With pets, pee happens, often happens on carpets. But there’s no need to panic. There are several methods of removing dog urine—and the distinctive odor it creates—from carpets without using chemicals that may be harmful to you or your pup. Jothan Hatch, the national training director for Chem-Dry carpet cleaning, has a puppy named Koda who’s still perfecting potty training. Sometimes, when he gets over-excited, he “leaks,” says Hatch. Fortunately, Hatch knows a bit about rescuing rugs. “Your best defense as soon as you see an accident is to blot as much as you can with towels,” he said. “Then, put a few drops of green dish detergent and a little water on the area, place a towel over it and step on it so it absorbs as much as possible.” If you notice a wet spot that may have happened earlier in the day, sprinkle it with baking soda and let it sit overnight, said Annie B. Bond, green living expert and author of Clean and Green. After the patch dries overnight, spray it with distilled white vinegar and don’t be concerned if the carpet bubbles a bit while the compounds interact to clean.

Another way to use vinegar and baking soda, a staple in the green cleaning arsenal, is to mix them together in a spray bottle, said green cleaning coach Erinn Morgan, author of Picture Yourself Going Green. She suggests mixing one cup of distilled white vinegar with one cup of water and two heaping tablespoons of baking soda. Shake it up, spray it on the carpet, let it sit for five or six minutes, then gently blot it up with a fresh cloth, she said. The mixture will stay potent for a few months, so you might want to mix up a batch and keep it on hand if you have a puppy. Leslie Reichert, a self-described “cleaning coach,” editor of Clean Green Living Magazine and author of The Joy of Green Cleaning, prefers to hit dog urine stains with a few squirts of hydrogen peroxide. Spray the stain, let it bubble up (that means it’s working) and let it sit for 10 to15 minutes before sopping it up with a rag. “Be sure to spot test first to make sure the hydrogen peroxide doesn’t discolor your carpet,” she said.

The leading store-bought products made for removing the stain and smell of pet urine from carpets use the power of enzymes to do the work and are non-toxic for pets. Enzymes are proteins that help kick off natural chemical reactions at the molecular level, and the enzymes in pet carpet care products attach themselves to the molecules that make up the urine and bacteria that feed on it (producing the foul odors) and catalyze their breakdown. There’s no need to rinse or blot the enzymatic cleaner, you simply let it do its work, dissolve and dry. The length of time required depends on what version of cleaner you buy. Some require 24 hours, while serious stains may take up to two weeks to completely dissolve the smell and stain. Sometimes the smell gets worse before it gets better, so don’t be discouraged. In the store, look for the version of carpet cleaner that’s formulated especially for pet urine removal and is available in liquid or powder formula. Products that use more traditional methods of cleaning with solvents (to dissolve stains) and surfactants (surface active agents that “wet” the carpet) may not be as effective and can actually deactivate enzymatic cleaners.

Keep an eye on the ingredient panel for chlorine, ammonia and sodium lauryl sulfate, as these can be harmful to pets (and people, too). If the product’s instructions direct you to keep pets and children away from the product after it has been applied, you might want to think twice about using it in your home. For more stubborn stains and aromas, there are several green enzymatic cleaners you can find to spray on your carpet or, if you have older stains to tackle, consider renting a carpet-cleaning machine from a local store. best product to clean porcelain tilesRinse the tank out well before use and don’t use the chemical-heavy cleanser that’s often sold with the rental. carpet cleaners york scInstead, Bond recommends using a natural cleaner or a combination of white vinegar and water.carpet cleaning supply nc

Several vacuum brands sell smaller versions of wet-vacs for home use that retail between $150 and $200. These handy machines spray, brush and remove stains on their own and sell a version of their concentrated cleaner that’s formulated specifically to treat pet stains. If you’re faced with set-in stains or smells you can’t get rid of, it may be time to call in a professional, as sometimes spot-removal isn’t enough, Hatch said. best price on miele vacuum cleaners“Unfortunately, urine doesn’t just stay at the top of carpet, it soaks into carpet padding and backing and can even soak into the sub floor,” he said. best pool service venice flSpot cleaning can only get the urine at the face fibers of the carpet, and to truly remove the bacteria and the odors they can create, you’ll need a professional, he said.pool vacuum hose and pole

