Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning · Carpet Cleaning 101 · General Home Cleaning Tips · The Gross Stuff ·Sep 30, 2022

How to Clean Cat Poop from a Carpet

Do need to learn how to clean cat poop from a carpet? For the most part, cats are known for their hygienic bathroom behavior but that doesn’t mean accidents don’t occur.

And if you have ever dealt with cat poop stains, you will know that the stain and the smell can be overwhelming and difficult to get rid of.

But, the process of removing cat poop from a carpet is relatively simple if you have the right tools and ingredients on hand.

In this article, we will give you a run-down on how to deal with various types of cat poop stains on your carpet, From wet to dry stains.

What this article covers:

What to Use to Clean Cat Poop from a Carpet
How to Get Dried Cat Poop out of a Carpet
How to Get Cat Diarrhea out of a Carpet
How to Get Cat Poop Smell out of a Carpet

What To Use To Clean Cat Poop From A Carpet

When dealing with pet stains on the carpet, whether you are dealing with getting rid of cat vomit stains, removing cat urine, or cat poop, it’s important to protect yourself from the bacteria that comes with them.

In other words, you will need to put on a pair of gloves before tackling the stain. It is also helpful to wear a facemask to ensure that bacteria do not enter your airways. We also recommend wearing old clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty.

In addition, you’ll need some paper towels or clean rag cloths that you will use to directly remove the poop from the carpet.

Also, you need to apply a solution to the affected area. There are many different ways to do this.

If you want to opt for a home remedy, you can use something that you already have on hand, such as white vinegar, dish detergent, or baking soda.

Alternatively, you can invest in a carpet cleaner spray that will clean and disinfect the area.

After cleaning the area, you will need something to deal with the smell. This part is important because it prevents your kitty from marking the same area in the future.

For this purpose, enzymatic carpet cleaners work really well.

If you don’t want to invest in professional carpet cleaning chemicals, you can also use hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, or vinegar to ensure that the smell is dealt with for good.

Finally, after you have completed the cleaning process, you will need to vacuum your carpet to finish off.

How To Get Dried Cat Poop Out Of A Carpet

Step 1: Gear Up

As mentioned earlier, put on some gloves, old clothes, and a face mask before dealing with the cat poop stain.

Not only will this help you cope with the smell, but it will also protect you from any harmful bacteria that may be released during the process.

Step 2: Pick It Up

If you have ever needed to clean dried cat urine from your carpet you will know that old, dried-up stains are often far harder to clean than fresh ones.

Because of this, it is always best to deal with the stain as soon as it occurs. But we know that this is often not possible.

how to get dried cat poop out of carpet

So, if you are dealing with dried poop on your carpet, grab some white paper towels and try to remove as much poop from the carpet as you can.

You can also use a spade to remove some of the initial poop and use paper towels to remove the smaller bits and pieces.

You will want to remove as much poop from the carpet as you can in this step. This is the same process for getting cat litter out of a carpet when it has dried up.

This is to ensure that the area is adequately prepped before you can treat the stain.

So take your time and try and ensure that you remove any remnants of dried poop that are sticking to the carpet fibers.

Resist the urge to be aggressive or impatient during this step as this may cause the poop to further penetrate the carpet fibers and make the stain worse.

Step 3: Clean The Area

After removing the poop, the area is ready to be treated.

For this step, you can use a mixture of 2 cups of cool water, a tablespoon of dish detergent, and a tablespoon of vinegar.

You can also use a mixture of vinegar and water or baking soda and water and use as your cleaning solution.

Alternatively, invest in carpet cleaning chemicals that are effective in dealing with pet stains, such as enzymatic or oxygenated cleaners.

For cat poop, in particular, something like a powerful enzymatic prespray is probably your best bet.

Apply your solution to the affected area and let it sit for a while to penetrate the stain.

Then, using a clean cloth, gently blot the area until you see the stain transferring from the carpet to the cloth.

Continue blotting until the stain is removed. If it doesn’t work, apply more solutions and repeat the process.

Alternatively, you can also sprinkle the area with a heap of baking soda and let it sit for 10 minutes. Then, apply a solution of equal parts vinegar and water and pour it onto the stain.

You will see that the solution starts to bubble up as the stain becomes loosened from the carpet fibers.

Then, blot the stain as described above until the stain is completely removed.

