Archive for Pet Damage

Remove Pet Urine Smell: The Impact of Pet Urine

Ew! Did Fluffy and Fido leave their mark on your carpet again? We love our furry friends, but we don’t like the stains that they leave behind on our carpets. Once the smell sinks into the carpet, the chances of your pet going back to the same spot are very high. Pet urine can be diverse, depending on the makeup of the urine. Depending on your pet’s health, diet, and reproductive cycle, the variations are the deciding factors on whether you’ll be able to remove stains or not. At Sams, we know that pet damage is more than what you see on the surface. With a proper inspection, the Sams team will identify the best course of action to clean the stains and remove the pet urine smell.

Although all accidents will leave permanent stains, urine has the power to affect the dyes used in carpet. Dyes may change colors immediately after contact with urine, while others may take weeks or months before experiencing a reaction. Stains can soon become permanent spots after it develops slowly and time starts to pass. After the deposit, many times, the moisture can weaken the bond between the layers of the carpet, separating the layers and seams.

Another problem to consider, is cat urine. All urine is bad, but cat pee isn’t just disgusting. It’s also dangerous. Urine from your cat can harm your health, and the waste that these pets carry could cause illness. Not only will the urine smell have an effect on your mood, but if you have a respiratory condition the strong odor can irritate and harm your lungs. It’s important that you’re not exposed to the frequency of the pet urine smell in your household.

How We Remove Pet Urine Smell

In order to locate all urine-saturated spots, you have to be mindful and understand that all stains aren’t on the surface but some may have seeped underneath the carpet. We’ve seen it all. Sometimes, accidents can seeping their way down to the padding and passing to the subfloor. When it comes to cleaning, focusing on the surface doesn’t solve the problem. Whether the damage is minimal or not, Sams will evaluate the many possibilities of how the carpet is damaged.

If it’s a minor impact, our trained technicians will perform regular cleaning duties and use enzymes to remove the pet urine smell, which will do the trick for minor causes. For repeat offenders, we will conduct a thorough inspection to assess the severity of damage done. We will use a special light on questionable areas. The Sams team might even pull the carpet and pad back to identify what damage has been done. We offer a variety of services that remove pet urine smell and other odors from your home. Whether it’s pets or cigarette smoke, Sams doesn’t mask the odors. We look to eliminate them.

When you hire the Sams team, you’re hiring trained technicians who care. These technicians will make sure you have the information needed to make educated decisions on when an appropriate job is done right. We’re committed to excellence, professionalism and respect that raises the bar of carpet repair, carpet cleaning and much more.

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Follow This Checklist Before Selling Your House

Warm weather is here and just like all the flowers springing up in your yard, so are “FOR SALE” signs. Spring and summer are popular times to sell a house. If you’re planning to put your house on the market, your home must stand out and look its best. Sams is here to help you make that happen. Following this checklist will ensure your house is refreshed, renewed, and ready for a quick sale at top dollar.

Take Care of Offensive Odors at the Source

The moment that a potential buyer opens the door to your home, they begin to form a laundry list of impressions. Those first impressions can make all the difference in whether your home gets the offers it deserves. Good or bad, the way your home smells can set it apart from others.

You might not even realize that your home has a particular odor that could turn potential buyers off, but a real estate agent (or even your best friend) will point this out to you.

If odor is a problem in your home, Sams can take care of those funky smells and create an environment that’s pleasing to the noses of your potential buyers. Air fresheners create an unnatural smell and only temporarily cover up smells. Some potential home buyers may even be allergic to them or not like the scents you chose. The smell you’re looking for us “clean,” and there’s really only one way to get it. So leave this job to the pros!

Check out Sams’ specialized services to help with eliminating odors, whether it’s to help sell your current home or make your new one more enjoyable.

Clean Carpet is a Must

There are many in the real estate business who would advise that a total carpet replacement is needed when selling a house. We agree that stained, worn, or dirty carpets will surely turn many buyers away. But you may not need to replace your carpet at all when you rely on Sams! We have expertise in carpet cleaning and stain removal. We can even employ patching or spot dying for particularly tough areas. Even ripples and indentations are no match for the Sams team.

Remember that most buyers only spend moments in a house, and if they find themselves in a room with dirty or damaged carpets, they are far less likely to make your home their own.

Don’t Ignore Your Tile and Grout

Bathrooms and kitchens are where homebuyers focus most of their attention when viewing properties. Moldy or dingy tile and grout in these rooms can make or break a homebuyer’s impression. While tile is great because of its durability, it can be difficult to get truly clean. Many people do not know that tile and grout can be cleaned and made to look new again, giving your kitchen, bathroom, or any tiled room in your home a facelift. A visit from Sams can turn drab tile and grout into a showstopper.

