Pets Removing Pet Urine Odor from Carpets

tr> If you have animals, pet urine odor may be the bane of your existence. When your dog or cat has an accident in the house, especially if it happens on the carpet, it presents a cleaning challenge that can vex even the most experienced cleaning professionals. The Internet is full of tips and tricks and DIY solutions, but few of those can do much more than temporarily mask the odor and stain. Read on to learn more about the science of pet urine stains and odors, and explore some potential methods for banishing them for good from your rugs.

The Problem Goes Deeper Than the Carpet

When urine saturates carpeting, it permeates deeply into the fibers and rubber backing, and it doesn’t stop there. Carpet backing is porous, allowing tiny particles of dirt and dust through. Urine follows the same path, drenching the carpet pad below. Once that becomes saturated, the wet padding sits directly on top of the flooring, where the urine can soak in. If the stain is near the wall, it may also seep into the baseboard and drywall. If the spot is Fido’s favorite and does not have a chance to dry between visits, it can even potentially soak through the drywall and into the wood wall studs. To prevent extensive or costly damage to your home, it’s important to stop your pet from repeating the behavior and to thoroughly clean the rugs.

Do-it-Yourself Methods to Remove Urine Odors

Begin by determining the extent of the soiled area. Experts recommend cleaning approximately 3 inches beyond the boundaries of the stain to remove as much of the pet’s personal scent as possible. This will help discourage it from revisiting the spot. Remember, however, that the urine is likely to have sunk in and spread widely.

If you find the stain when it is still wet, use newspaper or paper towels to soak up as much of the moisture as possible (paper towels only if the carpet is light in color). Rinse the stained area thoroughly with clean water, then repeat the drying process until the carpet is barely damp. Finally, use a high-quality enzymatic pet odor neutralizer according to package directions.

If the stain is dried or set in, you face a much tougher fight. Avoid using a steam cleaner at all costs, because it can set the stain permanently. Harsh chemicals and even vinegar and ammonia aren’t particularly effective and may encourage the pet to reinforce its marking. At the end of the day, unfortunately, it’s difficult (if not impossible) for you to thoroughly clean pet urine from your carpet using DIY methods.

What Professional Carpet Cleaners Do Differently

Carpet cleaning pros have several advantages that you don’t have. First, they can identify the exact extent of the problem using sophisticated scanning equipment. Next, the pros can determine whether a less intensive, topical cleaning will do the trick, or if you require a deeper, four-layer approach to the problem. This technique penetrates all the flooring’s layers, and often can prevent costly carpet replacement.

Professional carpet cleaners have access to highly effective chemical agents that can break down the structure of the urine crystals and kill the odor-causing microbes. Then, using a powerful and expensive tool known as a flash extractor, the entire mess can be removed from the carpet. Once dry, your carpet will be stain- and odor-free.

If you have a problem with pet stains, you can certainly attempt to clean your own carpets. However, once you’ve purchased and tried several different chemicals without success, you will see you would have been time and money ahead by calling a professional. Look for a locally owned and operated carpet cleaning company in your area and talk with them about how they approach cleaning pet urine odors from carpets.