Pet Friendly Hotels Stain Proof the Red Carpet Before Rolling it Out: Hotels Take Special Provisions for Pet Guests
by Anonymous

South Portland, ME August 21, 2004 -- Ever wonder how pet friendly hotels keep their rooms so clean and fresh? Most pet owners agree that cleaning up after a pet isn't a walk in the park. Pet friendly properties have established special cleaning procedures for pet stays to ensure clean, fresh, and hair-free guest rooms. Find out some tricks of the trade from resourceful pet friendly hoteliers that are committed to high standards.

It starts from selecting "pet proof" carpet and furniture. Hotels take special care in picking out appropriate carpet and upholstery to ensure easy clean-up and durability for their pet guests. Many avoid wool or cotton fibers for carpets as they absorb everything that gets spilled on them and almost guarantee soiling. Instead, they use synthetic carpets that have a stain shield already on them. When choosing fabric for furniture many pet friendly hoteliers look for tightly woven fabrics and avoid loose or open weaves. Such tight fabrics resist tears and rips from claws. New technology in the textile industry has allowed new fabrics that will also resist staining, while still maintaining their color. The secret is that the fabric is 100% solution-dyed acrylic, meaning the dye goes all the way through the yarn, not just on the exterior. When you clean a stain on this fabric with an industrial strength substance (like bleach), the color will not fade as easily.

As much as we hate to bring this up…what about fleas? Surely every pet that walks up that red carpet isn't totally flea-free. Hotels go to great measures when it comes to flea prevention and treatment. Most hoteliers we talked to like to avoid the harsh chemicals involved with commercially available flea treatments for rugs. So how do hotels keep from getting infested with fleas without using such chemicals? One technique is to use flea dusting powder. Fleas don't like dryness - their bodies are unable to retain moisture and thus they will die with a lack of it. Boric Acid is the "secret ingredient" in so many commercial treatments for insect control. Boric acid (100%) powder is odorless and non-staining and is an excellent way to kill fleas. We found a unique method of flea control used by Karen Palmer of the August Inn – Pyrethrium. Pyrethrium (flower) is a botanical insecticide and can be found at a gardener's supply or organic retailer.
       
How about pet "accident" stains and odors? The newest technology uses peroxide and detergents to penetrate the soiled area to remove the stain and deactivate the odor. Hotels that welcome pet guests have these types of products readily on hand to handle such accidents. Sally Piper of the pet friendly Mel's Guest House uses her own tried and true method – she first dampens the area with water and then sprinkles baking soda over it. She rubs the baking soda into the soiled area, lets it dry, then vacuums it up. Voila! The stain disappears!

Pet allergens are yet another issue to be addressed. Loews hotel has established special cleaning procedures for pet stays including the use of HEPA-filtered vacuums so that all traces of pet allergens are removed in preparation for the next guest. Air purification systems are also widely used by many pet friendly hotels to eliminate pet dander as well as odors.

Most agree, that it all comes down to knowing how to clean and doing it right.

Beth Burgess, Manager of Best Western Quiet Houses and Suites in Mequon, Wisconsin, says that simple things like vacuuming twice to remove pet hair and dander and frequent washing of bedding and draperies is key to maintaining a clean environment for you and your pet. Beth comments, "It's really a matter of only cleaning the rooms as they should always be cleaned." Beth also mentions that all the pet friendly rooms at her hotel are nearest to the entrances- it helps prevent a lot of accidents.

For more information regarding caring for your pet while traveling, visit http://www.TRIPSwithPETS.com. TRIPSwithPETS.com offers thousands of pet friendly hotels, bed & breakfasts, vacation rentals, and other pet friendly lodging across the U.S. where your pet is welcome, directories of pet hospitals and pet recreational activities, pet travel tips, airline pet policies, pet travel supplies, and there's much more to come. Don't leave your pets behind!




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