Urine can be a very drastic kind of stain to any carpet fibers. Not just the unpleasant smell but, it can really permanently stain the carpet. Due to its acids and fluids, urine can totally change the way a carpet fiber will respond to the cleaning solution, and it also changes the appearance of the carpet fibers as well.
According to the American Pet Association, people in the United States provide homes to more than 130,000,000 pets. When left alone, pet urine can seep through carpet, into the padding and down to the floor beneath. Pet urine can cause rotting of jute backing. Even after a through cleaning, pet urine stains and odors often remain.
Urine stains depend on a series of different conditions; normally pet urine is an amber colored liquid waste fluid excreted by the kidneys and is composed of waste products of protein metabolism. The color of pet urine and its staining potential will often depend on dietary habits, age and sex of the pet, whether the pet is on medication, and the health of the pet. Typically, because cat diets are richer in protein than dog diets, their urine produce hasher odors and are more likely to cause stains.
Unlike dogs, cats do not urinate for territorialism. This behavioral pattern in male cats is accomplished by spraying primarily on vertical surfaces. Although spraying is typically done on a vertical surface (such as a couch and the walls), it could also conceivably come in contact with a carpet.
Another consideration is the age of the pet. The older the pet, the more renal function diminishes, thus producing urine that contains more plasma proteins. Because less uric acephalia is secreted in this urine, it is less likely to stain a carpet; however, it will produce an even stronger odor. In almost all cases, cat urine is the worst perpetrator for pet urine stains and pet urine odors.
Finding the exact source of a pet urine odor can be very difficult. The easiest way to find it is with the use of a black light (Ultraviolet light – UV). These UV lights can easily find the exact spots. Pet urine stains, under a black light, glow very distinctly. However, because these lights are very weak, it is best to turn off all lights and close the curtains when using black lights. Be careful using UV light, it can damage the eye; so make sure you use a sunglass with UV protection when using this light.
Moisture detectors can also be used, though they are less reliable for pet urine and are better used to determine how severe the problem is once found with the black light. For example, if the black light shows only a 6′ pet urine spot on the carpet surface, but the moisture detector indicates that the pad is wet 12′ out, you can be certain that the pet has gone there heavily and often and that the backing needs to be treated and the pad (cushion) replaced. The pet urine will spread out as it penetrates the backing and is absorbed into the pad and even into the wood or concrete.
In order to assure the removal of pet urine stains & odors from carpet, there are five factors you must be aware of and understand:
1- The level of severity will dictate the method of treatment and chemicals you will use.
2- Most failures to successfully and totally remove pet urine odor are due to using ineffective chemicals and/or not following the proper treatment steps. Failure also occurs when you underestimate the quantity of contamination.
3- There are pockets and porous areas within the carpet backing that once wet will not absorb or accept additional solution. This is a very important factor in successful odor removal treatment and is almost always a factor when treatment failures occur.
4- Even though many products available on the market claim to do the same thing, there is a vast difference in their level of performance and biochemical formulation.
5- It is imperative that you locate and treat all contamination or your success cannot be assured.