Tri-Valley Carpet Care Pet Stains and Odors

Dog and cat urine is made of a combination of ammonia, bacteria, hormones, and uric acid. As the urine breaks down, the ammonia concentration increases, and sulfur-containing organic chemical substances known as mercaptans are then produced. If mercaptans are in the air, even at low concentrations, they are very noticeable. They are the same substances that give skunk odor and rotting cabbage a trademark stench! Cats do not drink much water, meaning that their urine is much more concentrated and the uric acid is less diluted.

Urine never really dries, it draws moisture from the humidity in the air, and keeps the affected area moist. This is because of the non-soluble salt crystals that are left behind. These crystals are not visible to the naked eye until they start to collect dirt, making the affected area more visible to see.

Urine odors and stains are highly unpleasant to see and smell, but are even more problematic than you may be aware. If left untreated, urine poses a hygiene risk and has the ability to damage carpet, fabrics, flooring, furniture and more. Over time, uric acid crystals will permanently change the dye structure of carpet and fabrics, and can even ‘burn’ the tannins in wood, causing black stains around the affected areas. Pet urine is very concentrated, and will have a very strong presence in a home. It also poses a behavioral risk in animals by encouraging them to repeatedly soil, spray or 'mark' the same area.

Pet stains and odors are a very common problem that could be much more complex than one might think. Pet urine can easily soak through the backing of the carpet into the padding underneath. In more severe cases the urine can penetrate the padding and into the sub-floor beneath.

To eliminate this problem, the urine must be neutralized from each of the layers affected. This can only be done by using enzyme based cleaning products. Enzymes are a type of protein produced by a living organism that acts as a catalyst to create a naturally occurring biochemical reaction. An enzyme is made up of a chain of amino acids that react to the urine and simply eats away at it's food source, in this case.....the pet urine. Even after it dries the enzymes will remain active, encase the pet returns to the same location.

Cleaning Methods

Tri-Valley Carpet Care will first need to identify the affected areas. This can easily be done by utilizing a powerful UV light that fluoresces dried urine, so it's visible to the human eye. We even wear high contrast yellow tint glasses that block the UV blue light for easier stain detection.

To eliminate pet stains and odors we offer a service called a "Flush." The process consists of flooding the affected area in a three step process utilizing the following products:

Urine Pet Treatment or Unleashed‍‍‍
Enzyme based cleaning product
Urine Stain Remover

Each step is then rinsed and extracted of all detergents and urine with a sub-floor extraction tool. The "Flush" covers about 18 square inches and costs $20 per "Flush".This method when applied correctly, will remove and eliminate the contamination. Any other process will only mask the issue only to come back. Keep in mind, that the affected area is usually twice the size underneath the visible stain.

In some severe cases, where pet urine covers an entire room. It might actually be cheaper to replace the carpet and padding. Even after the carpeting and padding have been replaced, the sub-floor may still need to be treated with a neutralizing product.

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