Cleaning Pet Stains on Carpet
We all love our pets, but that doesn’t mean we have to love the stains and smells they leave behind.
When Spot leaves a spot!
Any dog or cat owner will tell you that accidents happen. Once a spot has been marked the animal is more likely to use that spot again and again. Before long this can become a big problem, and that’s when help is needed. We totally understand. Here at Quest Floor Care we use the same 3 steps for every cleaning: spray, scrub, and extract. This process is described in detail here.
However, our pet cleaning process does involve some key differences from our regular cleaning. Pet urine is often more difficult to remove than many other types of stains. In addition to our 3-step process, we also have 3 Levels of Odor Control Treatment for pet urine stains:
- Bio-enzyme*
- Flush
- Flush and replace
What Makes A Pet Cleaning Different?
A Typical Pet Urine Stain
Pet urine stains require cleaners that contain bio-enzymes. These bio-enzymes break down, or digest, the proteins in pet urine. Spot cleaning with a bio-enzyme formula is Level 1 of our Odor Control Treatment and is effective most of the time.
One of my customers had pet issues left over from a previous owner. I prepared for the job by visiting the customer’s home the night before. I use a blacklight to help locate pet urine stains in carpet, and an evening visit means better results from the blacklight. I found all the stains in the customer’s home and treated them with a bio-enzyme that night. The next day I returned to the customer’s home to complete the cleaning and it turned out great!
After Scrubbing
For the times when Level 1 Treatment is not enough, the next step of our Odor Control Treatment introduces a heavy-duty odor and stain remover into the stained area of the carpet. The general idea is to use enough solution to completely envelope the stain. I finish up by flushing out the solution with water.
Sometimes a pet urine stain has soaked all the way down through the carpet, the backing, the padding, and into the sub-floor. These jobs require Level 3 of our Odor Control Treatment.
I deal with these tougher areas by first pulling up the carpet and replacing any affected padding, as needed. I then apply an odor barrier to the sub floor, put new pad in place, and I protect the padding with a sheet of plastic (to prevent re-contaminating the new pad) while I use an odor and stain remover to deal with the problem area in the carpet. After flushing that out with plenty of water, I continue the 3 main steps of Spraying, Scrubbing, and Extracting.
* After a Level 1 cleaning I will return for one follow up treatment, if necessary. Moving up to a higher level of treatment is strongly advised if one follow up is not enough to deal with the odor.
**Joseph is a certified Master Textile Cleaner with the IICRC and he cleans carpet, tile and grout, and upholstery.
We understand that keeping your carpet clean with pets can be difficult and overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Love your pet, and Quest Floor Care, LLC will take care of the rest.
