When Your Pet Messes Make You Crazy: Battling Urine Stains

Did you know that the average 5 pound pet produces around 10 gallons of urine every year? While there many be many good places for this quantity of waste, there is certainly one terrible place: your home.

When it dries, the bacteria in urine produce a bad odor and an annoying stain. These stains don't always come out with standard carpet cleaners or stain removers, even if they are pet-specific. And the older your pet is, their kidneys tend to not function as well. This means that odor can worsen as your pet's age increases.

Using the Right Cleaner for Pet Stains
A short chemistry lesson on getting our pet stains: if the stain remover you have in the house is an enzyme-based cleaner (as many of them are), it may not work. Enzymes are most effective when used at 140 degrees. Obviously, the temperature of the cleaner is room temperature, and well below this ideal degree. (Tip: whenever using an enzyme-based cleaner, mix with hot water first).

Pet Mess Stain Removal Tips
The following remedies can help you live with your beloved animals and battle their not-so-beloved habits.

• Find stain removers with "uric salt." Like all salt, uric salt dissolves when mixed with water, and attacks the bacterial in urine directly. "Urine Be Gone" and "Incredible" are two popular products often reviewed online. (Tip: these stain removers often work against other household stains, like wine, coffee, and blood).
• Get on offense with moisture. Some experts recommend using a stain remover and leaving a damp towel over the stain for 24-48 hours, so the stain is loosened over this time.
• Go green. There is no shortage of organic-based chemical cleaners these days. Remember, "like dissolves like," and this is the concept behind this remedy.
• Try the old standards. Vinegar and water, detergent, peroxide, toothpaste--sometimes these old standards can come through in a pinch.
• Hire a pro. A car mechanic is the ideal choice for auto repairs, so why not hire a professional carpet cleaning service if the stain is tough enough?

When you find a pet stain, there's no need to kick Fido out of the house. Instead, remember these carpet cleaning tips and your carpet should look as good as new in no time.

Sources
Bissell, Pet Cleaning Tips
Naples News, Pet stains take special treatment by Rosemary Sadez Friedmann
Stretcher, How to Remove Pet Urine Stains

About the Author
Joe Cooper writes home services and design articles and manages corporate communications. He holds a bachelor's in American literature from UCLA.