Having a pet is great, but pets sometimes make messes on a homeowner's carpets. If you take proper care of your carpets, you should be able to own a pet without having to deal with severe pet odor issues in your carpets. 

There are certain things pet owners sometimes do that aggravate pet odors. The following are six things to avoid that could make pet odors in your carpets worse. 

Procrastinating before cleaning up pet messes

Odors will have time to sink into your carpets and become increasingly difficult to get out if you don't clean up pet messes right away. Don't get into the bad habit of waiting to clean up pet messes, or else your carpets are probably going to develop bad pet odors over time. 

Pushing pet urine and droppings down into the carpet

A lot of pet owners actually make things worse when they're trying to clean pet messes by pushing urine and droppings down into the carpet. 

Avoid scrubbing pet messes with paper towels or rags right away. First, remove the droppings with a hard tool like a wide putty knife. You should scrape up messes gently and carefully. Completely remove droppings and other messes before you wipe the carpet. 

If you need any help with this, contact a company that offers carpet pet urine removal services.

Cleaning only the stained area

You shouldn't just clean an area of your carpet that's limited to the exact location of the pet mess. It's a good idea to clean a wide area around the soiled area to make sure you haven't missed anything. 

Neglecting to vacuum frequently

In addition to cleaning pet messes promptly, you should also be vacuuming frequently as a pet owner. Vacuuming helps to remove pet dander and other debris that contributes to pet odors in carpets. Vacuuming doesn't just help minimize pet odors, but it also keeps your carpets in better shape overall. 

Failing to invest enough time and effort in housebreaking 

If you're struggling with pet odor issues, perhaps you should focus more on housebreaking your pet properly than cleaning the mess after the fact. Rethink training and see if you can improve your pet's cleanliness to prevent pet messes before they happen. 

Not paying enough attention to your pet's food

A lot of pet odor issues happen because a pet vomits frequently into the carpet. If your pet seems to be sick often, you might want to consider changing your pet's diet. Discuss the problem with your veterinarian and see if your vet can recommend a new pet food that will be easier for your pet to digest.