How To Clean Carpets with Baking Soda.

My rescue dog Darcy gets so excited when we come home or have visitors that he occasionally literally ‘showers’ us with love. It’s not something we can tell him off about but the stains are not as welcome as the visitors.

This is why baking soda is my best friend (I know I’m sad!)

So what is baking soda?

Otherwise known as sodium bicarbonate or bicarbonate of soda it is traditionally used in baking but has amazing cleaning results too. It is a mixture of sodium and hydrogen carbonate.

Urine Stains on Carpets

For wet stains

Blot, Blot, Blot……Get as much moisture out of the carpet by covering liberally with paper kitchen towels. Stand on the paper towels or place a heavy object on the top.

When dry follow instructions below.

 

For Dry Stains

If the area is small, make a paste from baking soda and water and apply to the affected area. Spray with white vinegar. Blot with kitchen towels. Leave for two hours.Hoover or brush the area when dry.

Spray Solution

For larger areas make up a spray solution of equal parts of distilled white vinegar and water plus two tablespoons of baking powder……shake, spray, blot!

This will stay effective for weeks, so keep on hand if you have a puppy.

Biological Washing Powder

This removes the enzymes from the stain and as well as cleaning the area the dog will not be tempted to return to the spot to urinate again.

I’ve also heard of people using spray window cleaner, toothpaste, and soda water to remove urine stains but I haven’t tried these.

To help Darcy I tried a belly band, which is a piece of material that you attach around the abdomen with velcro. It is designed to stop the dog urinating when the time isn’t right. However, the bellyband I used was not compatible to the anatomy of a dachshund (especially when the dog is an ex-stud dog!)

We’re working on keeping him calm to reduce the excitement, but this takes time.

So until then, does anyone know where I can buy baking soda in bulk?