Pet urine can cause permanent damage to your floors and fabrics. It can
also create an unhealthy indoor environment. When urine is first deposited onto
a floor or fabric, it has a pH of about 5 or 6, which is on the acid side of
the pH Scale. It is easier to remove right then when it is fresh. Once it dries
it turns “alkaline” or to a high pH between 10 to12 on the scale and becomes
more difficult to remove. The warm acid state of the urine offers a perfect
breeding ground for bacteria, which begin to flourish almost immediately. In
this original acid state the urine begins to oxidize and react with the carpet
to create a color change, which will become permanent if the urine is not
removed immediately. Some of this color change can be attributed to the
strong ammonia that forms as the urine passes through bacterial and chemical
change. If left for days or weeks, depending on the fabric or floor type, it
will change the dye structure, therefore causing permanent staining. Even
if the soluble deposits are removed, the damage to the dye structure may
already be done.
There are two sources of odors associated with urine. The first comes
from bacteria that grow abundantly in dark warm places with a never-ending food
source. A pet can feed the bacteria daily! This bacteria growth and breakdown
of the urine creates amino acids. These complex organic compounds will often
work deep into the fibers to a point of becoming part of the fiber. This can
present a challenging situation. The waste materials and gases from the decomposing
urine create an unpleasant odor. When dried urine is remoistened, it gives off
an ammonia gas. If smelled once it is seldom forgotten.
The second source of odor is chemical odor that is present even when the
bacteria have been killed. This explains the reason that more than sanitizing
is necessary toneutralize odors from urine. Urine also presents additional
odor problems when the relative humidity is high. The salts and crystals
that are left behind as the urine dries are hydrophilic and draw water to them.
Dried urine is often easy to smell in the humid months because the salts
attract the moisture, the moisture evaporates putting out a greater proportion
of odorous ammonia gas. You must get rid of the urine salts in and under the
carpet to get rid of the odor. That’s why cleaning existing urine spots WILL
NOT remove any associated odor. In fact, it could INCREASE the odor in the air
space for a temporary period of time.
Do-It-Yourself Pet Stain Removal
The best tool to have is a small one gallon wet vac or small spot
removal machine. A small wet vac can be purchased for under $30.00. We
recommend a small machine because the more convenient, the more likely you are
to get it out for an accident.
If you can get the urine up while it is fresh you will have a better
chance of 100% removal. Simply suck the urine right out of the carpet. Then apply
some of Carpet Care and Repair’s Avenge and let it sit a few minutes. Then pour
a measuring cup of warm water on the spot and suck it out to rinse the carpet.
Always dry the carpet as much as possible and never scrub or rub the carpet.
This will distort the face fiber and break down the fiber protection and allow
for easy staining.
If the urine spot is older than 24 hours, apply Carpet Care and Repair’s
Avenge, rinse the carpet with warm water and wet vac. Then you can mix 1 part
white distilled vinegar with 2 parts water and apply it to the spot, rinse with
warm water, and wet vac. Do not use the vinegar on fresh spots as the acid from
the vinegar can not counter the acid from fresh urine. The vinegar works best
after 24 hours when the urine has become alkaline.
