URINE ODOR REMOVAL

URINE ODOR REMOVAL 
FROM AREA RUGS

If you bring your rugs to our plant for urine odor removal, our unique Decontamination Soak System can completely remove that odor (not necessarily any stains) from certain oriental and area rugs. We are able to guarantee no chemicals or urine odor will remain in your rug. (There is an additional charge for this labor-intensive service).

Our Urine Odor Removal (Decontamination Soak) System Eliminates the Source of the Problem

This urine odor removal system was invented here at ABC Oriental Rug and Carpet Cleaning Co. by Ken Adams (founder and Certified Rug Specialist) and is now used in rug washing plants all over the United States. This process removes the odor by eliminating the source (dissolving the urea crystals), not masking the problem with enzyme digesters or deodorizers.

Can This Urine Odor Removal System be used on Any Area Rug?

No, certain elements of the construction of some rugs prevent us from dissolving the urine crystals. Urine Odor Removal (Decontamination) is intended for handmade oriental and occidental rugs and natural fiber (for ex., wool) machine-made rugs.

We are unable to treat area rugs with secondary backings (broadlooms) or rugs with latex adhesive used to apply the secondary backing, such as in hand tufted, some hooked rugs, and olefin rugs. These adhesives do not release the urine once it has penetrated the rug. Therefore, rugs with any glues in their construction can NOT successfully go through the urine odor removal process.

If there is any question about whether odor in a rug can or cannot be helped with sanitization, please call or text our office at 607-272-1566.

What Happens If I Just
Have the Rug Cleaned and
Do Not Address the Urine?

Leaving urine untreated in rugs leads to other concerns besides odor.

• Urine can attract moths.
• The longer the urea crystals remain in the rug, the darker the urine stain becomes, and the more damage occurs to the foundation.
• Dry rot is a major concern because the growing bacteria weaken the foundation over time. Dry rot can occur undetected until one day a normal vacuuming may be too aggressive and tear the rug.

Although ABC's Urine Odor Removal (Decontamination) System and cleaning cannot always remove urine stains, it may be able to lighten them, prevent them from becoming darker, and prevent dry rot.

Why Won't 'Just Cleaning'
Remove the Odor?

Initially, urine is an acid stain that becomes alkaline as it takes on nitrogen molecules from the air.

During this chemical reaction, the urine transforms into microscopic crystals. These urea crystals remain in the foundation, backing, and glues of area rugs, even after a thorough cleaning in a rug washing plant.

Because the urea crystals remain, they are a food source for the micro-organisms which cause the odor.

Why Doesn't the Rug
Have an Odor in the Winter?

There are four contributing factors that must be present to enable bacteria to grow:

1.   a warm climate (temperature)

2.   a lack of light

3.   moisture

4.   an organic food source

With the above factors in place, a perfect incubator for bacterial growth has been created under your area rug and the urea crystals are their primary food source!

The 'urine odor' is actually caused by the release of gases during bacterial growth (off gassing). This cycle is interrupted during the winter months because the heat is on. The home environment becomes dry, or without moisture, eliminating one of the four contributing factors to bacterial growth and rendering the bacteria dormant.

What If a Sanitizer Was Used During the Last Cleaning?

A sanitizer may have been used during the last cleaning, but it can only kill bacteria on the pile and cannot reach the urea crystals attached to the foundation under the rug.

The effect of the sanitizer is only temporary. Also, it is possible the urine problem was minor before (only a few 'accidents') and now, after time, the bacteria cycle has gone on and attracted the pet to urinate again.

Why Does It Seem My Pets Have More Accidents or Urine Odor is Stronger During the Warmer Months than at Other Times of the Year!

This is because the high humidity in the air from rainfall and high temperatures provides excellent conditions for bacterial growth. The urine odor noticed in the spring is usually old accidents beginning another bacterial cycle (although recent urination cannot be completely ruled out).

Is the Urine Odor Removal (Decontamination) Procedure Harmful to my Rug?

No, our solution is completely biodegradable and non-toxic. On a wool rug, the Urine Decontamination Procedure revitalizes wool's natural sheen, giving the rug a lustrous look and feel.

Is There Any Residue
or Chemical Odor
Left in My Rug?

No, we are not using deodorizers, enzyme digesters or any chemicals that have a residual effect. The Urine Odor Removal (Decontamination) Solution is thoroughly flushed after treatment, then the rug is washed, rinsed, and dried in our controlled dry room. Your rug is left in its natural state.

