How To Get Rabbit Pee Out Of Carpet In 8 Steps
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If your rabbit has an accident on your carpet, it’s imperative to clean up the mess right away. Unlike dog urine, rabbit pee is not only unsanitary, but it has a ghastly smell and can ruin your carpet with ugly urine stains. Waiting even a few hours can create a puddle that takes extreme effort to remove.
Additionally, you want to use a solution that targets both the smell and appearance of the urine. Below, you’re going to learn how to make the best bunny pee cleaning solution so that your carpet is not affected by the urine after the puddle is removed.
What You’ll Need
- Gloves
- 1 cup hot water
- ½ cup white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon liquid dish soap
- Baking soda
- Rag
- Bowl or container
- Paper towels
- Vacuum cleaner
Make Your Bunny Pee Cleaning Solution
Before you clean out your carpet, you will need to make a bunny pee cleaning solution. Although there are many recipes on the Internet, the best uses one cup of hot water, 1/2 cup of white vinegar, and one tablespoon of liquid dish soap. Mix all of these ingredients in a bowl so that you can bring the recipe directly to the affected area. All three of these ingredients are imperative for cleaning up the mess.
Ingredients Explained
The hot water moistens the area and breaks down calcium crystals that remain in the urine. Breaking down the calcium crystals is essential for removing the odor. Whenever the bunny’s urine evaporates, calcium remains in the form of crystals. By breaking down the calcium, you can remove the crystals and odor. Make sure that the water is warm or hot. Cold water will not get the job done.
White vinegar is acidic, whereas a healthy rabbit has alkaline urine. Whenever the two meet, the affected area becomes neutral, which helps to fight both the smell and stain that is left behind.
Liquid dish soap is needed to fully break down the calcium crystals, clean up any dirt, and capture any oils from the rabbit. If you do not use liquid dish soap, there will still be a faint odor and appearance left on your carpet. Something like Dawn Original Dish Soap is a great product to use.
The 8 Steps To Get Rabbit Pee Out Of Carpet
Now that you have everything you need and have made your cleaning solution, it’s finally time to clean the rabbit pee from the carpet. Follow the steps below to disinfect the area.
1. Soak Rag And Apply It To The Carpet
As soon as you make your bunny pee cleaning solution, soak a clean rag in the solution. Put on gloves, and then apply the rag to the affected area. Allow the rag to lay on the carpet until the area is completely soaked. You may need to use multiple rags if the urine spread over a wide area.
2. Scrub The Area
Once the area is thoroughly soaked, use the rag to vigorously scrub the area. This will help to break down the calcium crystals and make sure that the cleaner is spread throughout the carpet. Failing to scrub will mean that some urine residue is left behind.
3. Rinse Out The Rag
After the rag feels is no longer wet, go over to the sink and rinse the rag in warm water. Hand wring the hand towel to dry it out. Let the water run over the rag until the water from the wrung towel turns clear.
4. Repeat Steps 1 Through 3 As Needed
Go back to the affected area and repeat steps 1 through 3 as many times as needed. In between every application, inspect the spot for any stain or odor. It normally takes 3 applications to thoroughly clean the area.
5. Let The Area Dry
Once you think you have properly cleaned the urine spot, take a dry rag and apply it over the spot. You want to absorb as much moisture as possible. Once you can’t absorb any more moisture, allow the spot to dry for at least 24 hours.
6. Inspect The Spot Again
After the 24 hours are up, go back to the spot and see if you truly did clean it all up. If you still see a stain, you will need to repeat all of the above steps. If there’s a strong smell, you will want to repeat all of those steps as well.
7. Apply Baking Soda
If there is a faint odor or no odor at all, you can move on to applying baking soda over the area. The baking soda helps to eliminate odor by drawing it out and being absorbed in the powder. Let the baking soda sit for two to three hours at a minimum.
8. Remove Baking Soda
Finally, remove your baking soda. Use a paper towel to pick up any chunks of baking soda. After you cannot pick up any more powder, lay a dry rag over the area for one hour. Lastly, run your vacuum cleaner over the spot. This will help to pick up any remaining baking soda within the fibers.
Clean Your Supplies After Initial Clean-Up
Because rabbit urine is so strong, you have to make sure that all of your cleaning supplies are thoroughly cleaned after you pick it up. Anything disposable should be thrown away immediately. Cloth towels will need to be cleaned in the washing machine or boiled and hand cleaned with soap.
As for the bowl that you used for the mixture, you can just stick that in the dishwasher. The dishwasher will sterilize it for you. If you used a sponge at any point, throw that in the dishwasher as well, or throw it away.
Final Thoughts
Getting rabbit pee out of the carpet is no easy task. You have to make an effective cleaning solution and apply baking soda to the carpet to thoroughly remove the stain and odor. If you do not do these things, you can expect a nasty stain and odor to remain even after the urine has evaporated.
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Featured Image Credit: ZouZou, Shutterstock
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