Pets are fantastic creatures. Not only do they serve as companions, but they’re also loyal and dish out lots of love. But our pets aren’t perfect. No one wants their homes smelling like a litter box, and the reality is that even the most well trained pets can sometimes have “accidents” like urine (many pets employ urine as a territorial marker), feces or vomit that may result in unwanted odours in the home.

Our Experience at Sun Valley's Finest Carpet Cleaning has shown that the number one pet odour problem is urine. Our professionals are well trained at alleviating the odours that may result from urine, excrement or vomit.

A little pointer on odours associated with urine. Odours from urine usually originate from two primary sources: Bacteria and Dried Urine. When deposited unto a rug or carpet surface, warm urine is acidic and an ideal breeding ground for bacteria present within the surrounding are. These bacteria multiply and often times, an unappealing odour is created. In the second instance, when urine dries, the component alkaline salts of the urine are deposited onto the surface. These salts draw humidity from the air which activates the bacteria and creates a strong, unpleasant Odour.

It is also important to note that when urine dries on a surface, a colour change to that surface arises which could affect the integrity of that rug or carpet. As a result, it is always important to contact our services as soon as possible. However, if you choose to deal with these stains yourself, it is important for you to Neutralize the salts, pH-balance your carpet fibres and apply an anti-microbial to deal with accumulating bacteria.

Our Experience at Sun Valley's Finest Carpet Cleaning has shown that the number one pet odour problem is urine. Our professionals are well trained at alleviating the odours that may result from urine, excrement or vomit.

Removing Pet Odours the Professional Way.

The first, and by far the most difficult step of dealing with pet urine, is to identify its location(s). There are several methods we use to locate where a pet has urinated. Black lights are very effective, as well as special sensors that can detect moist or even crystallized (old) urine. Urine stains can be “active” or wet for years after the incident. It is sometimes possible to look at the back of the carpet where the urine stains are easy to see. Odour detection can equally be detected by smell in very dire instances.

The next step we take is Urine Treatment. If a pet has urinated small quantities in many locations it is sometimes impractical for us to try and identify each and every location. In these instances, we often try to treat the suspected areas with a general topical pet treatment. To digest or destroy odour-causing protein and/or bacteria that are the source of urine odour, Professional carpet cleaners typically will use enzyme deodorants or powerful oxidizing agents.

And of course, we have the very extreme instances. In the event a large dog has (over time) deposited gallons of urine in the same area more drastic steps may be required. One such procedure may involve re-flooding the area(s) with digesters and powerful odour killing oxidizers. This is usually a slow and gradual process to allow for proper dwell times. In these severe instances (more than 50% saturated) the carpet and pad may need to be replaced and the floor may need to be cleaned and sealed with a special odour barrier sealer in order to prevent odours from the sub floor contaminating any new flooring.

Excessive urine can cause the carpet backing to delaminate or fall apart requiring the replacement of the carpet. Fortunately, our professional carpet cleaners ensure that the carpets can be saved and restored.

After applying any number of odour and/or stain specific products that soak the affected area to counteract the urine and bacteria, we often use a commercial extraction machine that is able to flush suspended and/or dissolved residues from the carpet to leave it residue and odour-free. In the case of severe urine, spots are flooded with products and extracted with a tool called a “water claw;” which is able to pull out suspended product and odour causing bacteria from the floor, pad, and carpet. Once the urine odour causing residue has been treated, what remains is the chemical after effects of the urine stain. These stains have to be removed through chemical action, which we recommend for a more thorough carpet finish.

Over the last several years a few new industrial products have been developed that work on contact to neutralize pet odours. These products along with professional training yield impressive results. Obviously the sooner the owner calls and has us treat the areas the better the result and the less damage to the carpet itself. But we have had great success even with pet stains and odours from old crystallized urine. So if you have pet stains and/or odours give us a call. We would be happy to give you a free evaluation of your situation.

So what can you do if your pet has an accident?

• Pet Odour Removal begins with the accident being blotted up and source (urine, excrement or vomit) removed as soon as possible.
• Do not apply anything beyond water on the carpet. Rewetting the area with water, placing a large number of paper towels over top and then placing a heavy  plastic weight on top (preferable leaving this over-night), will help to absorb the urine from the pad and rug backing.
• Applying any other product may change the chemical composition and may make it more difficult to restore the affected area. If you have already used a cleaning product on the area please let our technicians know so that they can neutralize the effect of the product used.
• Call us to perform pet odour removal/pet treatments or just for advice – we are always here to help.