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Blog, Care Instructions, Cleaning Rugs

How to Handle Pet Damage to Your Area Rugs |

Placing a newly purchased designer area rug in your home is a satisfying feeling, but satisfaction can quickly turn to panic as your pets react to the new surface in the house. Pet damage to your area rugs can happen. From cats to dogs to ferrets, large area rugs can peak the curiosity of many critters and some may potentially cause damage to your recent investment. If your area rugs are damaged by your pets, all hope is not lost! There are measures you can take to repair or clean up the damage your pet has caused, as well as preventing such behavior in the future.

Handling Pet Stains on Area Rugs

Whether your cat left a hairball on your favorite designer area rug or your dog had an “accident,” pet stains can be difficult to remove and even more difficult to live with. Once you discover the stain, immediately remove any offending remnants and throw them out, then use a paper towel to blot away any excess moisture that remains in the rug. Be careful not to rub the stain into the fibers. Once you have removed the excess liquid, rinse the area with cool water and blot excess amounts until most of the color is removed. Let it air dry. If a stain remains, you may need to have your rug cleaned. Call Alyshaan rugs in Arizona to see if your rug needs professional cleaning or if other options are available — the material that makes up your area rugswill determine how best to clean it. If you haven’t had your rug fully cleaned in more than five years, it’s time to have it cleaned anyway.

Preventing Cat Scratching on Your Designer Area Rug

Cat Stratching Area Rug

Cats have the natural instinct to scratch, and it can be for a variety of reasons. However, when your cat starts scratching your Persian rugs, it gets personal. To prevent a cat from scratching your new rug before it starts, make sure you have a tall scratching post that allows your pet to stretch while scratching. Reward your cat for scratching the post, and you can sprinkle some dried catnip to make the post more enticing for your pet. What if your cat is already scratching your wool area rugs or Persian rugs? Move the scratching post over the spot where your cat likes to scratch. If this is in an inconvenient location, place it directly over the previous scratching spot and slowly move it to a different location over a few weeks. Most cats will get the idea. You can also trim just the very tips of your cat’s claws every month or so (or get your pet groomer to trim them instead) to mitigate scratching tendencies.

Stopping Dogs From Chewing on Area Rugs

LabradingerJaccaChewingRugPuppyDog9Weeks

While less common, some dogs may chew on the corners of area rugs. Handle this similar to how you would handle a cat scratching your rug — make sure there is a healthy, acceptable outlet for your dog to chew. Antler dog chews can provide weeks of chewing for your dog, and they are much tastier to your canine than wool area rugs will ever be. If your pet has damaged your rug significantly, hand-knotted area rugs can often be repaired. Call the experts on area rugs in Phoenix to see if your rug can be repaired.

Image Source: http://dingo.care2.com/pictures/greenliving/1108/1107132.large.jpg, http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/images23/LabradingerJaccaChewingRugPuppyDog9Weeks.jpg

By Allison Edrington

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