Getting Rid Of Pet Stains and Odours From Your Upholstery

Pets are part of the family. The furry cats and cuddly dogs sure do love playing around the home, hopping around from one seat to another, and taking the occasional nap on the cosy cushions. Amidst all that activity, there is bound to be soiling that is left behind, messing up the upholstery. This ranges from the fur and dander that the furry pets shed naturally, to those cases where they come in from the outdoors with mud on their paws and dust and pollen on their fur. These easily get redistributed all over the indoor space, and the luxurious sofas are not spared.

The soiling contributes to the deteriorating look and feel of the sofa. By affecting the aesthetics of the furniture, it negatively impacts the rest of the décor, which is definitely not how you want things going. The particles are also allergens. For instance, those sets that the pet likes sleeping on – like the sofa arm, can get so concentrated with dander that one gets a more severe reaction resting on them compared to actually burying your face in the animal’s fur. More cases of sneezing, nasal congestion and other symptoms of the sniffles are a sign of the reduced air quality courtesy of the increased dust concentration. 

While the occasional vacuuming does lift the loose particles off the upholstery, a routine deep cleaning is required, to extract the grime that has got into the material. For this, call in the professionals who have high-powered machinery that gets to the ingrained soiling, ensuring that the sofa has been thoroughly cleaned.

Odour removal

The upholstery material is bound to absorb those pesky pet odours. This, in addition to the decaying organic matter, results in musky smells that make it difficult to use the sofa comfortably. Holding a normal conversation with your significant other or your kids will be more difficult when there are odours pervading your senses. These will be hard to ignore. What of the guests who come over? They are bound to notice the odours. In fact, there are cases when the pet owners get used to the pet smell that they don’t notice it’s there, especially after getting accustomed to it for months. However, the moment that a guest walks in through the front doors, the whiff of air that hits their nostrils will prick their senses and they will either cringe their noses or ask you point-blank what’s up with the smell. You don’t want to find yourself in these embarrassing situations. 

The professional upholstery cleaning processes involve removing the source of the odours, and also incorporating odour neutralising agents that deal with the smells at a molecular level. The end result is fresh-smelling furnishings. Fragranced products can also be used, in case you want a particular scent to accentuate the ambience. 

Dealing with the stains

Then there are those unfortunate incidents when the pet makes a urine stain on your upholstery. This can be exasperating. First, the stains take more than just the ordinary cleaning agents to have them removed, and secondly, as the urine gets deeper into the upholstery, it becomes more difficult to treat. What’s more, the chemical breakdown of the urine over time actually causes the spot to smell more foul, with the characteristic ammonia stench reeking up the place.

When removing the urine stains, powerful cleaning agents are required. However, extra care is needed since not just any urine stain remover will be suitable for the particular upholstery being worked on. From the natural and synthetic fabrics sofas, to the leather furnishings, each has its required mode of cleaning, and applying the wrong product can easily damage the material. Here, you want a product that packs a punch breaking down the urine stain with ease, without putting your unit at risk. It’s recommended that you outsource the task to a professional cleaning company, with the resources and expertise needed to work on your sofa and ensure that the urine spot is removed without damaging your set.

Picking A Company To Solve Pet Problems On Your Sofa

So, how do you decide between the numerous companies available about which will be suitable for your particular upholstery cleaning needs? 

• Establish legitimacy

Here, you want to ensure that you’re dealing with a real business, and not some nondescript company with a flashy title and cheap rates that you saw online. Go beyond the name and carry out a background check, looking through its reviews and testimonials, its web and social media presence, focusing on what its previous customers had to say about the brand. You can even ask around amongst your friends and relatives if they have heard or engaged with the firm, especially for the local upholstery cleaning companies.

Is the company licensed? Where are its registered offices? Ensuring that you have taken note of this is key for security purposes, given that you don’t want to just invite anybody into your home. While on this, ask about the insurance coverage of the firm. What recourse will you have in case there are accidents on our property? Nowadays, sofa cleaning companies are getting insurance to protect both their crew and the clients being served, since not even the most professional of service providers is immune to accidents.

• Have a walk-through about the processes that will be carried out

This entails a detailed discussion with the upholstery cleaning firm, establishing just how the pet urine removal process will be undertaken, the formulations and machinery that will be used. A professional company will ensure that its personnel have explained to you the different options that are available, and the most appropriate for your unit, for you to make a well-informed decision. 

• Get a written quotation

The costs of the process – and exactly what you’re paying for, should be in writing. This will avoid arguments later on, and will ensure that you know what you’re signing up for. You don’t want a case where hidden costs crop up down the road, forcing you to dig deeper into your wallet. 

Getting Rid Of Pet Stains and Odours From Your Upholstery