Freshen Up Your Upholstery Furniture

Even though the person buying your home won’t likely be buying your furniture with it, it’s part of what they see when viewing your home. Stained or dirty furniture can leave potential homebuyers with a bad impression of your home overall. We understand all upholstery is different, and Sams knows the best way to clean and beautify your furniture again.  Do yourself a favor and have it cleaned so your home looks great for showing, and you will have clean furniture for your new home! It’s a win-win all around.

Eliminate Signs of Pets

We love our furry friends, but the reality is that having pets in the home can lead to fur trapped in hard-to-clean places such as carpeting or furniture. Pets can also be the cause of the odors we pointed out earlier.  While diligent vacuuming can keep the fur somewhat under control, it doesn’t always take care of the fur that has embedded deep in your carpets, or the smell your pet can leave behind. Even the best-trained pet can have an accident from time to time, and the moisture can penetrate below the carpet, into the padding or even the subfloor. Save yourself the hassle (or even worse) the need to get new carpet, and let Sams take care of it for a truly deep clean. Your future homebuyers will thank you.

Selling a home can be stressful and we are here to help you take the stress out of the process by getting your ready to be a show stopper from the moment a potential buyer sets foot inside your door. Call Sams today to schedule a cleaning before you list your home for sale this year!

Learn how we prepare your home for a fast sale at top dollar:

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The St. Louis Area’s Pet Stain Removal and Carpet Damage Repair Team

We all love Fido, and we know Fido loves us. But sometimes we don’t love the wear and tear Fido can have on our home. Being animal lovers ourselves, we fully understand the cocktail of emotions pet ownership can put you through. If you’ve come home to a mess thanks to Fido, the Sams team has your back. In this article, we’ll detail the services we offer to help homeowners overcome pet stains and damage.

Pet Urine Stain Removal

Pet urine is tricky because it doesn’t always just affect the surface of your carpet. If a stain is bad enough, it can soak all the way down to your subfloor. We recommend pet owners commit to a regular regimen of carpet cleaning to prevent extensive damage. Our cleaning process utilizes enzymes to destroy odor from minor mishaps on an ongoing basis. If your pet has a favorite spot, we can also inspect the area to determine if there’s been further damage, and how significant it is. We can also help with pet urine stains on your upholstered furniture.

Pet Carpet Damage Repair

You know Fido. Always curious and exploring the world around him with his teeth and claws. Pets can make quite an impact on your carpet. They have an uncanny knack for finding loose strands and turning little problems into great big ones. Sams deploys an entire arsenal of carpet repair strategies for our customers in St. Louis and St. Charles County. We can repair seams that are separating, snags that are inviting a tug, and much more. Even if Fido hasn’t yet found a carpet blemish to exploit, it’s a good idea to get the Sams team involved in repairing it before he does. Call us for a free inspection to determine the best course of action.

Other Pet Stain Removal

Whether it was from an accident, or your pet got into something he shouldn’t have and tracked it all around the house, trying to remove the stains yourself can spread them around or even make them permanent. At Sams, we’ve seen it all, and know what it takes to get the stains out! But the best time to call is right when you discover a stain. With immediate attention, most stains can be removed. If we can’t remove the stain, we can often patch or even dye your carpet so no one will know the difference.

Pet Odor Control

The smell of your home is a product of all the people, animals, and things that are in it. And sometimes Fido creates odors even without having an accident. Pets can leave lingering and unpleasant smells in specific rooms or throughout your home. We can clean your carpets to remove all the odors caused by pets and make them smell fresh again. We also have several odor control solutions to freshen up the air your family breathes.

We know you love Fido, even when he does something to color your vocabulary with words we won’t repeat here. When that happens, we’ve got your back. Call the Sams team to get your carpet and furniture in ship shape in no time.

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How Often Should I Have My Carpets Professionally Cleaned?

As a homeowner you have made a significant investment in your carpeting, furnishings, and area rugs. These are the pieces that define your style and make your house a home. It is important to take care of your investment with regular professional cleanings. But how often does it make sense to have cleanings completed? The answer varies depending on your household and its inhabitants.

Here is what you need to consider when it comes to having your carpet, rugs and upholstery cleaned.

The Size of your Household

If you have a houseful of family who are regularly using the furniture and walking on the carpets and rugs, then you certainly want to get a professional cleaning once a year. The more wear and tear and use you get out of your house, the more important it is to stay on top of deep cleanings to prevent debris from building up, deep stains from setting in, or matting of the carpet fibers.

If you have a one- to two-person household, you can mostly get away with cleanings every 18 months.

