Clean Pet Stains & Odor From Carpet

There are countless products available to remove pet stains, however pet owners know that the vast majority of these products do not work. Some claim to eliminate the stain, but only find the stain reappears. Some claim to remove odor, however they end up only masking the smell for a few days. Removing pet stains doesn't have to be difficult. Understanding stains and their removal can make it very easy to deal with them.

When dealing with pet stains, there are several things a pet owner must understand. It is important to understand why these stains occur. Animals urinate instinctively in the same spot. This is true for animals from hamsters to cats to dogs! Lets start with cats. Cats are encouraged to go to the bathroom in litter boxes. Cat litter is often infused with ammonia or an ammonia scent. This is because ammonia contains some of the same chemical properties that are found in urine. By scenting the litter with an ammonia base, the cat will pick up on that scent and use the litter box as a rest area. Cats do not go to the litter box because they are trained to. They do so because they are instinctively drawn to the odor. In the event that your cat does have a legitimate accident outside of the box, the urine scent in the carpet will further draw the cat to return to that area as the scent is there. Your cat will continue to go to the bathroom in that spot until it is properly cleaned. It is for this reason that pet owners often find that they are having issues with a cat going to the bathroom in the same area outside of their box. Male cats are also notorious for marking their territory. This is generally a phase that can be eliminated by neutering the cat. The scent from marking is different then that of urine. It is a pheromone that they release which comes from glands near their tails. Because the marking comes from pheromones, the scent can not be removed by products designed to remove typical pet stains. Urine and pheromone create completely different types of stains.

Likewise, dogs also urinate in the same spot or area. Like cats, they act upon scent. When taking a dog outside, it is usually pretty evident that the dog will go to the same general area where they have previously gone to the bathroom. This also holds true inside of the house. If a dog is not let out in time, or an incident occurs where the dog goes to the bathroom in the house, the likelihood of the dog going in that spot again is very probable. Until that area is thoroughly cleaned, the scent is an invitation for your dog to go to the bathroom there. When training a puppy, it is very important that any accidents are properly cleaned to prevent accidents from becoming routine. Issues like this also arise when moving into a new home. Several new home owners find their dog will begin to go to the bathroom in the new house. This is often incorrectly attributed to stress or being in a new location. More often then not, the problem may actually be that previous owners had a dog and did not properly maintain or clean the carpet.

One common issue with both owners of dogs and cats is that they find their pet may be going to the bathroom in a child's room, on a comforter or, near a closet or on the bathroom rug. If this is happening, there may be a number of factors. As stated previously, animals are attracted to urinate where they smell urine. This includes human urine. While this is not the most pleasant thing to think about, human urine can be easily transferred. If a person places dirty clothes on the floor, particularly underwear, any urine on the underwear can transport the scent to the floor. If a dirty hamper is emptied on the floor, that smell transfers. If dirty clothes are placed on a bed, again, that smell transfers. In the bathroom, if a male house member doesn't have great aim and there is a rug near the toilet, any scent left in that rug can serve as a host for your pet's next bathroom break. Although a human might not be able to smell anything, your pet can. If you are having such issues in these areas, take a moment to see what has been placed on the floor, make alterations such as using a hamper, and properly clean the area to prevent future marking from your pet.

Knowing the instinctive behavior of animals and why they may be going to the bathroom in a certain spot is the first step in preventing repeated behavior. The next step is properly cleaning the area.

In cleaning such stains, one must take into consideration that it if it happened once, it has probably happened in the past. Because these stains are not often noticed until the scent becomes overwhelming, it is likely that they have seeped below the surface of the carpet into the padding. In the event this is true, a basic cleaning with a sponge will not prove as a remedy to stopping the behavior from continuing - regardless of what product you use. If any scent of urine has gone into the padding, or below the carpet's surface, it MUST be completely removed. The only way to effectively do this is by steam cleaning or carpet cleaning with a machine. By doing this, you will be flushing and extracting anything below the carpet surface.