Chem-Dry has technicians who are specially trained to help remove pet urine from carpets and will use UV glasses and black lights to scan your carpet for long-dried stains. Once the technicians identify where the stains are, they’ll use machines to treat it with a non-toxic solution the company has been using for 15 years. The solution “comes in contact with the urine molecules and breaks them apart. Left untreated, urine takes up to five years to off-gas on it’s own. The oxidizers do this work within hours, not years,” Hatch said. The technicians leave the solution on the carpet to work for 24 hours, after which time the urine, bacteria and any odor will be gone. “Accidents can happen,” Bond said. “But there’s always ways to bring your home—and your carpet— back to a healthy place.”User ReviewedHow to Remove Pet Urine from Carpet Three Methods:Cleaning New StainsCleaning Old StainsUsing Other RemediesCommunity Q&A This wikiHow will show you how to remove pet urine from carpet, both fresh stains and old ones.

1. Absorb fresh stains with wet towels or paper towels. 2. Wet the stain (fresh or old) with water to keep it from spreading or revitalize it. 3. Saturate the stain with an enzyme cleaner. 4. Leave a clean towel on the stain overnight. Weigh it down to increase absorbency. 5. Discard the towel the next morning. 6. Consider steam-cleaning the area.Use wet towels or paper towels, layered and topped by some kind of weight, to quickly absorb fresh puddles. Run the towels under cool water, then wring them out so they're damp but not dripping. Place them over the stain completely and put something heavy on top, like cans of food, a pair of shoes, or a book. The moisture helps soak up the urine, while the weight presses the towels down into the carpet. Leave it on for at least 10 minutes. If you use heavy books, put a layer of plastic wrap or aluminum foil on top of the wet towels first, to avoid wetting and staining the book. If the spot has been wet longer than 10 minutes, it's probably soaked into the carpet pad.

Make the towel 50% wider than the area of visible stain and use more damp towels and a heavier weight. Re-wet the spot with water. Spray enzyme cleaner over the area. Non-toxic and effective, enzymatic cleaners work by breaking down stains into their basic elements, eliminating the compounds that create smells and stains. Using an enzymatic cleaner is the best way to help break down the proteins left over from the urine, removing the smell as well as the impulse for the pet to urinate in the same spot again. You can buy enzymatic cleaner at most pet stores, or you can make your own with clean water, brown sugar, and orange peels. Most enzymatic cleaners need to be kept on a wet area for several hours. However, some might use a different process, so be sure to read the instructions on the label. If you're cleaning wool carpet, make sure the cleaner is wool-safe. Apply another towel and absorb the cleaner. Allow the towel to sit overnight. Clean or dispose of the towels.

Because the towels you used for absorbing the urine will have faint traces of your pet's scent, it's important to keep your pet from marking them again. Help your pet avoid the temptation by discarding the towel. If you used paper towels in your poultices, be sure to seal them in a garbage bag and get rid of them as soon as possible, so that your pet doesn't try urinating on them, or digging them out of the garbage. If you used cloth towels, put them into the washer immediately and run with hot water to clean them thoroughly, if you don't want to discard them completely. Wash the towels twice to be sure. Consider steam-cleaning the carpet. If the enzymatic cleaner didn't remove the stain completely, consider renting a steam cleaner or hiring a professional to do the job for you. Make sure to ask if they have a product to add into their solution designed for pet stains. Stains are a lot easier to remove when they're fresh, so try to decide quickly if this is what you need to do.