If You Have Children

It is no secret that children, no matter their age, can be messy. Kids have a way of trailing in crumbs, tracking in dirt, spilling drinks or worse. This is not confined to toddlers. Kiddos, as much as we adore them, are hard on furnishings. If you have multiple children in your home, we suggest cleaning your carpets, rugs and furnishings every 6 months which will greatly extend their life expectancy and look.

Do You Have Pets?

What’s messier than children? Pets. While this might not be true 100 percent of the time and, even if you are diligent with cleaning daily as a pet owner, pets shed, track in grass and dirt from outside and even have an occasional accident. Pet owners should plan to professionally clean their furniture, carpets and rugs biannually.

And if you are lucky enough to have a bustling house of kids and pets then you should consider a quarterly cleaning schedule.

Highly Trafficked Areas

Certain areas of your home tend to receive more foot traffic than others. This holds true for certain pieces of furniture as well. The more traffic a room or item receives, the more important it is to give it the attention it needs. We recommend that you hit the heavy areas, such as your living room, master bedroom, family room, and basement recreation room more often. Those rooms where your family spends most of their time could be cleaned every 6 months with a 12-month cycle for the less frequented areas.

The Environment

Where you live matters. In Saint Louis we have weather extremes from hot and humid summers to cold and icy winters. If you live in a household where you wear shoes, then it is very important to stay on top of your annual cleanings to assure that you extend the life and look of your carpets, rugs and furniture.

Allergy and Asthma Sufferers?

If you or a member of your household suffers from chronic allergies of asthma it is important to vacuum with a HEPA filter vacuum each day and to have your carpets and rugs cleaned once a year at a minimum. This will greatly reduce the possibility of mold and dust in the fibers which can cause those with breathing problems to suffer more than needed.

No matter how large your household, or how many furry friends you have, it is important to get a professional cleaning for all your carpets, rugs and upholstered furniture annually if you want to make sure that your home is always looking its best. Contact Sams to schedule your next cleaning, or set up a recurring cleaning schedule.

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How to Repair Carpet Damaged By Pets

Americans love their pets. Pet ownership is reported to be at an all-time high, thanks to pandemic lockdowns and social distancing measures. According to the 2019-2020 National Pet Owners Survey conducted by the American Pet Products Association (APPA), sixty-seven percent of U.S. households report owning a pet. Chances are, if you have a furry, or four-legged, or exotic family member in your household you’ve also dealt with carpet damage caused by that cute companion. Whether it’s Fido, your sneaky kitty, or a well-trained rabbit, carpet damage is common when you add a beloved pet to your home.

How Carpet Damage Happens

Carpet damage by pets is almost always accidental. Sometimes your beloved pet simply can’t survive without a potty break for the amount of time you’re away. Sometimes curiosity gets the best of them and accidents happen. Regardless of the cause, universal laws seems to dictate that no matter the balance of hard flooring to carpet in your home, your pet is going to find your carpet or area rugs when accidents and messes happen. Carpet damage caused by pets is often frustrating especially when you find the problem sometimes hours after it has occurred. Regardless of the source or cause of your pet’s accident, time is of the essence when addressing the damage to your carpet.

Removing Pet Stains from Carpet

If your pet urinates on your carpet, area rugs, or upholstery, it’s important to assess whether the urine is only on the surface of your carpet or if it has sunk below the carpet into the pad and subfloor. Be very cautious when using carpet cleaners and spray-on stain and odor removers available at supermarket and hardware stores. These remedies may help but also can make the stains and odors permanent. Before you proceed with any carpet cleaning product, test a small area first to ensure it will not stain or damage your carpet.

Some pets take time to unlearn a bad habit and tend to return to the same spot to urinate or mark their territory repeatedly. If this occurs, it can be difficult to remove the source of the odor your pet senses without professional cleaning.

As long as your furry friend can smell the odor of their urine, they will consider the soiled area an approved area to relieve themselves. You’ll continue to clean to no avail, because most products available to consumers cannot resolve deep odors caused by repeat urine soaking. In fact, repeat cleaning without removing the odor can make the problem worse. Our team uses special tools to assess where actual staining and damage has occurred. It is possible the underside of the carpet, the pad, and the subfloor require cleaning and resealing to not only repair the damage but finally stop it from reoccurring.

Does your pet have a favorite “spot” to sit or lay in your home? If it’s on carpet or furniture, you’ve likely noticed stains caused by oil from their fur and skin. The Sams team uses specially formulated cleaning solutions to remove these stains and has accumulated an impressive track record of success.

