How to Repair Furniture Damaged by Pets

Chances are if you are a pet owner — cat or dog — you probably let your beloved animal on the furniture. Sometimes it’s because the pet is the alpha of the house and does what it wants — you know what we’re talking about! Other times, we just love cuddling on the couch, or in bed, with our furry friend. But that same furry friend — the one who causes you to talk in a high-pitched baby voice and curtail to its every need — may be intentionally, or unintentionally, damaging your furniture.

According to a 2017-2018 survey conducted by the American Pet Products Association, 68 percent of U.S. households own a pet. That’s about 85 million families! Given the fact that most of us, at some point in our lives, have owned a pet, many of us have come up with more than enough tips and tricks to help repair furniture damaged by pets. Whether you’re trying to fix chewed furniture, remove urine or lift hair off fabric, there’s a hack for most everything.

When Fur Is Abundant

Do you ever stare at a couch, rug or even your previously fur-free work pants and wonder how so much hair can come off such a small animal? You’re not alone. Furry animals should essentially come with a lifetime supply of lint rollers — because those quickly become your best friend. But lint rollers can only go so far in removing fur from fabrics. Plus, do you really want to spend your afternoon lint rolling a giant couch? Probably not.

The easiest, most cost-effective way to quickly lift fur off furniture is to put on a pair of rubber gloves, dampen them with water and wipe it across the top of the fabric. Voilà! The fur will cling to the water and effectively remove it from the fabric of the furniture. If that doesn’t remove all of the fur, follow up with the Guardsman dust cloth.

For a preventative measure, groom your pet weekly or even daily to minimize fur build up.

Fido’s Teething Marks Aren’t So Cute Anymore

Let’s be honest: dogs aren’t the only culprits of scratch marks on furniture. We all know cats love a good area to scratch with their claws, but for the purpose of this example, we’re sticking with Fido. You got Fido as a puppy, and as he grew, his teeth came in, which caused him to chew. Your-once pristine furniture legs are now likely two-toned thanks to Fido gnawing at the wood. Sure, it may have been slightly cute at the time — but it’s definitely not cute to look at now. So, how do you get rid of those marks without trashing the entire piece of furniture?

If the scratches aren’t too deep, use the appropriate color of Guardsman Filler Stick to fill them with, dial in the color closer if needed using a furniture touch up marker over the top.

Cat or Dog Urine on Couch and Other Odors

Anyone who owns a pet is familiar with housebreaking and the problems that arise from it — most notably, accidents that happen on any type of fabric or upholstered furniture. To remove urine stains as they happen, first blot the excess moisture with an absorbent cloth. Spray Guardsman stain and odor eliminator onto a white absorbent cloth and then blot on the urine stain working from the outside in – repeatedly until you no longer see the stain.  Always remember to pretest any cleaning product in a hidden location prior to using in a visible location.  If there is no change in appearance of the fabric, it is OK to use the selected cleaner.

Much like humans, dogs and cats are not immune to the occasional upset stomach (despite eating, you know, the same thing every day of their lives). Vomit, while unappealing to look at, is relatively easy to clean up. Warning: graphic explanation ahead. If there are chunks in the vomit, first clean it up with a paper towel. Then, spray Guardsman stain and odor eliminator onto a white absorbent cloth and then blot on the urine stain working from the outside in – repeatedly until you no longer see the stain.  Always remember to pretest any cleaning product in a hidden location prior to using in a visible location.  If there is no change in appearance of the fabric it is OK to use the selected cleaner.

At the end of the day, if you would rather have a professional take care of the scratches, odors and stains, that’s understandable as well. Sometimes it’s just easier to hire someone who knows exactly how to handle the situation! For situations like these, Guardsman technicians are just one call away.

If you want to prevent the damage before it starts, you can find some useful tips on how to prevent pet damage to your furniture in our infographic below (click to expand):