Pet Stains & Odour Removal
As a professional carpet cleaner, I can tell you that there are few things worse than trying to remediate pet urine on carpet or upholstery. Mother Nature designed it to be a permanent way of marking territory, so it should come as no surprise that staining can become permanent on your carpet. Indeed, the North American aboriginals used it to permanently dye their fabrics. It is even used in perfumes because of its lingering power.
There is really only one way to remediate pet urine on wall to wall carpet: replace it!
Alternatively, you must be prepared to clean it properly. This involves lifting the carpet, removing and replacing the affected foam pad, clean the sub floor & waiting until it’s dry, sealing the sub floor, and then cleaning and treating the affected carpet both top and bottom, letting it all dry and then refitting the carpet! (See our video and picture)
For those of you unwilling to go to this exhausting and costly extreme of trying to remove both the odour and staining, there are a variety of less costly, but unfortunately, less effective treatments. But be fore warned: These may not work.
Some of our customers tell us that they have tried all of the various concoctions peddled by pet stores, and with varying degrees of success. Sadly, most only succeed in making it worse. It is helpful to realize that any significant stain is at least 1/3 larger in the carpet backing because it is in the pad already, which is a sponge, and adding more liquid only dilutes it and spreads the problem out further.
Steps You Can Take to Minimize Urine Stains & Odour
As soon as you notice that your pet has made its mark on your carpet, you should immediately attempt to blot up the excess. This involves using lots of paper towels or cloths and using your full weight by standing on them to force absorption. You must then attempt to neutralize the urine’s alkalinity with a mild acidic solution (e.g. white vinegar, not malt). Then you can call a professional to deal with it properly. If you have Urin-X pet urine neutralizer contained in the ServiceMaster Emergency spot kit on had, all the better! Urine becomes stronger as it dries, and if left for long periods it will eventually turn a fluorescent yellow colour and probably bleach your carpet.
The next step is a bit more complicated. Urine is comprised mainly of uric acid and a metallic salt. The salt is responsible for the odour because, in the presence of moisture, it “opens” and releases odour. Since there is humidity in the air, it reacts with the salt and then you will most likely be able to detect an odour. The trick is to either eliminate it, by, for example, introducing an enzyme specifically engineered to eat it as a food source, or to try to prevent the salt from releasing its odour by “sealing” it, or preventing the crystalline structure to open, as it does with moisture. Or both.
Professional treatment by ServiceMaster of Victoria is the best course of action to take because it limits the amount of variables that can cause permanent damage. The ServiceMaster Clean treatment topically treats the urine with a 2-part Urin-X Rinse-Away and Urin-X Odour Shield system, which solubizes urine and then treats for odour. Pet Urine Odour Go is then applied to treat remaining urine with enzymes that continually work until drying and becoming dormant.
Nothing is guaranteed, but it will definitely improve the situation. Call us today for more information.