Is It Safe For My Infant or Pet
To Be On My Rug After
Urine Odor Removal (Decontamination)?

Yes. It is completely safe for children and pets to return to their normal activity on the rug. There are NO residues or odors left in your rug after cleaning, due to the massive amount of water we run through the rug(s) to ensure no residues remain.

Is There Anything I Need to Do Before I Bring My Rug Back Home?

Now that your formerly urine-saturated rug is odor-free, it is important to make sure it stays that way by addressing the urine that probably passed through your rug, possibly contaminating the pad and floor beneath.

A few steps will ensure your rug will remain odor-free (unless there is another pet accident). These can be completed by you while we are caring for your rug in our plant and are as follows:

First, Replace the Pad.

The pad beneath the rug needs to be replaced, unless you have purchased the WunderGrip pad (rug underlayment we sell that is imported from Germany). We highly recommend the WunderGrip pad for all hardwood floors because it will not absorb anything and only needs to be washed (in a washing machine or in our plant) when exposed to urine or other liquids.

Second, Clean and Seal the Floor.

Before laying down your new (or clean) pad and rug, the urea crystals that may be residing in the fine scratches of your floor (or floor finish) need to be addressed.

Clean the area with eight ounces of chlorine bleach to one gallon of water and allow the floor to dry for 36-48 hours.

Next, you need to seal in the crystals that may still lie within the wood or cracks of the floor by applying a floor sealant (shellac or polyurethane).

Allow your floor to dry for another 36-48 hours before returning the pad and rug to its place in your home.

How Do I Treat Urine Spots
If They Happen Again?

There are two ways to treat urine spots because of the pH change when exposed to the air. We treat fresh (wet) urine differently from the way we treat an old (dry) urine spot.

Fresh/Wet:

1. Absorb as much of the urine as possible by tamping with paper towels or rags. (Don't rub or agitate the fiber as this may cause distortion or a 'fuzzy' appearance).

2. Use 2 oz. of clear ammonia (not sudsy) to 16 oz. of water and apply to affected area(s) front and back of the rug. (Never apply a solution directly to the carpet or rug. Always use absorbent material to apply).

3. Blot to dry and rinse with water (apply with a towel) and blot to dry again.

*Repeat steps as needed.

Old/Dry:

1. Vacuum affected areas.

2. Apply distilled household vinegar to affected area(s) front and back of the rug (apply with absorbent material or a towel).

3. Blot to dry and rinse with water (apply with absorbent material or a towel) and blot to dry again.

*Repeat steps as needed.

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URINE ODOR REMOVAL
FROM WALL-TO-WALL CARPETS

Urine in wall-to-wall carpets pollutes the air quality in the home environment because of the bacterial action taking place beneath the carpeting.

It is usually more cost effective to replace wall-to-wall carpeting and padding than to attempt urine odor removal or decontamination. Typically, the broadloom carpets that use latex in the construction cannot successfully be urine decontaminated. 

As with area rugs in our plant above, if you have any questions about whether sanitation will help reduce odor in your wall-to-wall carpeting, please call or text our office at 607-272-1566. We can schedule a time to come to your home for an estimate.

What Happens If I Just Have the Carpet Cleaned and
Don't address the Urine?

Leaving urine untreated in carpets leads to other concerns besides odor:

• One concern is that urine attracts moths.
• Another concern is the longer the urea crystals remain in the carpet, the darker the urine stain becomes and the more damage occurs to the foundation.

Although cleaning cannot always remove the stain from certain carpet fibers, it can lighten it and prevent it from becoming darker.

Why Won't Cleaning
Remove the Odor?

Initially, urine is an acid stain that becomes alkaline as it takes on nitrogen molecules from the air. During this chemical reaction, the urine transforms into microscopic crystals.

These urea crystals remain in the foundation, backing, and glues of wall-to-wall carpeting, even after powerful truckmounted hot water extraction 'steam cleaning'. Because the urea crystals remain, they are a food source for micro-organisms, which are the cause of the odor.

Why Don't the Carpets Have an Odor in the Winter?

As mentioned in the section on Rugs above, there are four contributing factors that must be present for bacteria to grow: a warm climate (temperature), a lack of light, moisture, and an organic food source.

The perfect incubator for bacterial growth is created under your wall-to-wall carpets, with the urea crystals being the food source. The 'urine odor' is actually coming from the growing bacteria.