It is also important to use a cleaner that will remove the stain and odor. One of the first mistake's that pet owners make is to use whatever over the counter general cleaner they have. Often, they are spray based cleaners. These cleaners are marketed as spot or surface cleaners. They are also very dangerous to use on carpet. Because of the chemical properties, they can discolor or damage carpet. But the most obvious problem is that they do not get under the surface of the carpet where the odor is. While they very may well remove the physical stain, they can not remove the odor.

In our age of frugality, every blogger and do it yourself has their own recipe for removing pet stains. In most cases, the ingredients listed are the worst possible thing you can use if you have a pet. The bulk of them praise vinegar as the primary ingredient. Vinegar is an idea cleaner. It has just enough acidity to break down compounds from stains. However, like ammonia, it is a natural product and contains some of the same chemical compounds found in urine. Cleaning with vinegar is essentially like lying down the scent of urine to a pet. If they smell vinegar in your carpet, they can not differentiate it from the smell of their urine. You are then right back where you started from with your pet thinking the carpet is their rest room.

Finally, enzymes are often touted as the perfect pet stain remover. However pet owners who have used enzymes know that they have little impact, and in many cases even a worsening affect. Enzymes are often praised for being green and have been highly marketed towards pet owners looking for something that will not harm their pets. Indeed, enzymes pose no threat to pets and are in fact safe. However, they can also be completely ineffective. Enzymes are molecules which cause certain chemicals and elements to react in a certain manner when they come in contact with each other. The concept behind pet stain enzymes is that when released, the enzyme will break down the pet stain. There are several problems with this line of thinking. Enzymes are extremely sensitive. They are specific as to what types of elements they break down. Enzymes in pet urine removal products might be set to trigger the break down of a specific compound in urine. But there are variations in urine which come from the animal type, the diet, the environment. The likelihood of the urine composition being a 100 percent match to the type of protein the enzyme breaks down is very slim . . . and it does have to be a 100 percent match for the enzyme to work. Other factors that affect enzymes include temperature. Enzymes are temperature sensitive. If the temperature is not correct, proteins will not react to the enzymes released. Also, the history of the area where the enzymes have been released plays a role. If any other product has ever been applied to the area at any point in the past, the chances of the enzymes working is decreased. This also includes anything such as previous carpet cleaning or stain guarding.

If you are having issues with pet stains, the best way to remove the smell or stop repeated behavior is by thoroughly and properly cleaning that area. To do so, use a steam cleaner, carpet cleaning machine, or Rug Doctor. Use a product that will get into the carpet and remove both the stain and the scent. The best product for this type of cleaning is Genesis 950. Genesis 950 is a surfactant based cleaner. It works with water to break the bonds of stains and lift them to the surface. Once this has been done, the area can be rinsed clean with water and extracted. Genesis 950 is a green cleaner. It is safe for pets, and will not damage carpet or upholstery. In addition to removing stains, it deodorizes - completely removing the smell. It also has antibacterial cleaners in it. This is very important as it will kill any spores, mold or bacteria that could appear as a result of moisture in the carpet.

Pet stain removal can be frustrating, but it can also be easily remedied. By knowing what triggers animals to stain areas, you are closer to knowing how to resolve the issues.

The example in the photograph shows a carpet that had heavy odor and staining problems from pets. The marks that can be seen in the carpet are from months of cleaning with household products. Many of them might have somewhat removed a stain, or lightened a stain, however they left behind marks of their own.

After the carpet sat for months, Genesis 950 was used in a steam cleaner. In addition to removing the stains, the thorough cleaning also removed the odor associated with the stains.

Genesis 950 breaks the bonds of stains lifting both the bacteria and the odors. If you have ever tried any other pet stain remover, and were unsatisfied with the results, this is the solution you have been waiting for. Make your carpets look and smell professionally cleaned. Genesis 950 is perfect in steam cleaners.