Here’s How You Clean up Accidents When You Have Potty Training
Jolie Kerr is a cleaning expert, advice columnist, and New York Times bestselling author of My Boyfriend Is Boiling In My Purse … And Other Things You Can’t Ask Martha About . Her flagship column, Ask a Pure Man, debuted in 2011. Here at Offspring, we’ve launched a new iteration of it, with a focus on parenting and all the mess it brings.
Leather furniture is in some ways easier to clean than other upholstery, so good news for you!
Oftentimes, skin stains can be cleaned up by walking over the area with a damp cloth to remove stickiness and residue, and then with a dry cloth to remove moisture to prevent the moisture from discoloring the skin. … However, given the nature of this particular “spill”, slightly more cleaning capacity may be required. Enter white vinegar! White vinegar is excellent at removing odors and is a disinfectant, making it ideal for cleaning leather couches that have been rubbed on.
Mix equal parts white vinegar and water and dip a soft cloth (such as an old T-shirt or microfiber cloth) in the vinegar solution, then squeeze very well to keep it damp but not wet. Working piece by piece, apply the vinegar solution to the contaminated skin by rubbing vigorously with a cloth and reapply the vinegar solution as needed. As you finish each part, wipe the area with a dry cloth so that the vinegar solution doesn’t linger on your skin. When the sofa is clean, apply a light coat of leather conditioner to restore moisture, which will prevent the leather from drying out, dulling and cracking.
Here is a short list of some foods that are usually helpful in accidents when potty training.
Super-Sorb
Super-Sorb is formulated to absorb spilled liquids – all good ones such as vomit, blood, urine and other bodily fluids – and their odors from hard surfaces. To use it, sprinkle it over the spilled substance, let it sit for two minutes, and then sweep it up with a broom and a scoop as soon as it turns into a solid. It can be used on soft surfaces such as carpet and upholstery, although soft surfaces can be a little more difficult to clean hard particles than hard ones.
Cat waste
If you have a cat, you probably have a cat litter bag. Strange but true: litter can play a dual role in child accidents. This will work in two ways; Firstly, it absorbs liquid, and secondly, it neutralizes odors, that is, it performs the same function in human urine as in the urine of cats. Toss some clean bedding over soiled areas to absorb any liquid that may accumulate under furniture, mattresses, or carpets, and leave it on for an hour or overnight. Just keep Kitty away from him so you don’t end up with a whole different mess to clean up!
Shop towels
Shop towels are generally thicker, more absorbent paper towels, and are great for quickly cleaning up potty training accidents. Throw the roll in your car so you have it close at hand to soak up fluid from the fabric car seats.
Dr. Bronner
I talk a lot about Dr. Bronner ‘s tools for removing odors from clothing and hard surfaces, so if you read this column regularly, you probably won’t be surprised to see it here. I just think it’s so great! There is something about the formula of Castile soap that makes it very resistant to wash smells (from strong perfume to gasoline) no matter what scent you use. It also works well as a general purpose cleaner for wiping hard and soft surfaces soaked in urine.
Manual and / or portable upholstery cleaner
Portable upholstery and carpet cleaners are great grip tools to have in your arsenal if you have kids. They can be used to clean up spills on furniture, mattresses, carpets and vehicles by pressing the cleaning solution into the fibers and using a suction mechanism to suck the liquid back. Full-size machines can be rented or purchased, but for most people, portable versions, which typically run in the $ 80-150 range, are the right choice. There are also wireless handheld models available (I have one and love it!) That are convenient for use in a car and / or for people with limited storage space.
Do you have any remedies that you cannot live without from accidents when you potty train? Let us know in the comments!