Stain Removal – Dog or Cat Urine

It would be fair to say that we are a nation of animal lovers – and there is probably no better place to have companion animals than on the Cairns Northern Beaches.

Having been in the carpet cleaning industry for the past 15 years, I have seen my fair share of stains on carpets, and in this article, I want to talk about your pet’s urine stains: how to clean the urine stain yourself – and when it’s time to call your carpet cleaner.

Why are Urine Stains an Issue?

Urine can be a real challenge if not attended to immediately.  Urine, when fresh, starts off very acidic (low pH level), but when it dries it crystallises and becomes alkaline with a high pH level. This crystallised urine can then damage your carpets by discolouring the dyes in the carpet fibres with somewhat of a bleaching effect. The crystallised urine will also let off VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds) which not only emit odours but can also be a health hazard.

If urine stain/s have been in your carpets for a while, you will probably notice these odours on a hot, humid day, or when entering your home after a long weekend or a holiday.

If you are fortunate enough to catch your furry friend in the act, you may be able to limit the potential damage or eliminate it altogether. This largely depends on the amount of urine your pet has dispensed, how concentrated it is in the one area, or if is it spread over a larger area. This is due to the urine having time and volume to soak through into your carpet’s backing and underlay. (Your pet’s urine will normally penetrate the carpet’s backing into the underlay and sometimes into the substrate that the carpet is laid on).

How to Tackle Pet Urine Stains

It is always good to have at least 1 kg of bicarbonate of soda in the pantry, as this is perfect for dealing with most spills and pet accidents.

  1. As soon as you see your pet urinate on the carpet, immediately soak up as much as possible using a white cloth or white paper towelling.
  2. Dilute the stain by simply using water (in small amounts) and then immediately soaking the water and diluted urine up with your white cloths. Repeat this process at least 3 times but do not oversaturate the carpet.
  3. Cover the affected area in bicarbonate of soda. Don’t be timid – the more you use, the better in this case. You want the bicarbonate of soda to soak up as much moisture as possible.
  4. Vacuum the bicarbonate of soda up once it has dried.

 When to Call Cairns Carpet Cleaning Professionals

Should a large volume of urine be concentrated in one area or you have an old urine stain, it may be time to call your Cairns Carpet Cleaning pros and have the stain professionally treated. We have products that can be poured onto your carpet that penetrate the carpet, the underlay and the substrate. We then have specialised machines to extract our product along with the urine, ensuring you don’t have any of the problems pointed out earlier in this article.

If you are still not sure, drop us an email and we will get back to you ASAP.

WOOF WOOF

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