Stain & Odor Removal 101

Pets are messy. They roll around in mud, jump in puddles and sometimes they go through the trash. Of course, we love them anyway. And we’ve found: the easier it is to clean up, the better our relationship with our companions.

You already know that stains are visible, and odors are smellable. But did you also know that each one has to be treated in different ways, by different enzymes?

Stains are just the start.

In many ways, stains are the easiest thing to clean. You can see your success, and there’s a wide range of products available, tailored to different surfaces.

Of course, specific surfaces often require specific cleaning solutions—from hardwood floors to carpets and granite, it’s a lot to keep up with. So make sure you read the label to make sure your cleaning product is suitable for where you’re using it (and it won’t ruin the surface you’re trying to preserve).

Welcome to the invisible world.

Trouble is, stains are just the start. Many organic compounds—food, urine, feces—leave odors behind. And that’s where we humans can run into trouble.

Failing the sniff test.

Just because you can’t smell it, doesn’t mean your pet can’t. Your dog’s sense of smell is somewhere between 10,000 and 100,000 times more sensitive than ours. A cat’s is roughly fourteen times better. So, just because you can’t smell it, doesn’t mean they can’t.

This is especially important when dealing with potty accidents. Dogs use the smell of urine or poop to mark an “approved” potty location. So if your carpet smells of pee, they’ll continue to go right there.

That means that for a lot of pet-based clean-up, you need to do more than remove the stain. You need to go deeper and remove the odor, too.

Introducing Enzymatic Cleaners

There’s a reason everyone’s talking about enzymatic cleaners (okay, everyone in our office). It’s because they break down both stains and odors. Enzymes are chemical catalysts that speed up reactions, mostly in your body. Enzymes are key to breaking down organic compounds, like food, urine and feces, and also remove the odor from accidents. All of which makes them perfect for cleaning up after pets.

So what do I do?

Don’t worry. We created the perfect quiz that helps you find the best cleaning solution for your problem. Check it out!