Companion animals bring great joy to our lives, but they can also sometimes create challenges. Aging pets or new additions to our families in particular may have accidents in the house.  Pet urine can damage fabrics, but worst of all is the odor.

What to do when your dog or cat has an accident on a sofa or chair? Jeeves offers some expert advice.

Start by blotting the area with a clean, dry, white terry cloth washcloth, towel or paper towels. Try to remove as much of the fresh urine without rubbing the stained area. Rubbing can damage the dye or fibers of the fabric.

Check with the manufacturer of the piece to determine if the urine stained fabric can be treated with a water based cleaning product.  Many household fabrics cannot be subjected to water based cleaning products, so this is important.

If water is okay to use, we recommend a solution of 50% white vinegar and 50% water. Always test any home cleaning remedy first on an unexposed area of the fabric, like the underside of a cushion, in case the cleaning solution causes damage to the fabric.

This cleaning solution will cut the odor and somewhat neutralize the natural ammonia in pet urine. Apply lightly with a spray bottle, allow to sit for 5-10 minutes and blot with a clean, dry white terry cloth towel.

It is important for fabrics that are “spot clean” or “dry clean only”, get help from a professional.

For example, Jeeves was recently entrusted to treat a silk velvet chair that was accidently soiled by a puppy. Velvet cannot be subjected to water based cleaning solutions, so Jeeves employed alternate techniques to remove the stain, the odor and restore the velvet, getting the puppy out of the doghouse.

The best advice that Jeeves can give you with pet stains is to treat them as soon as they occur, once dried, the stain is more difficult to treat and remove. If you have a pet stain situation that requires professional help, Jeeves is at your service. (https://www NULL.jeevesny NULL.com/contact/)

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