Tag Archives: cleaning

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.

Why Certain Cleaners Make Pet Odors Worse

If you have a dog or cat that is urinating inside the house be aware that there are certain cleaning solutions for this that are no solutions are.

 

One of worst things you can do is use ammonia based cleaner on a pet stain with odor. That is because cat and dog urine degrades into an ammonia smell. You are simply adding more ammonia “smell” to an existing one.  You will never eliminate pet smells this way. You will only make it worse for months.  Furthermore the smell of ammonia may further attract the pet to eliminate again in the same area.  You are better off buying a product made specific for pet urine. Go to Petco.com and get a product from there. Also use a Petco coupon code from CouponPunk.com to get a deal on the product.

 

It is also a terrible idea to spray the area with aerosol or foam disinfectent. Although this might kill bacteria these disinfectants often leave a strong odor that combines with the ammonia odor to make a particularly awful smell. There are few odors worse than the scent of Lysol combined with ammonia.  When a dog smells this odor it is hard for him or her not to “remark” the area so that the ammonia scent triumphs over the Lysol scent.

 

Home-made remedies are not much better. If you use any combination of vinegar, water, baking soda and soap to clean up a pet stain you will only succeed in moistening it and spreading it.  The dampness will also spread the odor. Vinegar does kill bacteria but it has a strong odor of its own that can cling for weeks to carpet or flooring.  Baking soda creates a fizzing effect on the stain that looks impressive but actually does nothing to get rid of the powerful smell of pet urine.

 

In general it is a big mistake to use a wet brush and water to clean urine stains from a carpet because all you are really doing is rubbing the scent deeper into the carpet. This too causes the stain to spread and if you use a lot of water then you might be soaking the carpet underpadding.  The ammonia in the pet urine sinks and rots both the underpadding and the carpet, which creates a terrible smell.   The lingering smell also encourages pets to go in the same place.

 

It is unfortunate that there are so many way that you can make the problem worse when you attempt to clean up pet stains.  They are quick fixes for cleaning up smelly pet puddles that may not work in the long run.