| Finally licked the carpet "on-purposes" (read "accidents") - CLICK HERE for the Pet Manual Forum Home Page |
| Paul Repage |
I've finally licked the carpet "accident" stains (which we all know are
really "on-purposes," because most ferrets communicate using their bum). All
the sprays, deordorizers and chemicals in the world got nothing on plain,
old, versatile WATER.
We have white carpet in the bedroom, and our little guys have the run of the
house when we're home. I was considered buying a carpet steamer last year,
but the Stanley Steemer guys who visited once told us the store-bought units
are not powerful enough to suck the water up from the carpet, which leads to
rot from the padding on up, and possibly even the floor underneath. I like
Stanley Steemer because they don't use chemicals (only steam) but I can't
spend $159.95 every 3 months for pros to keep the carpets clean.
But I have found the solution. I have a wet/dry Shop-Vac which was seldom
used. The great thing about them is their enormous suction power and you can
use them on anything. Plus, they're like $40 in Home Depot now. Most ferret
stains are spot stains, so I put on the small, car / upholstery cleaning
attachment, and I'm set to go.
Here's the procedure:
1. Be ready with the wet/dry vac and narrow car attachment.
2. Take a spray bottle full of hot water and saturate the spot stain (no
chemicals, just water)
3. Let soak just a bit, no more than 20-30 seconds. Then start sucking
away at the stain. Scrub at the stain using the attachment.
4. Continue spraying hot water on the stain as you scrub and forth with
the vacuum, making sure to keep sucking the water back up as you spray it
on.
With less than 2 minutes of dilligence, even the most set in ferret stain
will be gone, or at least 95% better than it was, without all the chemicals.
I typically remove 12-15 stains every other weekend with this method, and
the carpet has stayed good as new for about a year. It has never taken me
longer than 2 miutes per stain, but most take about 30 seconds. I will use 2
whole quart-sized spray bottles of hot water in the process for about 15
stains. I buy the industrial size ones -- they're much easier on the
fingers.
Depending on your situation, this may be the ultimate option for keeping a
clean house. Good luck.
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