What are the best products for cleaning pet accidents?

It happens—and it doesn’t matter how well you’ve trained your pup. Sometimes the urge overwhelms, or maybe it’s just age. Regardless, sometimes your fur baby makes a mistake, and the best thing to do is properly clean the area quickly to avoid smell, stains, and confusion for your pup later.

These are some of the best rated products for cleaning pet messes and erasing the incident from your floors…and memory:

Solutions and Sprays for Removing Pet Stains

Skout's Honor Professional Strength Stain & Odor Remover. This multi-purpose solution is the answer not only for pee or poo, but wine and mud too—should your furry friend come flying in from the wet backyard and pounce upon you while you’re sipping a glass of cabernet. Made with eco-friendly ingredients, you can feel good about this one. [$14.99 at Chewy.com]

ECOS for Pets! Stain & Odor Remover. With nearly a five-star rating, pet parents don’t have to worry when spraying this plant based, non-toxic formula on their carpets. Dogs and cats can immediately resume play time after cleaning. ECOS can take care of even the messiest mishaps (dare we say, diarrhea). [$5.98 at Vitacost.com]

Cedarwood & Sage Multi-Purpose Cleaner. Trader Joe’s does it all. You can stop by for a gander at the massive cheese selection, or to hunt for one of the specialty seasonal items. And the cleaning products are equally as tantalizing. At unheard of prices, the chain keeps things natural, and that includes this heavenly scented cleaner, which is perfect for tiles or other hard surfaces. Leaving behind a more subtle smell, it’s good for frequent usage. [$2.99 at Trader Joe’s]

Angry Orange Pet Odor Eliminator for Dog and Cat Urine. Need something heavy duty? One bottle of his stuff makes a gallon of solution. It’s powered by orange oil and truly packs a punch when you find your home being overtaken by the smelly smells of something smelly. [$22.97 at Amazon.com]

Skout's Honor Laundry Booster Stain & Odor Removal Additive. Who’s to say that “accident” didn’t get on your clothes too. Those with pets know that any surface is vulnerable to being soiled. A laundry booster simply gives an existing detergent a helping hand, and Skout’s Honor accomplishes this naturally, with plant-based fragrances. [$13.99 at Chewy.com]

Machines for Eliminating Pet Stains

Hoover PowerDash Pet Compact Carpet Cleaner. Lightweight and shockingly powerful, this mighty carpet cleaner is great for those low on space. Powerful suction pulls most of the moisture back out of your carpets immediately after releasing the solution. Whether using it for a quick cleanup, or doing an overhaul on your floors, this is a solid option. [$99.99 at Target.com]

BISSELL SpotClean Pet Pro Portable Carpet Cleaner. A portable cleaner is ideal when just needing to spot clean every now and then. It’s easy to carry around, so if lifting is a problem, you don’t have to face a behemoth machine just to resolve a puppy mistake. [$169.99 at Amazon.com]

Accessories and Extras for Treating Pet Stains

Bissell Stomp 'N Go Pet Lifting Pads + Oxy for Stain Removal on Carpet & Area Rug Cleaning. Okay, where have these been all my life? Seemingly too good to be true, the legit tough cleaning pads can remove hard stains of poo, coffee, blood—all our worst nightmares. How do they work? Lay it over the stain, stomp, and voila! [$24.99 at Amazon.com]

Doggy Do Good 100% Biodegradable Premium Pet Waste Bags. Whether poop happens inside, by mistake, or outside where it belongs, it’s got to be cleaned. These convenient disposal bags and 100% biodegradable, so you can compost them with the dirty business. Way better than plastic…and they have handles! [$9.99 at doggydogood.com]

BRIONAC UV Black Light Flashlight, 100 LED 395nm Wavelength for Pet (Cat/Dog) Urine Detector. Depending on your mindset, this could do more harm than good. However, this is a handy tool if you genuinely want to hunt down every pee spot in your home. Amazon offers other brands that have similar features. [$18.99 at Amazon.com]

Conclusion

Dealing with pet mess isn’t fun. If potty training, keep in mind that with consistency and perseverance, you’ll eventually be enjoying more play time than cleaning time. And if it’s just a random mistake, cleaning products are your best friend in reducing the likelihood of it happening again. Always check with your vet if you feel this behavior is out of the norm, or potentially a sign of a health issue.

Editor’s Note: Housebreaking a pup can be a challenge—and patience is key! Here are some tips and expectations to consider for housebreaking a puppy successfully.

Karyn Wofford is a “Mom” to her fluffy, sweet dog Halli. She spends much of her time traveling and advocating for Type 1 diabetes—and Halli sometimes accompanies her on her adventures. You’ll find Karyn’s work on sites like Mother Earth Living, and in magazines such as Diabetes Forecast.