If you have a dog or a cat, it's going to happen sooner or later. Maybe it's a new puppy who hasn't figured out the back door yet, or an older cat having a rough week. Either way, you walk into the living room and there's a wet spot on the carpet.
Most fresh accidents come right out if you get to them quick. The trouble is, a lot of what people read online makes it worse. Here's what I tell folks when they call us about it.
The faster you get to it, the easier it comes out. Fresh urine sits mostly on top of the fibers, but give it a few hours and it works down into the backing and the pad underneath.
Grab a stack of white paper towels or an old white towel and press down hard. Stand on it if you need to. Keep moving to a dry section until you're barely pulling anything up.
Don't scrub it. That just spreads it around and frays the carpet. Press down, lift up, and keep going till the towel comes up dry.
Pour a little cool water on the spot and blot again. That thins out what's left so you can pull more of it up.
Use cool water, not hot, and skip the steam cleaner. Heat can bond the urine to the fibers and lock the smell in for good. And don't flood it. A cup or so is plenty for a normal accident, because too much water just pushes the urine deeper.
If you skip this part, the smell usually comes back. Urine has proteins and salts in it that regular soap doesn't break down, but an enzyme cleaner made for pet urine does.
Spray it a couple of inches wider than the wet spot, since urine spreads out under the surface. Let it sit as long as the label says. The enzymes need that time to work. Then blot it up and let it air dry.
Old spot, or the smell came back? Do it again. Tough ones can take two or three rounds.
While you're at it, a few things to stay away from:
Sometimes the house smells and you just can't find it. That's really common with cats, and with dogs who sneak behind the couch or into a back bedroom.
Pick up a cheap UV flashlight (sometimes sold as a blacklight). At night, turn off the lights and walk the room slowly. Dried urine will glow. Put a piece of painter's tape on each spot so you can find it again in the morning. Check along walls, in corners, under tables and near doors, since pets like to go back to the same places.
If your pet keeps going in the same spot, or an accident sat for a few days, it's probably soaked down into the pad. Sometimes it reaches the subfloor too.
At that point you can clean the top of the carpet all day and the smell will still come back, especially on hot days. Phoenix summers and closed-up houses make it worse. Spraying from the top usually can't reach what's underneath.
Signs it's in the pad:
If you've tried all this and it still smells, give us a call. We'll find where it went and treat it, then clean the carpet. That's what our pet odor and stain removal service is for.
A lot of times it makes sense to do the whole room or house at once with a regular carpet cleaning. Our process uses a lot less water than typical steam cleaning, so carpets usually dry in about 2 to 4 hours. The dog's back on the floor the same day.
Here's a short video from our channel so you can see what we actually do on a pet urine job.
We also post before and after photos from real jobs around the Valley on Facebook. Send us a message there if you've got a stain question. Pet pictures are welcome too.
Got a spot that won't quit? Schedule a visit and we'll take a look.
