Tag Archives: clean up

How to Clean Up Blood Spills on Floors

 

Blood has protein in it, which can cause it to stain. Blood can also be a big carrier of disease so unless you are certain of where the blood has come from treat it like you would an infectious substance. Be sure to wear disposable gloves and dispose of any absorbent materials in a plastic bag of their own. If there is a lot of blood then consider wearing a mask, gloves and protective clothing.

This might seem like a lot of precautions to take but blood is a carrier of many bacteria and diseases and it is also a nurturing base for the growth of all kinds of molds. The good news is that cleaning up blood over hard surfaces like tile, vinyl, hardwood, cement or metal floors is easier than cleaning it up off of a fabric surface.

 

To clean up a spill on a hard surface soak up as much of the blood as possible with paper towels or another absorbent material.  Then pour a bleach solution of one part bleach to nine parts water over the contaminated area.  Leave this solution on the blood stain for twenty minutes and then allow floors to dry naturally.

 

If there is a great deal of blood to clean up then you might have to use some kind of absorbent material to soak it up.  In a pinch kitty litter can work to help soak up any excess liquid. If there is a lot of blood you should also take some kind of measure to block off or contain the contaminated area so that it cannot come in contact with pets or people.

 

After you are done cleaning up the blood be sure to disinfect all of the martials that you used to clean up the mess. This is especially important if you think the blood you were cleaning up was infected in any way.  Disinfect any mops, brushes and rags that you intend to use again by saturating each with bleach solution and then allowing them to dry in the air.  Any gloves worn should be thrown out with all other soiled cleaning materials.

 

When discarding blood make sure it is in double garbage bags and then throw it out. Afterwards be very sure to thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water. Ideally if the blood spill was huge it is a good idea to take a shower.

Home Remedies That Might Help With Pet Urine Stains

Pet urine stains can be notoriously hared to clean up. Whether or not a home remedy is effective for your particular situation may also depend a great deal on the type of surface that needs cleaning. For instance, some home remedies might work better on tile and cork floors than carpet or upholstery.  And some remedies, for instance using soap and water on a wool carpet, might make the problem even worse and even bleach out or warp the flooring.

 

One remedy for cleaning wood floors is to use ammonia, but with oil soap. This probably will actually make the smell wore if you use it on a carpet. Ammonia may increase the strength of smell and maybe even attract your pet to urinate in the same spot again.

 

The solution is to take one part Murphy’s oil soap with one part ammonia and apply the mixture on a sponge to the floor to try and get rid of the odor. This works best on wood floors and not on anything that is fabric or that is very absorbent like a cork floor.

 

A home remedy that has been used for years on pet-urine soaked carpets is baby powder. It is a very absorbent powder because it contains cornstarch. The idea is that the liquid is soaked up by the powder and leaves a baby-powder scent behind. However, the smell of baby powder mixed with urine is not that pleasant, especially if the urine is already degrading into the smell of ammonia.  You might be better off simply using corn starch on the problem. You will also need baby powder and paper towels.

 

Although using baby powder is inexpensive it does contain fine particles of silica that a pet can inhale into its lungs. Baby powder is also not an anti-bacterial agent and in fact could give bacteria a place to grow see keep an eye on the situation if you use it to correct pet odors.

 

Baking soda is another home remedy that is for people who do not want to use any kind of harsh cleaner, bleach or soap on the problem. You will need baking soda, water, a scrubbing brush, paper towels and a vacuum cleaner. You simply clean up the mess the est. you can with paper towels and the sprinkle baking soda over the remain stain in an inward motion. Repeat this process again and again until all moisture seems absorbed and the vacuum up the remaining particles with the vacuum cleaner.

 

Just like the baking powder remedy this may not be that effective and bacteria may grow over time. With both methods be sure not to scrub the urine and the odor deeper and deeper into the carpet!