This $7 Carpet Cleaner Works Better than Any Fancy Product I’ve Tried

My rescue dog, Lucy, has separation anxiety, as most rescues often do. One time I didn’t invite her to join me in the bedroom and she chewed the banister and then threw up all over my beige wool carpet, which is, I believe, original to my 1979 house. This carpet isn’t my favorite. Wool carpets soak up a lot of moisture and, as it dries, the residue stays and makes the carpet feel rough and dry. Stains live for eternity on it, so you have to act fast if something catastrophic occurs. 

I adopted Lucy when she was still a puppy and I had a lot to learn in the way of potty training. She also loved to dig in the yard and run through the house and eat (and then throw up) inedible finds, like my son’s not-yet-dried clay masterpiece. My carpet didn’t know what hit it. Fortunately, I owned a carpet cleaner — but alas, it didn’t do the trick. That’s when I decided to order and try out the BISSELL Oxy Stain Destroyer Pet Blotter Bottle. It has a built-in plastic brush and costs less than $10. Surprisingly, it worked better than my fancy carpet cleaner in tackling all of these stains. 

The true test came one rainy weekday, about 10 minutes before I had to go pick up the kids from school. The greatest thing that ever happened to Lucy was when our neighbors adopted a golden retriever. They love to go for walks and have playdates. They are also both very anxious dogs. The two of them were playing in the living room when Lucy got tired and came to hang out with me in my office. The golden retriever panicked that she left, and proceeded to make a mess on the carpet. When Lucy came back, she, too, became anxious from the sight and left an additional mess. 

I was trained by chaotic toddlers to be suspicious of silence. When both dogs were in the next room, making no noise, I became alert. I went into the living room and saw what had befallen my carpet. The dogs looked at me with great remorse. I grabbed the stain remover and got to work. I removed any solids and soaked up liquids with paper towels, which I discarded. Then I covered everything with the stain removal liquid and waited a minute. I re-treated any areas that still looked stained. Then I used the brush to get the liquid into the tiny crevices of the carpet and dry up any soaked areas.

Within minutes, the offending situation was erased and the house was back to normal. I gave the dogs lots of secure attachment affection and I think they have emotionally recovered. My carpet has recovered, too, and with this tool I’m ready to take on any future pet messes.

Buy: BISSELL Oxy Stain Destroyer Pet Blotter Bottle, $6.98