April 2, 2019 by Andre
There are few carpet stains that most find more disgusting than pet urine. Not only is it foul, it can lead to health problems, especially if the urine is cat urine. Broken down it releases ammonia, one of the main odor-causing chemicals. Completely cleaning a urine stain requires breaking down and removing the urine from each level of your carpet. We’ll be speaking about how to remove urine stains coming from all of our fluffy little friends. Keep in mind, it’s not their fault, they’re doing what comes naturally to them.
First, we’ll begin with a simple solution.
Cleaning Pet Urine Stains – Gross.
Soak up urine by placing dry paper towels over the stain. For area rugs, place paper towels beneath the carpet padding to absorb urine from both sides. If the carpeting is wall-to-wall, continue replacing the paper towels until the stain feels damp. You’ll definitely want to stop, however, before it becomes saturated.
Pour cool water over the stain, and then immediately remove the water with an extractor or wet vacuum. Cool water dilutes the urine, but if you don’t remove it immediately, you’ll actually expand the area of the stain. For stains on area rugs or carpet runners, turn the carpet over and repeat the saturation-extraction process on the underside. Blot the stain dry with paper towels until the carpet feels slightly damp.
Saturate the entire stained area with an enzymatic cleaner, available at major pet stores. Enzymatic cleaners break down the stain-causing compounds in urine, making the stain easier to remove from your carpet. For deep stains often caused by larger pets, begin saturating the carpet a few inches outside the stain perimeter. Allow the cleaner to sit according to the age of the urine stain. On a fresh stain, the cleaner can break down the urine in 10 to 15 minutes, while an older stain could require up to an hour of saturation time.
Blot the remaining cleaner and allow the carpet to dry completely. Older, deeper stains may require you to repeat this removal process several times.
Some of you may be worried about using an enzymatic cleaner, though they’re relatively safe or perhaps you’re on a budget, we’ll even tell you how to make your own! So here are some easy natural remedies.
1. Vinegar and Baking Soda Spray
White vinegar is a wonderful substance that will get rid of stains that might have been missed, especially if your pet did a “ninja-pee” somewhere not as visible. Baking soda is nature’s odor remover and combined with vinegar it does a great job at getting rid of stains and odors!
Needed:
- 2 cups white distilled vinegar
- 2 cups of lukewarm water
- 4 tablespoons of baking soda
- Spray bottle (optional)
Directions:
Thoroughly soak up as much urine as possible. Place a rag over it, put a heavy book on it, and stand on the book to make sure you really get it all out! Mix 2 cups of white distilled vinegar with 2 cups of lukewarm water in a large bowl. Add 4 heaping tablespoons of baking soda, in smaller amounts to prevent a “fizz over.” Pour into a spray bottle and thoroughly spray the area. Let this solution sit for 5 minutes, then lightly rub and soak up with a soft cloth.
If you don’t have a spray bottle, simply pour the mixture from the bowl. As with the first step, soak or clean up as much as possible. Mix 2 cups of lukewarm water with 2 cups of white distilled vinegar. Instead of adding the baking soda to the liquid, sprinkle it dry liberally. Let it break down and deodorize for about 5 minutes, then vacuum. Apply the water/vinegar solution as in the beginning. Mix up your water and vinegar solution. After soaking up any excess liquid, sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda over the soiled area. Pour the water and vinegar solution directly onto the baking soda to create a “mini cleaning volcano” that will actively eat away at the stain. Soak and lightly rub dry with a soft cloth after letting it sit for a minimum of 5 minutes.
2. Hydrogen-peroxide/baking soda mixture
Hydrogen peroxide is another great substance when it comes to breaking down urine and pulling out stains. Combine it with naturally deodorizing baking soda, and you have another superb solution for cleaning up stains.
Needed:
- Paper towels or rags
- A cup or so of baking soda (adjust accordingly)
- 1/2 cup 3% hydrogen peroxide
- 1 teaspoon eco friendly dish liquid (we recommend “Dawn”)
- A bowl
Directions:
Cover the stain with paper towels or rags and lightly walk over or place something heavy above to soak up any excess liquid. Sprinkle a generous handful of baking soda over the stain when no more liquid can be pulled up, and mix together ½ cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide and 1 teaspoon of dish liquid. Slowly pour the mixture over the stain and baking soda. Gently scrub the mixture into the carpet fibers with a scrub brush or cloth, allow it to sit for a minimum of 15 minutes. Vacuum the area thoroughly. For tough stains, repeat the above steps as needed.
3. Citrus-enzyme cleaner (consider this option ahead of time or have ready)
Stain removal products often have lengthy labels telling about how they use “enzymes” to digest and break down stains and odors on a molecular level. It sounds scientific, yet with a little time and patience (3 months), you can easily make your own and you’ll know exactly what the contents are.
Needed:
- 7 tablespoons of brown sugar
- 1 ½ cups of lemon and orange peels/scraps
- 1 liter of water
- a bottle or clear container large enough to hold the liquid and peels/scraps
Directions:
Funnel 7 tablespoons of brown sugar into your container and add the fruit. Next, add the water, screw on the cap, give everything a good shake to mix it. Loosen the cap and leave it on halfway to release the gases and ensure your bottle doesn’t explode due to the build-up. After 3 months, you’re natural enzymatic cleaner will be ready to use!
While it can be a pain when Fluffy messes up your favorite carpets, it doesn’t have to be the end of the world… or your wallet for that matter. You can get rid of most stains with only a few ingredients that you can actually pronounce, without having to resort to those expensive, ineffective products.