Pet Accidents And Oriental Rugs

What To Do If Your Pet Has An Accident On Your Oriental or Persian Rug.

You love your pets, and they’re considered members of your family. You also love your Oriental and Persian rugs. Can’t they all just get along?

Of course, they can!

As you mull over whether to purchase a fine handmade rug, you may consider that your dog or cat could ruin it. After all, accidents happen, and you’re worried your dog or cat could pee, scratch, or chew on the rug.

You needn’t worry too much.

After all, a fine hand-knotted rug is woven to stand the test of time and furry friends. These handmade objects of beauty are sturdy and can pretty much withstand anything you ask of them.

You can do a few things to help your animals coexist peacefully with your fine handmade rug.

Here are a few tips to help your pets and wool or silk area rug coexist.

  • Perhaps the first thing you may want is to place your rug in a location not frequented by your pet. This helps keep even the chance of an accident from occurring.
  • Consider hanging your rug on a wall – far above your pet’s claws – to display it instead of placing it on the floor.
  • If your rug has fringe, consider taping them under the rug and when you trust your pet to leave them alone, remove them from under your rug. This way, your dog is less likely to chew on them, and your cat is less likely to play with them.
  • Cleaning pet stains from a rug needs to happen ASAP after the accident
  • Speaking of accidents, if your dog or cat does relieve himself on your rug, follow these steps immediately:

If your pet has pooped or vomited, scoop it up quickly. Then blot up what you can’t scoop with a clean cotton towel.

Grab some club soda (you should keep it handy at home for such an emergency) and pour it into a bowl. (If you don’t have club soda at home, create a 50/50 mix of white vinegar and cool water.)

Using a sponge and wringing out any excess, dampen (don’t wet; dampen) the area that’s affected. Blot with a white cotton or paper towel to pull out the urine/vomit/poop.

Keep blotting until you see nothing coming up on the towel.

Now take a portable hair dryer, place it on warm – not hot – and dry the rug fibers. It’s best if you can raise the affected area with a book, pot, etc. so that you can place the dryer so that air flows on both the top and underside of the rug.

If you see that dyes in the rug are coming off on the towel, stop dampening the rug and blot/dry it as quickly as you can. A too-wet rug risks growing mildew and mold. That’s why you shouldn’t wet the rug but dampen it.

Also, don’t scrub; you risk breaking the wool’s fiber.

If you see evidence of dye bleeding, your rug will need professional help so give Oriental Rug Salon a call.

If your pet continues to defecate or pee on the rug (or get sick), you need to remove the rug to where your pet cannot access it. Repeated accidents of this sort can eventually lead to mold/mildew, permanent stains, and foul odors.

Oriental Rug Salon is SW Florida’s “cleaner of choice” to many interior designers, realtors, rug collectors, restoration companies, Oriental rug retailers, and rug owners who cherish their area rugs and want them cared for in the best manner possible.

Oriental Rug Salon is internationally recognized as a Wool Safe Approved Service Provider, a Certified Partner with the prestigious Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), and certified by the Carpet & Rug Institute (CRI). Our cleaning efforts are performed by hand under the watchful eye of a Rug Master.

If you’re looking for a reliable and professional Oriental or Persian rug cleaner, “call us on the carpet” any time at 239-424-8171 or visit Oriental Rug Salon online at www.OrientalRugSalon.com.

You can also visit us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/OrientalRugSalon/