Do you have a pet in your house? If so, you’re familiar with the minor ‘accidents’ that your pet occasionally causes in the home. Yes, we have all experienced a pet dog or cat peeing on a favorite rug or having an accident near the litter box.
Because the rug fibers will absorb liquids, it is vital to remove the urine as soon as possible. Untreated pet urine stains your rugs, leading to a strong, pungent smell.
If you can’t thoroughly remove the urine yourself, and if the odor and staining on the rug are extensive, hire a professional rug cleaning service to solve the problem.
Companies that perform rug repair often also offer rug cleaning services. There are many DIY remedies to the problem. However, one must act quickly to achieve the best results and, barring that, look for the best rug cleaning company for pet stains in Atlanta.
Why Do Urine Stains Do So Much Damage to Rugs?
Since urine is acidic, it may do more harm and leave a more pungent stench if it is left on fibers for a more extended period of time.
Pet urine may cause a wide range of problems, depending on its chemical composition. Diet, medicine, age, health, sex, and reproductive cycles all have a role in how the pet’s urine will look and smell during the course of its lifetime. Due to these factors, there might be a wide range of erasability of pee stains.
Although urine may have an effect on the rug’s colors, not all accidents will leave a lasting stain. The urine’s composition, the rug’s manufacturing colors and treatments, the rug’s finish, and the amount of time that has passed since the deposit all have a role in whether or not the pee can be removed. Some pee stains appear right away, while others only appear weeks or months later. After touching urine, the dyes might undergo an instantaneous color shift.
Urine stains on rugs may be especially damaging since they sometimes go undetected for a long time before anybody notices them.
The unpleasant smell is a further issue, especially concerning cat pee. Removal of the odor will likely not be successful until all traces of cat pee are eliminated. There are several solutions on the market aimed at eliminating odors, but some of them may only disguise the stench, and they may return during periods of high humidity. If stains or odors persist, consider contacting S&S Rug Cleaners, a pet odor removal company in Atlanta.
Removing Dog or Pet Urine Stains
Depending on your philosophy regarding chemicals in your home, you may be interested in using as natural a method as possible to remove pet urine stains from your rug. You can try these methods yourself, or if you prefer to leave the chemical-free cleaning to the experts, contact S&S Rug Cleaners at (404) 355-2126 for guaranteed pet stain/odor removal.
Either way, removing the urine as quickly as possible is vital to preserving your rug. Hopefully, you have found the urine while it is still wet. When the urine dries, the uric acid will leave a stain. Also, the further the urine seeps into the layers of the rug, the harder it will be to remove it. Additionally, bacterial growth is more likely when urine dries in the rug.
To remove the urine while it is still wet, blot with paper towels to remove as much liquid as possible.
Neutralizing Pet Urine Odor
Pet urine can result in challenges beyond stains. It can also leave an undesired odor for quite some time. Removing the urine quickly will reduce the chance of a lingering smell. Here are some tips to help control and neutralize pet urine odors:
Soak Up the Urine As Soon As Possible– The first step towards neutralizing pet urine odor is soaking up the urine from the rug while it is still wet. As prescribed above, blot or dab the puddle of urine using paper towels or similar absorbent items. Refrain from rubbing, which can spread urine to other rug parts. Exert direct pressure on the paper towels to blot the rug as dry as possible. Dispose of the paper towels immediately to do away with the smell.
Vinegar Cleaning Solution– Add one part white vinegar to one part water. Urine smells like ammonia, and this is neutralized with white vinegar. After blotting the area dry, pour the vinegar solution on the affected area, and let the solution soak for 10 minutes to reach the deepest fibers in the rug. Use paper towels to blot and dry the vinegar solution. Elevating the rug to aid drying and prevent moisture damage may be necessary.
Baking Soda– Once dry, sprinkle a minimal amount of baking soda on the affected area to absorb the pungent odor. The remaining odor will dissipate after vacuuming the rug.
Prevent More Accidents
Once you’ve cleaned up the area, make it uninviting or inaccessible to your pet, and instead encourage him or her to use the designated restroom. According to the Humane Society, your pet may return to the “accident zone” if it still picks up traces of its scent there.
Regular accidents in your pet should prompt a visit to the vet to rule out any underlying health issues. When housebreaking a cat or dog, it’s essential to use positive reinforcement to ensure they use the designated bathroom locations.
Finally, remember that there may have been a good reason your pet chooses that spot. It might take up to a week for the retraining process to take effect. It’s essential to remember that just as it took time to develop an undesirable routine, so will it take time to replace it with a more desirable one. If repeated accidents make a mess of your rugs, contact the best rug cleaning company for pets in Atlanta, S&S Rug Cleaners at (404) 355-2126.
Are Your Rugs Still Stinky?
If you are still trying to get stains or odors out of your rug, contact S&S Rug Cleaners at (404) 355-2126 for guaranteed pet stain/odor removal. S&S Rug Cleaners is the premier area rug cleaning and restoration service for Buckhead and the Greater Atlanta area, with more than three decades of experience in Oriental, specialty, and handmade rug cleaning and care. Their unique 5-step, hand-wash system is chemical free and uses recycled rainwater to ensure a safe, thorough cleaning of all fine textiles. To date, its technique has outperformed all other systems both in preserving the integrity of the rug and in achieving complete soil/staining material removal. S&S is also bonded, fully insured, and offers complimentary rug pick-up and delivery for larger rugs.
