Four Tips for Cleaning and Repairing Doggy Stains and Damage When Moving Out of a Flat

If your lease is at its end and you're getting ready to move out of your flat, you may be noticing the bits of damage and dirt you've been avoiding. In particular, as a dog owner, you may notice the issues your dog has created in your home. If you want to get your bond back, you need to clean up the mess and repair any damage. Here are four ideas to help you:

1. Make a homemade stain remover for old stains

If the carpet has old stains from your dog, skip the commercial solutions and try a homemade cleaner. Find the stain and pour white vinegar on it until the area is wet. Then, sprinkle baking soda on top of the vinegar. Don't scrub or blot. Simply, let the vinegar and the baking soda work together to pull the old urine stain out of the carpet.

Ideally, leave the mixture on the carpet for a few days. Place a bowl over it so you don't accidentally kick baking soda all over the floor. Then, when it's fully dry, remove the bowl and vacuum up the baking soda. The stain should be gone.

2. Use stain to hide wood scratches

Invariably, if you've had to leave your pup in a bedroom during a party or at home whilst you go to work, your doors may have suffered from some scratches. Luckily, superficial scratches are pretty easy to hide. Simply, smooth some stain on the door over the scratches.

If there are deep gouges in the wood, fill them with wood filler. Let it dry and apply stain over the top. That can work for cupboard doors, door frames, baseboard or any other wood accents in your flat.

3. Fill scratches on vinyl flooring using automobile rubbing compound and wax

Vinyl flooring can be relatively inexpensive to replace, but if you are trying to recoup your bond at the end of a lease, you should try to clean the floor thoroughly and repair damage so it doesn't need to be replaced. To repair dog scratches, rub them with sandpaper and wipe away all the residue with a wet cloth. Then, apply automobile rubbing compound to fill the scratch and smooth the edges. Finally, use a bit of car wax to blend the repair with the rest of the vinyl.

4. Contact a professional end-of-lease cleaner

Dealing with end-of-lease cleaning when you are trying to pack, arrange your new accommodations, deal with your dog's emotions about the move and a million other things, can be hard. Save yourself some effort and outsource the job to the pros. You can let them focus on deep cleaning and stain removal as you work on repairs and packing, or you can find another arrangement that works for your circumstances.