Before and after photos of carpet damaged with pet hair and oils

 

 Repairing Carpet and Upholstery Damage by Pets

Most pet owners accept the frustration of carpet, area rugs, and upholstery damage caused by their beloved pets. It’s sometimes simply the price of experiencing the love and companionship offered by animals. However, pet ownership doesn’t have to signal the end of clean carpets, area rugs, and upholstery in your home. Owning a pet doesn’t mean keeping replacement funds in preparation for the impending damage to your home. Carpet, area rugs, and upholstery damage by pets can be assessed and most likely repaired by the trusted team at Sams Carpet Cleaning and Repairs.

Not all pet damage to carpet is caused by stains and spills. Sometimes, your pet causes damage to your carpet such as holes, tearing and bunching, and discoloration over time. Your favorite part of coming home to your pet’s dancing and zooming can cause carpet damage that may appear permanent. The Sams team can assess and recommend repairs that will have your carpet looking great, no matter how many celebratory laps it has supported. Sams can patch, re-seam, stretch, repair and replace trim, repair and replace thresholds, and even dye your carpet to match its original color.

Before and after repair photos of carpet damaged by pets

 

Professional Cleaning Brings Pet Damaged Carpet Back to Life

There are many effective solutions for cleaning your carpet, area rugs, and upholstery available on the market. Do it yourself cleaning solutions can be used cautiously when accidents are caught quickly and have not soaked all the way through the carpet pad or subfloor. In addition to removing stains and damage, the odors left behind by pet damage to carpet must be addressed as well.

Pet owners trust the professionals at Sams Carpet Cleaning and Repairs to evaluate and remove the stain and odor in most cases. Protect your investment and preserve the quality of your home for everyone who lives there, including your four-legged family members. Sams is your solution to repair carpet damage caused by pets.

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Did Fido Damage Your Carpet? Help is Here!

If you have any pets, it’s safe to say that your home has probably suffered from a few battle scars. Our four-legged friends are part of the family, and just like family, pets can become a pain. Humans are very hard on carpets as well, but pets tend to participate in the damage at times. Dogs can dig or chew holes in carpets, and cats use their claws on carpets and furniture to create the perfect scratch pad. The results of a scuffed surface are visible on carpets and furniture, but there are ways to repair without spending much time, effort and money. Lucky for you, there are a few options for repair.

Cut that Carpet

This is our go-to method for carpet repair. We will completely cut out the section of the carpet and replace it with a piece of donor carpet. Ideally, we would utilize leftover carpet cuts from your builder if possible. You can always source the carpet from the back of a closet or inconspicuous space that closely resembles the carpet that’s being replaced. This also works for holes, burns, stains (you know, potty stains, hair balls, etc.) and fading.

No Potty on the Pad

Going potty can become a problem when it’s the carpet that’s being utilized instead of the outdoors. Pets are creatures of habit, and if their owners aren’t aware of their pets routines, this can ruin the property. When these accidents happen many times on the carpet, the urine is absorbed through the surface and saturates underneath the pad. This tends to happens when your pet continues to go in the same spot. If the stain is still wet, cover the spot with paper towels or white cotton towel under the soiled area. Stand on this area until it’s barely damp then rinse clean with water and blotting dry. Follow up with our Sams “Outta Sight” Spot Remover and you’ll forget the stain ever existed! If the stain is already dried, we can detect pet areas using ulv lights to identify pet stains and determine what method will best remove that stubborn stain. Do you have a repeat offender of accidents in the house? We can go in, pull up the carpet to clean/seal  the subfloor, replace padding and clean and treat carpet as well as backing, and then restretch carpet.

Re-Seam

If your pet is one of those “diggers” trying to bury his bone or dig a hole to China, you might notice that the carpet is coming apart at the seam. We have a process that will bond the carpet seams back together! This will save you money on new carpet and will get your damaged carpet back together in no-time. That digging might be good exercise for your pet, but we don’t enjoy it happening on our carpet and furniture!

Get Rid of the Stink
You might get the carpet spotless, but notice that there is still a distinct odor. This just might be one of the most frustrating things! What you might not know is that we have several odor control services that will get your house smelling like a daisy (or at least not like we dog). We offer Enzyme treatments , which will quickly hunt down and kill odors in your home. We also use an Ozone machine that purifies the air in your home. Filters alone can’t stop many indoor pollutants for goodness sake, put down that can of air freshener.

Although these are useful tips, as always, Sams is here to help with any questions or concerns. Our team consists of trained technicians who performs proper inspections to identify the best course of action to clean stains, remove odors and repair the carpet. We are committed to excellence and professionalism, and we want you to have all the information you need to make educated decisions for your home. We’re here to help restore the value in your home, and we’re starting at the surface.

Feel Free to contact us at any time. Don’t let Fido’s accidents ruin your day, we can help!

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