This cycle is interrupted during the winter months because the heat is on, making the home environment dry or without moisture. Thus, one important contributing factor for bacterial growth is missing and the bacteria are lying dormant.

What If a Sanitizer Was Used During the Last Cleaning?

A sanitizer may have been used during the last cleaning, which only kills bacteria in the carpet pile and cannot reach the foundation where the urea crystals are. 

If the odor is minimal, the sanitizer may help with the problem and may last about 6 months.

Possibly the urine problem was minor before (only a few 'accidents') and now, after time, the bacterial cycle has gone on and attracted the pet to urinate again.

Again, the only solution is complete urine odor removal (urine decontamination). This is a very costly and labor-intensive solution for wall-to-wall carpets in the home and replacement is usually recommended.

Why Does It Seem My Pets Have More Accidents or
Urine Odor is Stronger in the Warmer Months than at
Other Times of the Year?

Also as mentioned above in the Rug section, urine odor is stronger during the warmer months because of high humidity in the air from rainfall and high temperatures.

The urine odor noticed in the spring is usually old accidents beginning another bacterial cycle (although recent urination cannot be completely ruled out).

After Replacing a
Urine-Contaminated Carpet...

If you have made the decision, as we have recommended, to replace your urine-contaminated carpet with a new one, it is important to make sure it stays that way by addressing the urine that passed through your rug, more than likely contaminating the pad and floor beneath.

A few steps will ensure your carpet will main odor-free (unless there is another pet accident). These steps must be completed before the new pad and carpet are installed:

First, replace the affected pad. The affected part of the pad beneath the carpet needs to be replaced.

Second, clean and seal the floor. Before a professional carpet installer lays down your new pad and carpet, the urea crystals that are residing in the fine scratches of your floor (or floor finish) need to be addressed.

• Clean the area with eight ounces of chlorine bleach to one      gallon of water and allow the floor to dry for 36-48 hours.
• Next, seal in the crystals that may still lay within the wood      cracks of the floor by applying a floor sealant (shellac or          polyurethane).
• Allow your floor to dry for another 36-48 hours before            installation of the new pad and carpet in your home or            business.

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URINE ODOR REMOVAL FROM UPHOLSTERED FURNITURE

The urine odor removal or decontamination system used for upholstery is quite different from the removal of animal or human urine from carpeting and rugs.

Upholstery has its unique problems where urine is concerned. The urine, pet or human, goes into the stuffing (whether foam or some other kind of material) and is held there. We can clean the fabric, but we cannot pull anything from the stuffing. As long as the urine is still in the item, the odor will continue.

What are the Options for
Urine Odor Removal from Upholstered Furniture?

One option is to totally replace or reupholster the item.

If only the cushions (unattached) were affected, there is a possibility we can clean and treat both the back and front of the fabric and eliminate the urine after a new filling has been inserted.

This involves taking the cushions to an upholsterer to have new insides made. The upholsterer then must cover the new filling with a plastic bag and put the cushion fabric back on. We will clean the fabric and, when it is done, we will pull out the plastic bag and zip up the cushion.

NOTE: To ensure the proper fit of cushions, we only clean them with the cushion covers zipped on.

What About Removal of
Urine Stains?

All of the above has involved urine ODOR. There is also the problem of urine becoming permanent stains.

Some dyes are not stable in certain upholstery fabrics. Applying any solution to the fabric may cause colors to run. The best way to treat the problem is to blot up all you can and call a professional cleaner.

As a general rule, the more liquid you apply to a urine contaminated rug, carpet or upholstered piece of furniture, the deeper down you will make the urine and liquid go and the further out it will spread.

To reduce the effect of the spot or area from becoming dark and permanent, try to catch the problem as soon as possible after the occurrence. The best advice is to keep blotting (not rubbing) the area until you can no longer transfer the urine to a white absorbent material.

How Do I Treat Urine Spots
If They Happen Again?

Not all upholstered fabric can take spot treatment with any type of liquid. Your best option is to blot up as much of the urine as possible until there is no more transfer of urine to an absorbent material.

If you are unsure of the type of fabric covering your upholstery, please call our office at (607) 272-1566 or bring an arm cover or a cushion to us to examine.

PICK UP and DELIVERY

Please click here for our Pick Up and Delivery Policy and our Pick Up and Delivery Service Areas.

If you do not live in our service area, please feel free to call or text our office at 607-272-1566 and arrange to send us your rugs by mail or through a delivery service such as Fed Ex or UPS.

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