How to Clean Pet Urine
Pet urine is a real problem, as any pet lover would agree. The trick to dealing with pet urine is to get to it as soon as possible, before any permanent damage is done to the carpets or hardwood floors. Here are some tips to help remove it from your floors.
Gather your Cleaning Agents
For hardwood floors, get out the wood soap, some warm water, and a thick sponge. You would want to remove the urine before it has a chance to seep into the wood. Pets will return to the same spot repeatedly if they can sense any hint of urine from a previous incident.
For carpets, get out the spray on carpet cleaner. If you don’t like to use chemicals, then go the natural route and get out a box of baking soda and some white vinegar. You will also want a damp sponge and a cloth to blot the area.
Cleaning the Soiled Spot
On the hardwood floors, apply the wood soap as directed on the container. Work the foam into the grain of the wood, using back-and-forth strokes. After cleaning off the soap with the warm water, use a solution of white vinegar and water on the spot. Let it set for about three minutes and then use warm water to sponge up the vinegar.
With carpets, spray on the carpet cleaner and then use the sponge to work the cleaner into the pile. Let the foam dry, and then vacuum up the residue. The same can be done with the baking soda. Place a liberal amount of baking soda on the stain, and then spray white vinegar into the baking soda. Make sure the baking soda is completely saturated, but not running. The combination will create a foaming action. Let the foam rise. Once the foam begins to settle, then work it into the pile of the carpet, and let the solution dry. Vacuum as usual.
Checking for any Residue Scent
Any remaining scent will ensure that your pet comes back and marks the same spot again. About an hour after cleaning the area, check it again for any scent of remaining urine. If you think there is even the smallest hint of a scent remaining, clean the spot again. Typically, two rounds of cleaning will handle any pet urine stain and scent that has not been in place longer than a couple of hours.
What is the Deal with Baking Soda and Vinegar?
Baking soda helps to absorb odors. Using it on the carpet or even on wood is a great way to lift out residual odors from the material. Combining it with vinegar and producing foam increases the ability to clean and deodorize the area.
Vinegar has strong antiseptic properties that will help in two ways. First, it can help to disinfect the padding under the carpet, if the urine has had a chance to seep in that far. Second, the odor of the vinegar tends to repel pets so they will not choose to mark that same spot a second time.
Other Cleaning Suggestions
If the stain has sat for a long period of time, such as over a weekend, you will need professional help. Call a carpet cleaning service. They will have chemicals that should be able to eliminate the odor and the stain with no problem.