Large volumes of concentrated alkaline salts and strong odors that come from bacteria feeding on the waste products contained in the urine can make professional cleaning necessary. The alkaline salts can create a very high pH environment (10 - 10.4) and destabilize normally stable dyes that cause bleeding. This is very difficult to address without steam cleaning and specialized cleaner.You might have a general idea of where old stains might be from the odor. If you think there might be old stains in an area, explore using a sweeping motion, gradually moving farther away from the generally smelly location. The pet urine that you're looking for should show up as a yellow or greenish color. Try looking in the following areas: Objects that appear to have holes, such as inside portable heaters Clothing that your cat may be able to access Other small areas your cat could squeeze into Consider using ultraviolet light to explore more thoroughly. Search at night or in complete darkness.

Mark each spot that you find. Try an enzymatic cleaner to start. Wet paper or cloth towels with cool water, and lay them over the spot. Try cleaning without detergent at first. If you find that you're still not pulling up the stain, ask the representatives at the rental center what they recommend, and try to use as little detergent as possible. Wool can be damaged by steam cleaners, much like a wool sweater shrinks if you wash it in hot water. If the stain is on wool carpet that you don't wish to damage, seriously consider hiring a pro. Use oxidation if necessary. One alternative to using a steam cleaner on an old stain is oxidizing it. Products that release oxygen are effective odor removers, and you can make a solution yourself at home. Mix up ½ teaspoon (2.5 grams) of bleach with 1 quart (32 ounces/950ml) of distilled water. Do a patch test on a part of the carpet you don't usually see, and make sure you won't damage the color. Then saturate the area and allow the solution to soak into the carpet for at least 10 minutes.

Use a shop vac or a towel (as described above) to pull up the solution. You might need to do oxidate the carpet several times to remove a stain. Let the carpet dry completely between treatments. Oxidizing products should never be used on wool or silk carpets. The treatment is only appropriate for synthetic fibers. Try the vacuum method. Pour some cold water on the stain and immediately vacuum it up with a wet/dry vacuum. Repeat at least twice, or as many times as is necessary to remove the discoloration. Do not let the water sit; suck it up immediately (within seconds) of each application. For tough stains, add a bit of salt to the water, but never add soap. The residue left over in the carpet will attract dirt. Use the baking soda and vinegar method. Use the hydrogen peroxide and dish soap method. Start by dusting the stain with a thin coat of baking soda, then mix up about a cup of hydrogen peroxide with a tablespoon of dish soap in a spray bottle. Mix gently to combine.

Then, saturate the baking soda and the stain thoroughly. Use an old toothbrush or your fingers to massage the mixture gently into the carpet, then let the mixture sit until it dries. Vacuum up the mess and clean it again with cool water. Hydrogen peroxide can damage some kinds of carpet, making it important that you spot test this mixture in an out-of-the-way area of the carpet to make sure that it won't stain the carpet irreparably.High in alkaline, ammonia should never be used to clean pet stains. It will leave a sticky residue in the carpet and damage the carpet fibers, attracting dirt and other debris. It will also attract pets back to the same area, because ammonia contains the same uric acids and salts that are present in urine, making it all too tempting for your pet to remark the area. Never use ammonia on pet stains. Replace the padding underneath. Show more unanswered questions Purchase a repellent spray if your pet keeps urinating in the same area. There are a variety of sprays available for different types of pets, such as dogs and cats.

Search for one that fits your household needs (such as being safe for use in houses with children) and won't damage your particular type of carpet. Follow label directions on the enzyme digesters. Always test for color fastness before using any oxidation deodorization method. Clean an area that's a bit wider than the actual stain. As you can see in the diagram below, the urine can soak into the carpet pad at a wider diameter. If the accident just happened quickly absorb it from the carpet with toilet paper...keep rolling up paper and stepping on it over the accident until it's dry. Re wet the stain with febreeze and again lift it up with toilet paper. Then pour baking soda over the spot...let it dry overnight. You will see the urine comes up into the baking soda...why? I have no idea...when it's dry..scrape it up ( I use the back of the dustpan brush) sweep it up into a dustpan and thoroughly vacuum. stink and stain gone. this will not work. Avoid Oxy-Clean like products, which work by making hydrogen peroxide which has more available oxygen and can last longer than chlorine which can cause damage to carpets.