What should you do if your pet “Goes On The Carpet?”

If puppy puddles are giving you grief, this may help.

Understanding a little about the make up of urine spots is a good idea. If caught quickly urine spots can be dealt with effectively.

First of all, if you have a pet that is prone to urinate on the carpet, take a quick walk through your home each day when you get home.

The quicker you get to pet urine spots the better!

Surprising facts on urine: When it come out of the creature it is on the mild acid side on the pH scale and is very easily removed. However, within hours of being exposed to air it turns to an alkaline pH and removal is a whole different story! Act FAST! If you do, simply removing the urine with absorbent toweling and some clear water rinsing may do the job. Get it as dry as possible even weighting down some white toweling to absorb all the moisture you can. Additionally, if you have a little rinse and vac type machine you can use it to rinse. Follow up with the towel trick. An optional step might be some Long’s spotter, which is slightly alkaline ph.

After unattended exposure to air, alkaline salts begin to form and in time it may even develop that “ammonia” smell. At this point the dye structure of your carpet may change and color damage may occur.

To clean the spot at this stage, Mix 1 part white vinegar to 2 parts water. (If you are unsure how long the urine has been there feel free to use this mixture anyway). Clean the spot with absorbent toweling and your vinegar solution. Again, if you have a small extraction machine, it would be ideal to use in your final rinse step. Get it as dry as possible even weighting down some white toweling to absorb all the moisture you can. DO NOT USE OVER THE COUNTER SPOT REMOVERS OR ALL PURPOSE CLEANERS ON URINE! YOU MAY SET THE SPOT PERMANENTYLY! If you have trouble with it give us a call!

Check out our full list for 23 Common Spots, including pet urine spots and how to remove them!

Freshly fragranced carpets may appeal to your nose but have a damaging effect on carpet fibers.

Mark Violand Senior Carpet Inspector and Instructor with 40 years in the carpet industry recently wrote an article “Smells Sell – But at the Cost of Carpet Health.”

Violand says these products are typically used to reduce or cover up pet odors and leave a fresh smelling home, but they can leave a highly alkaline residue, cause fiber abrasion, breakdown carpet backing and even be instrumental in seams opening and carpet discoloration.

He says studies have shown that vacuuming only removes about 65% of a typical powdered deodorizer.  The rest continues to build up over time. Some users sprinkle the carpet at every vacuuming! Imagine the build-up over time! He adds these products are not just harmful to your carpet – they damage your vacuum too!

Baking soda, the most common ingredient is a water-soluble abrasive.  Another ingredient found in powdered deodorizers is calcium carbonate, dissolved rock. It comes from limestone and is a common ingredient in antacids.  As such it’s alarming to see people intentionally spreading abrasive soil – powdered rock – on carpet. It scratches carpet fibers, making it appear lighter in color in traffic lanes and causes fibers to lose their luster over time making them look unduly worn out. It can also cause grief when cleaning your carpet.  Since it is a water-soluble product it can result in a chalky residue on the carpet after drying.

Baking soda is a great and versatile green product, suitable for refreshing the inside of your refrigerator, but PLEASE, not for your carpet!

So what can I do to have a fresh smelling home? Violand says he purchases sachet packets found near the florist or laundry isle at the store and sprinkles it on a small area of carpet and then vacuums it up.  He also recommends potpourri or wax melts.  Avoid any thing like oil diffusers or sprays that would settle on the carpet and result in rapid re-soiling.

If those options don’t appeal to you, bake some cinnamon rolls or bread.  It may not too good for your waste-line but so much better for your carpet! 

And of course, you can always call Long’s to freshen up your home or business.  Our cleaning agents and deodorizer treatments are completely safe for your home, your pets, and the people you care about.