Cleaning up pet accidents

Everyone loves to bring a new puppy or kitten into the family. But while fun and cuddly, a young pet requires a good deal of training, especially when it comes to housebreaking.

If your pet has a potty accident, clean it up quickly to avoid stains and odor problems. Special attention to cleaning may be required for pet-urine spots on carpets. If left unattended, pet urine can damage carpet. The moisture can weaken the carpet's layers, and result in separation of the backing material.

The Carpet and Rug Institute offers the following steps for treating pet urine spots around the home.

1. Blot damp areas as soon as the urine is detected, with plain white paper towels.

2. Apply a solution of ¼ teaspoon of liquid dishwashing detergent (non-bleach and non-lanolin) with one cup of lukewarm water. Do not use automatic dishwasher detergent or laundry detergent.

3. Absorb the moisture with paper towel, rinse with warm water and repeat the application of detergent. Continue rinsing and blotting with the detergent solution and water as long as there is a transfer to the toweling or improvement in the spot.

4. Follow the detergent application with a solution of one cup white vinegar to two cups water, and blot dry.

5. Apply a half-inch layer of paper towels to theaffected area, and weigh down with a flat, heavy, nonfading object. Continue to change paper towels until completely dry.