Step 4: Treat The Smell

Even if you think the smell has been completely eliminated, it is important to still do this step.

how to get cat poop smell out of carpet

Unless you used a powerful enzymatic cleaner, the chances are that the smell will still be picked up by your pet, increasing the chances that they will poop in that same area in the future.

For this step, you can combine 5 tablespoons of Hydrogen Peroxide with 2 tablespoons of dish detergent. Rub the mixture into the stained area. Bot the area with a clean white cloth.

Alternatively, you can sprinkle the area with baking soda and let it sit for 10 minutes.

If you have an air purifier, you can also use this to ensure that any lingering smells are removed from the area or room where the stain occurred.

Step 5: Vacuum

Allow the carpet to dry after you have cleaned the area and treated it for the smell. Then, vacuum your carpet.

And don’t worry, you don’t need a commercial water extraction machine or other industrial carpet cleaning equipment. Any household vacuum should work just fine to complete the cleaning process.

How To Get Cat Diarrhea Out Of A Carpet

Step 1: Remove The Poop

If you are dealing with a wet poop stain, the first step is to remove as much poop from the area as you can, before you start cleaning it. Start by using a shovel or paper towels and pick up as much of the poop as you can.

Remove as much of the top layer of soil as you can before gently using the paper towel to remove the remnants of poop between the carpet fibers.

Fold the paper towel in half, and start dabbing the area to soak up some of the moisture.

Try to avoid working the stain deeper into the carpet fibers.

Do this until the paper towel comes back clean and most of the poop has been transferred to your paper towel.

Ensure that you use a dry paper towel and don’t introduce any additional moisture at this stage, as this will only make the stain worse.

Step 2: Remove Any Moisture

After removing as much solid waste as you can, sprinkle a heap of baking soda over the stain. The heap should be at least a quarter-inch high. Let it sit for 20 minutes to a couple of hours.

You want the baking soda to soak up any residual moisture from the stain. Once everything has dried up, you can vacuum the baking soda and dried-up poop that remains from the stain.

If there are stubborn particles still clinging to the carpet fibers, you can use a comb or teaspoon to remove any dried-up remnants from the carpet fibers.

Do not scrape too hard as this will only let the dried poop penetrate deeper into the carpet.

After conducting these steps, you can repeat steps 3 to 5 for removing dried poop from a carpet as listed above.

How To Get Cat Poop Smell Out Of A Carpet

Step 1: Clean The Stain

The first step in removing the smell of cat poop is to deal with the origin of the stain.

Whether you are dealing with a wet or dry stain, you will want to ensure the area is thoroughly cleaned before you attempt to get rid of the lingering poop smell.

If the smell is incredibly pungent. Consider investing in an enzymatic cleaner as this is the most effective product in dealing with the odor from pet stains.

Also, if you clean it using a home remedy, consider using one that involves baking soda or vinegar as these are also effective household products that can assist in reducing the odor.

Step 2: Treat The Smell

There are a variety of ways to deal with the lingering odor that may remain after cleaning a cat poop stain. It is important to treat the smell, regardless of whether you think a lingering odor is present or not.

This is because cats have a keen sense of smell and they may pick up on the residual smell even if you don’t.

This means that they will probably return to the same spot and defecate there again.

The easiest way to treat the smell is using baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, or enzymatic cleaners. Apply an enzymatic cleaner according to the instructions on the bottle.

For the Hydrogen Peroxide method, mix 5 tablespoons of Hydrogen Peroxide with 2 tablespoons of dish detergent and rub it into the affected area.

Then, blot it quickly to prevent the solution from staining the carpet.

If you use baking soda, you simply cover the area with baking soda for ten minutes and allow it to work before vacuuming up the baking soda.

Step 3: Aftercare

After treating the stained area, you should also clean other affected areas such as the area underneath your carpet.

Simply lift the rug or carpet, if possible, and clean the floor as you would normally. Vacuuming will ensure that any residual particles are also removed.

It is also a good idea to clean the cat’s litter box. Sometimes, cats have bathroom accidents because there is something wrong with their litter box.

Cleaning it and replacing the litter will ensure it is ready for them to use again in the future.

You can also invest in an air purifier, especially if your pet has many bathroom accidents as this will also remove any residual smells from the air.

Conclusion

In short, if your kitty had a bathroom accident on the carpet, it is not the end of the world.

There are many steps and measures you can put in place to get rid of the stain and the smell for good.

Whether you want to invest in some professional cleaning equipment or use general household items, it can be relatively easy and painless to remove cat poop from a carpet.

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