Handling Pet Urine Stains on your Carpet
You've experienced pet urine stains on your home's carpeting, and it can look terrible and embarrassing — but most importantly, this kind of stain can eventually cause permanent carpet damage, and even pose health risks. So it's important to take care of these stains immediately — as soon as you notice the stain. Please don't wait.
For older stains that may require professional care, we'd like to encourage you to call One of a Kind Pros. Our experienced team will be happy help. For expert carpet cleaning services in Katy, Texas Please contact us.
At One of a Kind Pros, we think it's a great idea to prepare in advance for such an event.
Reminder:
When you are cleaning up pet spots — or any type of spot or spill on your carpeting,
the magic word is:
"Blot" — please don't scrub. Scrubbing can cause permanent damage to the carpet fibers.
How to Handle
New (Wet) Pet Urine Spots
on your Carpet
Note: We are providing this advice as a professional courtesy, and we cannot guarantee the results you'll achieve with do-it-yourself carpet cleaning. We can't be responsible for any damages to your carpeting from DIY Cleaning.
We do recommend that you spot test — in advance — any home cleaning products or solutions on your home's carpeting, in a hidden area, to be sure it doesn't change your carpet's coloring in a detrimental way.
The fresher the stain, the easier it is to get rid of — so as we've emphasized earlier, sooner is always better than later, and prompt action may prevent expensive carpet repair bills down the line.
Waiting can allow bacteria can start to thrive in the affected area, which leads to unpleasant odors and potential health risks.
1. Gather together the recommended materials to get started:
- White Vinegar - Mix 50% Vinegar / 50% Water
- Baking Soda
- A Spray Bottle (optional)
- Lots of Paper Towels and Old Newspapers
- Small Plastic Trash Bags
2. Soak up as much of the pet pee as possible with paper towels.
First place a good-sized layer of paper towels on the wet spot. Then place a layer of old newspapers on top of the paper towels. Make sure the newspaper layer is not contacting the carpet, so newspaper ink isn't transferred to the carpet.
If the pet pee is on a rug, place a layer of newspapers UNDER the spot as well.
Stand on the paper layers for a minute, and repeat with fresh towels and newspapers until most of the pee is sopped up.
3. If you have a Wet Vac...
If you own a wet/dry vacuum cleaner, you can use it to sop up any remaining urine. If not, just go to the next step.
4. Spray or Blot with 50-50 Vinegar Solution
Spray the affected urine spot with the 50-50 Vinegar and water mixture. Vinegar is naturally antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antiseptic. It's also cheap, pet safe, and eco-friendly.
5. Sprinkle with Baking Soda
Sprinkle a little baking soda over the vinegar solution on the spot. You should see a little foaming as the baking soda contacts the vinegar. Cover with a paper towel, and leave it for a few hours.
Note: There are some enzymatic cleaners available at most pet stores for cleaning carpet, and they have some terrific benefits. Be sure to follow the instructions and warnings on the bottle before using on your carpet.
6. Rinse, Dry, and Vacuum
Rinse the area with clean, cool, plain water, and then BLOT out the rinse water with paper towels.
Give it time to completely dry, and then vacuum the area.
Pro Tip:
Use a Black Light
to Find Pet Urine Stains on Carpet
Urine stains may smell bad, but you can't always see them, especially on dark carpets. You can use an ultraviolet light (black light) to make visible those dried urine crystals. Here's how to find those spots:
Thank you for reading our articles! If you have any questions about this article, or suggestions for another article — anything related to cleaning carpet, upholstery, tile and grout, and maintaining a healthy home, please feel free to give us a call, and let's talk!
