How To Clean Up Pet Urine If The Carpet Stain Is Discovered Later
If your pet has an accident in the house, it's best to clean up the urine as soon as possible to mitigate the stain and smell. However, you may not catch your pet in the act and discover the site later when the urine is no longer wet. These stains can produce odors and increase bacterial growth on your carpet fibers. It's important to remove the stains because your pet may assume that the lingering scent means that it's an okay place to urinate. Take a look at some DIY cleaning methods and how a professional cleaning service can help with heavy urine stains.
For Mild or Moderate Urine Stains
If there are only a few drops stained on your carpet, you can remove them with a vinegar-water solution. Vinegar is a good ingredient because it neutralizes the ammonia smell of urine without damaging your carpeting. Pour a small amount of this mix on the stained area and let it sit for a few minutes. You may even want to use an old toothbrush to gently work it into the fibers.
After the solution has set, grab a paper towel or rag and press it against the damp area to soak up the solution. Once your carpet is dry, you should sprinkle a small amount of baking soda on the area to absorb any remaining moisture; the baking soda will also help to absorb any remaining odors. Use a vacuum to clean up the baking soda.
For Heavy Urine Stains
If the vinegar-water solution isn't removing the stain or the odor, you may want to contact a cleaning company and purchase a commercial stain remover/deodorizer. It's important that when you purchase these products, that you let the company know which type of carpeting you have as synthetic fibers will need to be cleaned differently than natural fibers.
If you are having trouble cleaning the carpet yourself, you may want to hire the cleaning service to stop by with their heavy-duty equipment. Cleaning professionals can use carpet shampoos that contain enzymes that can digest mildew or mold or other organic odors from the urine stain.
You may want the company to use a steam cleaner on your carpet, but you should make sure the stains are removed first with carpet shampoo before proceeding. The heat from a steam cleaner could set an odor in the carpet fibers, so that should be dealt with first. Once the odor has been removed with a commercial shampoo, then steam cleaning can be effective at loosening and picking up any grime that may have adhered to the urine stain.
Reach out to a carpet cleaning service in your area for more details.