Tile And Grout Cleaning Tips For Pet Owners

Pets are a part of the family, just like the parents and the kids. But, pets can make a mess of your home. In fact, pets can cause more than just fur cluttering the corners of your home. Whenever your little fuzzball forgets that they have a litter box, or gets tired of waiting to be taken outside, they like to do their business on your floor. Your pets’ urine and feces can damage your tile and grout over time, even if they’re sealed. The mess also leaves a smell in your grout which can persist, even after being cleaned thoroughly.

Here’s some tips to keep your tile and grout protected, cleaned, and odor-free after your pets make a mess:

Brand-Name Cleaning Agents

Many brand-name cleaning agents use chemical mixtures meant for tile and grout cleaning. They are very effective at removing stains and acidic residue. Some cleaning agents also have active enzymes which neutralize both odors and stains. If the odor is coming from your grout, you may need to use a more thorough method, such as scrubbing or repeated washings. However, avoid ammonia-based cleaning agents for cat urine, as cat urine contains ammonia in it – your cat may mistake it as a bathroom and continue to go there. If you have a non-porous tile, then a simple wipe-and-mop job might be all you need.

Home-Mixture Cleaning Agents

Using common ingredients from your pantry or cleaning supplies might not always be the faster method, but it’s certainly less expensive than buying a bottle of carpet cleaner that you won’t use again for a few more months. Some home-made concoctions can prove to be powerful cleaners, though. Sometimes simply using white vinegar, bleach, baking soda, or lemon juice alone can fix your issue. Try mixing together vinegar, water, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide in varying amounts to get the desired effects. The internet is full of home recipes, so if you don’t think you can find one yourself, check the internet for more tips.

Preventative Measures

The best way to keep your tile and grout clean is to stop the mess from happening in the first place. Take preventative steps so that your tile and grout don’t get damaged; clean your tiles with a vacuum and mop every week, so that dust and bacteria don’t get the chance to build up. Keep your cat’s litter box clean, and regularly take your dog outside. If you don’t let spills or accidents happen on your tile, then it will last significantly longer.

 

Train & Maintain Your Pets

Train your pets to make sure that they don’t do their business where you don’t want them to. Since animals tend to keep coming back to the same spot, lead your dog to the same spot every time you take him outside to go potty. Cats stick to litter boxes fairly quickly, so it shouldn’t take too much to get them set up. But, no matter how well-trained you think your pet might be, there will still be accidents.

Another tip is to keep your pet groomed. Make sure your dog’s nails are clipped, so they don’t scratch up your floor. Cats trim their own nails through scratching, so providing scratching posts in places close to problem areas will help prevent scratching where you don’t want it. You should also bathe your furry friend regularly – dirt and bacteria in their fur can leave stains in your tile over time.

Clean Any Spills Immediately

It may not seem like it, but cleaning up that mess as soon as possible matters more than you think. As soon as an acidic liquid – such as urine – spills onto your grout, it starts to eat away at the grout sealant. If there is no sealant, then it will eat away at the grout itself, damaging it. Acids can also stain your grout and cause it to smell. Get rid of that spill as soon as you can.

At Arizona Tile and Stone Specialist we offer tile and grout cleaning services all throughout Arizona. Contact us today to get an estimate on your floors.

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Arizona Tile and Stone Specialist
916 E Baseline Rd, Suite 129, Mesa, AZ 85204

Office: 480-773-3916
Email: alison@www.aztileandgroutcleaning.com