detergent or in addition to?
Kara_PA
24 years ago
The Money Saving Forum used to have this one a lot, for shampooing carpets.

Use about 1 cup amonia per bucket in the carpet cleaner. Go over rug completely. Then use 1 cup of white vinegar in bucket. The amonia will clean/remove stains, and the vinegar will rinse and remove the amonia & its odor.

We have a cat, dog, and DS, and did this when he was crawling because we didn't want to use chemicals but had to clean the carpets before we moved out of that house It worked beautifully.
Jill_NC
24 years ago
Kara--you used a commercial (rented) carpet cleaner to do that - like one from the grocery store, or a smaller household shampooer?
Kara_PA
24 years ago
Yes -- a rug doctor we rented from the grocery store.

It was a light tan carpet, but if you have darker carpets you might want to do a spot test because amonia lightens.
jayme24baby
24 years ago
hey! when you get your baking soda box just punch about 5 - 8 holes at the top of it and sprinkle away!!!
:)
jayme
basin_2006
20 years ago
I am new at this whole computer thing so i will ask again how well does the vinegar work on amonia smell from pups ?
they are 12 wk old pyrenees/hound pupps . have a overpowering smell of amonia on carpet! any helpfull adive?
basin_2006
20 years ago
how can i get rid of the amonia smell from 2 puppies in my carpets/