One of the most common problems that we deal with as professional carpet cleaners is how to remove pet stains from carpet. While our pets bring us great joy, they can also be a source of frustration. They look at us with adoring eyes and then sneak around the corner and pee.
My carpet cleaning business treats pet accidents on a daily basis, and have our cleaning technique down to a science.
What You Do to Remove Pet Stains From Carpet Depends on How Severe the Problem Is
Pet Stains Stage One: An Occasional Mishap or Mistake
Most pets will have an occasional accident where they either get excited or just can’t wait to go outside. Every pet owner should have a bottle of pet enzyme on hand even if their pet never has never had an accident. Pet urine is composed of uric acid and other substances that require enzymes to break them down. Make sure you buy a high quality enzyme that is free of soap and oxidizers. Soap will lock the stain in and oxidizers can damage the carpet dye and leave discoloration.
To effectively clean a fresh pet stain out of your carpet:
- Blot the stain first and absorb as much as you can into a paper towel or other absorbent material before applying anything.
- Blot as thoroughly as you can by weighing down the towels with a heavy book and leave it for 20 minutes or so.
- After removing as much urine as you can simply spray your enzyme down and walk away.
- Your enzyme will need up to 24 hours of dwell time to complete its’ process. The enzyme will eat the urine and tiny bacteria will keep reproducing the enzymes until they dry and die.
- Spray the stain again if needed but never spray the enzyme and then wipe it up. Wiping the enzyme up will remove it and keep it from working.
Pet Stains Stage Two: Urine Contamination You Find After the Fact
Sometimes pets sneak around and urinate in discreet places. Once you discover the areas, you will need to determine how long that this behavior has been going on. If the urine stain is overwhelming you may need to skip ahead to stage three. Stage two urine contamination may require the use of a professional carpet cleaner. If the urine is just in the carpet fibers and not in the carpet pad, you may be able to treat the carpet thoroughly with a pet enzyme and inject the carpet backing with a carpet injector needle. This will allow the enzyme the chance to feast on the urine in the carpet backing. Note: This technique will not work for cat urine.
Pet Stains Stage Three: Heavy Doses of Urine for an Extended Amount of Time
Carpets that have been exposed to heavy doses of urine over a long period of time may need to be replaced. At the very least the carpet padding should be removed and replaced. The subfloor should also be cleaned and sealed with Kiltz or Bins so that the urine is locked into the wood/concrete and is not able to rise back through the new pad. The carpet backing should be sprayed thoroughly with enzyme. If it is heavily concentrated cat urine we recommend that you rip all the pad and carpet out and then clean and seal the subfloor. Cats can urinate along walls in copious amounts that will infiltrate and become locked in the carpet glue that holds the two carpet layers together.
Lastly, if you find yourself in any of the above situations and the enzyme destroys the pet odor but leaves a slight stain, I recommend applying Pros Choice Urine Stain Remover because it will safely take Hydrogen Peroxide and bleach the stain out safely without damaging the carpet fibers. The product will work for about 6 hours and then it will self neutralize. Take care using this product (read and follow directions) because it can burn your fingers. This product will not help with the urine odor but it will normally remove the stain.
If you need to remove pet stains from carpet, contact Colorado Carpet Masters at (303) 459-2482. We are experts in removing pet urine and stains!
