Lost cause with a used BedRug?

[ywen]

I just purchased a used BedRug for $80. The prev owner used it to transport dogs for the past 10 years. I thought I can just hose the rug down with the power wash, but it looks to be 10 years worth of ALOT of dog hair, ordor, and dirt. (Hopefully the odor will be removed after an application of baking soda.)

What is the likelyhood that I can clean it up well? I thought it would have been an easy process with the BedRug, but so far it's been difficult and I'm not sure if it's worth the $300 savings... at the end.

And to dog owners - Are there any health concerns I should have sleeping under a cap with a rug that was used many years by dogs? Assuming the worst case scenario of multiple pet accidents - will soap water suffice? Or should I douse it with bleach? Thanks.

 

[austintaco]

I have a bed rug in my truck with a shell, and I use it for dog transport. I just use the shop vac and normal cleaners to get it back to a "clean" condition. However, I think what you are describing is someone that used it every day for a few years without cleaning it.
Start with a shop Vac to get the loose dirt and hair up. Use a roller with tape to pick up the dog hair. If its embedded, you might want to put on some good talk radio or tunes and pop a cold one and just work at it.
Start with the cleaners. Go from mild to wild. You might have to pressure wash and let it dry a few times.

 

[FLYFISHEXPERT]

Vacuum up as much of the loose hair as possible. We have used a dense foam sponge to 'sweep' the remaining hair into piles to vacuum up. I have also heard about using rubber dish gloves to do the same thing.

As for deep cleaning to remove the 'worst case scenario' we have used a product called Nature's Miracle, www.naturemakesitwork.com, and it has worked well for cleaning carpet in the house. If nothing else, rent a carpet cleaner.

 

[ywen]

Thanks for the suggestions.

Not being a dog owner, I guess I'm naturally a bit paranoid and ignorant when it comes to pet cleanup. There isn't anything harmful in sleeping on a surface previously used by dogs if the rug isn't 100% cleaned out?

 

[FLYFISHEXPERT]

If you give it a good vacuum, and wash it out you will be fine sleeping on it. Because it was someone else's dogs, I would probably go ahead and wash it out.

You could use the hot-soapy high pressure washer at a local car wash to help get it clean.

We have a lot of experience getting dog hair out of...everything. We own a German Wirehair Pointer and the inlaws have two of the same.

Here is mine:

 

[soonenough]

Another thing you might try to get the hair out is the Pledge Fabric Sweeper for Pet Hair. I have one and it works really well on upholstered furniture. I'm not sure how well it will work on the carpet of a bed rug, but for ~$5 it's probably worth a shot. I'd definitely wait to use this until after you've done some cleaning first.

One thing you can do that I did - they make these things to be disposable (so you have to continue buying them obviously). Just cut a rectangular hole in the very top of the 'handle' and cover it with a piece of tape. That way, then the thing gets full, just peel the tape back, remove the wad of pet hair, and replace the tape. That way you can continue using it after it gets full.

 

[Desert Dan]

Maybe shampoo it well it and spray it off at a high pressure spray and wash car wash.??

 

[bucketosudz]

Just another couple of suggestions to add to the lot of good answers... When I was cleaning for a living we used a product called XO, http://www.xocorp.com/
We use it extensively in our home. Great product and I highly recommend it. Cigarette smoke, vomit, bathroom odors, smoke, pets, ect. it works!

Pet hair can be very difficult to remove from upholstery/carpeting. Best bet is to have the rug fully dry, using a soft bristle brush and a vacuum, and brush and suck up as much as you can. I have even gone so far on some types of carpets, using a cat hair brush to assist. Masking tape rollers are as equally effective in some cases.

There are many ways to attack it, having options can be just as effective. I have had success with the above noted processes.

Good Luck!

 

[SilverBullet]

I used to detail cars at a dealership, to get pet hair out, buy yourself a box of latex gloves and simply wipe the fabric with them on. Works well, just do it slow to not to create lots of heat.

 

[ywen]

Thanks All,

I was on the verge of taking the BedRug back to the seller. "What odor?" He said, when I called him back after realizing the thing smelled like a zoo inside my pickup cap.

I got a roll of pet/lint roller and went all over it today and sprayed it down with a strong mixture of bleach.. got A LOT of hairs out... Then brought it back to the car wash and went crazy with the pressure spray and a ton of brown liquid came out.

Now waiting for it to get dry and see what I end up with. Hopefully it will be acceptable for me. Given that I've already put $100 into it, it probably wasn't worth it to buy this one used. Oh well.. live n' learn...

Edit: At this point, how would I be sure if the rug is free of ticks or any other little critters? Is this even a valid concern?

 

[java]

Thanks All,

I was on the verge of taking the BedRug back to the seller. "What odor?" He said, when I called him back after realizing the thing smelled like a zoo inside my pickup cap.

I got a roll of pet/lint roller and went all over it today and sprayed it down with a strong mixture of bleach.. got A LOT of hairs out... Then brought it back to the car wash and went crazy with the pressure spray and a ton of brown liquid came out.

Now waiting for it to get dry and see what I end up with. Hopefully it will be acceptable for me. Given that I've already put $100 into it, it probably wasn't worth it to buy this one used. Oh well.. live n' learn...

Edit: At this point, how would I be sure if the rug is free of ticks or any other little critters? Is this even a valid concern?

well you still saved 200$ and im would bet that any bleach you put on it would kill any critters

 

[soonenough]

I have a friend that owns his own detailing business, and I emailed him to find out what he'd use to take the odor out. He recommended a product called Ozium that supposedly works well for removing odors (smoke, vomit, etc). He said that he typically uses it in the passenger cabin by spraying it inside and letting it sit in the shade for 2 - 3 hours (even overnight in extreme cases). Do you have a camper over the bed? That could be used to create a contained volume of air to let the stuff soak in for a few hours.

You could experiment with adding small amounts of the following to a gallon of cold water and scrubbing with a stiff bristle brush:
- Carpet cleaning concentrate (Bissell, RugDoctor, etc)
- Degreasing concentrate (409, Simple Green, etc)
- Hand cleaner (Fast Orange, etc) - the small granules might help scrub away some of the crud, just make sure you vacuum well afterwards
- Ammonia
- Lemon juice (careful due to the acidity)
- Deodorizer (Febreeze, etc)
- If there's any oil-based stains, I've seen my father-in-law use silicone degreaser and a plastic pick to carefully scrape away small areas of grease/oil

Whatever you do, it will probably take repeated applications followed by rinsing with clean water, followed by vacuuming up as much of the liquid as possible before air drying.

Also, have you thought about steam cleaning once all the hair and other large debris is cleaned off? Several places rent RugDoctor cleaners; I've used them to take oil stains off carpet before with decent success.