Urine and Odor Removal Tips

How urine spreads and affects the deeper layers of carpeting.

The types of damage from pet urine can be diverse and are dependent upon many factors.

Urine content will change over the pet’s life because of the pet’s diet, medications, age, health, sex, and reproductive cycles. Because of these variations, some urine stains may not be removable without re-dyeing the site of the stain.

Fresh urine should be completely blotted (or wet-vacuumed) from the carpet by standing on the paper towels (for maximum absorption) continue blotting with new paper until no further yellow liquid is visible on the paper towels. Once completed apply 1-cup of un-diluted white vinegar to the area and blot dry as described. To complete the process apply a half-inch layer of paper towels to the affected area, and weigh down with a flat, heavy, non-fading object.

Continue to change paper towels until completely dry. Once dry there should be no stain visible. OR (After you have followed the above directions excluding the vinegar), apply an Enzymatic Odor Remover product using a measuring cup directly to the stain, the solution amount should be equal to the volume of urine (see chart above).

A rubber glove may be worn to massage the solution deeper into the carpet pile for maximum penetration. Since this product must contact all of the urine, repeatedly used or heavily contaminated areas may require additional applications of enzyme solution or a professional assessment should be considered.

Allow at least 30-minutes of contact time in the carpet, and then lightly blot excess solution from the carpet tips. Do not use weight or repeated blotting at this stage. After 1-hrs, check for odor, this will require you to get down onto the carpet and smell the area close up. If odor is still present re-apply as above and leave for another hour.

Once no further odor is detected with your nose allow the area to dry on its own. Do not rinse the area for at least 24 hrs, then only use a light mist of warm water and dry by applying a half-inch layer of paper towels to the affected area, and weigh down with a flat, heavy, non-fading object. Continue to change paper towels until completely dry. If you still have urine odor you may require more in-depth decontamination repairs such as replacing the under lay or sanitizing and sealing the sub-floor.

On contact with foul smelling urine residue, bacteria begin producing enzymes.

Enzymes start breaking down the organic residue.

The bacteria use broken down residue as food, multiply and produce until the organic residue is eliminated.

When the cycle is complete and the odor causing residue is gone the bacteria and enzymes become inactive and biodegrade.

It is also important to know that a small stain on the surface may be 3 or 4 times larger under the carpet. Urine is not always visible from the surface, therefore crawling around on the carpet sniffing for areas may have to be carried out, OR, you may rather choose to arrange an in-home inspection to be carried out.

This entails darkening the room to facilitate a U.V. inspection, as urine is phosphorous and will glow under this type of light. Active urine deposits will register on a moisture meter as well. In addition to UV inspections Dan’s Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning also provides complete decontamination services.

Bio-enzymatic urine odor remover

This product may be used for urine, vomit or other biologically sourced odors and stains (blood, eggs, etc). It contains aerobic and anaerobic cultures which digest the odor source, eliminating the problem. Pre-existing detergents, bleach, disinfectants, and anti microbial solutions must be flushed from the affected area and allowed to dry prior to enzyme treatment. (White Vinegar is a good neutralizing rinse agent).

This method is recommended by the CRI* and is not necessarily endorsed or recommended by Dan’s Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning.

In a pinch, a solution of 1/8 teaspoon of a liquid dishwashing detergent (non-bleach and non-lanolin) with two cups of lukewarm water may be used to remove urine stains. Do not use automatic dishwashing detergent or laundry detergent. Apply the solution to the urine stain after being vacuumed to re-liquefy the stain absorb the moisture with paper towel and repeat the application of detergent once more. Continue rinsing and blotting with the detergent solution and water as long as there is a transfer to the toweling or improvement in the spot. If some yellow still remains follow the detergent application with a solution of two tablespoons of ammonia with one cup of water. Blot dry. Rinse the stain with one cup of undiluted white vinegar and blot dry.
*CRI Technical Bulletin: Pet Urine and Carpet (Excerpts only) Urine can affect the dyes used in carpet, the dyes may change color immediately after contact with urine although not all occurrences will result in a permanent stain. Stain removal success is dependent upon the content of the urine, the dyes and finish used, and the time elapsed after the deposit. Some urine spots may be immediately noticeable, while others may take weeks or months for a reaction. When urine spots develop slowly and are noticed after much time has elapsed, the dyes and carpet fibers may be permanently damaged. In beige carpet, blue dyes are attacked by pet urine, leaving behind the red and yellow dyes with a resulting stain appearing red, yellow, or orange. Pet urine, left unattended, can damage carpet in several ways. Moisture can weaken the layers of the carpet, allowing separation or delamination of the backing material. Seam areas can be particularly damaged and can separate. Another problem, especially with cats, is odor. Unless the cat urine can be completely removed, complete odor removal is unlikely. A number of products are available to combat odor, but may simply mask the odor, and, in times of high humidity, the odor may reappear. Recently, enzymes have been developed that are more effective; but they may be better used by a carpet cleaning professional. If odor cannot be removed, the damaged area of the carpet can be replaced with a piece from reserved scrap. If carpet replacement is necessary, then replacement of cushion and even sub-flooring may also be necessary. Some carpet manufacturers have developed backings that resist spills and even prevent the spillage from penetrating the carpet into the carpet cushion and, perhaps, the sub-floor.

Urine can be a very destructive stain, and can permanently damage or alter the dyes in carpet and fabrics in a very short period of time. Damage to the carpet backing and latex may also occur, delamination being the most common. Pets are creatures of habit and may re-visit the same areas even after treatment, as such other measures may also have to be employed, such as re-training the animal or banning it from a room.

URINE VOLUME CHART: