Why Are Pet Pee Stains So Hard To Remove From Carpets?

in , , /by

Animal urine is made up of a combo of water, enzymes, urea, uric acid, cholesterol and other trace chemicals – with a yellow pigment. When a cat or dog pees, the liquid that comes out is an acid, but after 12 hours this acid begins transformation to an alkaline due to bacteria.  The salt produced from the alkaline mixes with the yellow pigment and causes the yellow coloring or stains that are sometimes visible on floors.

The most important thing you can do with cat or dog urine spots is get the pee removed as quickly as possible.

The longer urine is left on a rug or carpet, the harder removal becomes.  The ammonia that grows in animal urine can cause color changes, especially if there are blue or cool tones in the flooring.  It is important to note this because it sometimes can appear like a carpet cleaner cannot fix an old “stain”    -even though the carpet is clean – because the stain is actually a color change that has taken place within the carpet or rug fibers.

Another factor with animal pee stains is the scent left behind.   This awful smell is produced by the ammonia and bacteria mentioned above, and if they are not killed off the right way, the smell will get worse when around moisture.  This is why a home or a floor with pets can smell worse on a humid Minnesota day or when wet.  Urine also soaks down into the carpet backing or the pad, and can be hard to remove by hand.

Bacteria must be removed to clean a carpet or floor with dog or cat urine on it properly.

Many of the carpet cleaning products available in stores are meant for stains, so they only deal with the color left behind when an animal pees.  This makes for a clean looking home, but not a clean smelling one.  An enzymatic cleaner or disinfectant, like the one Commercial Steam Team uses when cleaning, must be used to accomplish removal of the spot and the smell.  A professional carpet cleaner with high quality steam trucks and equipment mixed with an enzymatic cleaner reaches deeper into carpet to kill the bacteria lurking beneath.

Are you dealing with pet stains from a cat or dog?  Call Commercial Steam Team today at 952-224-7222.

 

 

 

Five Star Review From Actual Customer:

Thomas Priebe
Positive: Professionalism, Punctuality, Quality, Responsiveness, Value

These guys were fantastic! The customer service was amazing, they were fast, professional, and effective – I didn’t think they could get all of the pet stains out, but they DID!

cat on carpet cleaning

Cleaning Up Carpet After Pets

in , , , , /by

Store-bought or homemade remedies for pet stain and smell removal from carpets generally don’t penetrate deeply enough in carpets. Cleaning pet urine from carpet using these tools can be a long frustrating process. Even when you think its done in a few days the smell can come back because the scrubbing doesn’t penetrate into the carpet padding, and in fact makes the problem worse by forcing the urine further down into the carpet. To remove pet urine smell you have penetrate into the carpet without driving the problem deeper.

Eventually after several carpet cleaning attempts using different products you may find a combination that appears to work, but forcing the urine so deep into the carpet that you can’t smell it as strongly can actually cause more problems. This is because some of the urine still remains, encouraging the growth of bacteria. Later when you vacuum you then blow these germs into the air.

The solution is a deep cleaning with an environmentally friendly hot water extraction cleaning.

Go here to learn more.

Hot Water Extraction Cleaning Environmentally Friendly

in , /by

If you’re looking for green tips for cleaning up after pets, this method is one of the most friendly. All of our cleaning agents are biodegradable and hypoallergenic as stated in the Material Safety Data Sheets on every product.
Read more about how friendly our carpet cleaning is.

How to Vacuum Litter

in , /by

Start by using the hose with the corner attachment. This will give you the highest suction power possible. Hover over the area to be cleaned to pull up as much material as possible. (Avoiding contact with the carpet will avoid driving the litter deeper into the carpet.)

Do not use the broom or brush attachment, since these will also drive the litter deeper into the carpet. Similarly, a hand vacuum is to be avoided if possible.

When done, apply a carpet deodorizer so that the kitty won’t decide that this is a new litter box.

If your cat does decide to use the floor as a litter box, give us a call so that we can get out those deep-rooted smells!

For more information on cat litter and your carpet, read our article!

Dog Feet and Carpet

in , /by

Now that it’s summer you will be spending more time outdoors with your pets. Keeping your carpet clean after your outings is simple if you remember to remove your shoes before entering the house.

You can’t take off your dog’s shoes but you can have a prep area where paws can be cleaned.

When your dog comes back from an outing you can use a very soft paw brush and a clean cloth to remove debris before it is tracked onto carpet. If it is a particularly muddy or rainy day you can place a dishpan or low bucket by the door and dip each paw to get the mud off first.

Regardless of the weather, many homeowners, associations, and multi-unit managers spray herbicides and pesticides on lawns and around shrubs. Pesticides in particular are neuro-toxins, meaning that they attack the central nervous systems of any animals that breathe or ingest them. This mean that if your dog cleans it’s feet after walking across treated areas then it can be ingesting poisons that can cause brain damage, so you may wish to rinse your dog’s paws even on nice days to keep your pet safe. This will also help keep these same pesticides and herbicides from being deposited into your carpet where you or your children may be exposed.

A little prep work can help your pet’s paws stay clean and your carpet clean.

If we can help clean your carpet please call Russ or Ryan at Commercial Steam Team 952-224-7222

Pet Odor Removal

in /by

Dogs and cats can bring such joy into your family and also some of the most difficult carpet odor, hair and stain problems.  We train our pets to behave indoors but occasionally there are accidents which have us looking for how to remove dog odor from carpet and asking, how do I get urine smell out of carpet?

There are many methods of pet odor removal and getting cat urine out of carpet so choosing the right carpet pet odor removal is important. For instance using ammonia when you are getting cat urine out of carpet only encourages the cat to urinate in that spot again. Ammonia is already in urine so you would not want to make this spot smell familiar by using more ammonia. There are many home remedies and products being sold that simply just don’t work.

When a cat or dog urinates on your carpet it’s best to act fast with an absorbent cotton cloth like a towel or if you are in a hurry a wad of paper towels. Wad up the towel and step on it to absorb as much liquid as possible change towels until there is no more liquid being absorbed. Next mix a solution of equal parts water and white vinegar to rinse the area so it penetrates to the fibers. Take a clean colorless towel or rag and blot out all the liquid until dry. Changing rags when they get wet will help soak up the spill quicker and prevent it from getting moldy when it dries.

Pet hair removers for the carpet such as a rubber fur removal brush sweeps pet hair away and can keep the majority of hair off furniture and carpets but it does not get it all off. Cat hair or longer dog hair is resistant to lint brushes so they do not work as well as a big piece of duct tape. Take a piece of duct tape and wind it around your hand and use it like a lint brush. You have heard that duct tape sticks to anything and it is the best quick hair removal tool. Pet hair has oil and dander on it and can cause odor if left unattended. By removing pet hair from furniture with a brush and by vacuuming carpet frequently you can keep carpet smelling cleaner.

The best way to remove pet odor and stains from pet urine is with a professional carpet cleaning from Commercial Steam Team. Call us today at 952-224-7222 to learn more!

Pet Owners – How To Cut Back on Litter

in , , , , , /by

kittysmCats can be a joy and a comfort, and unfortunately they can also be a problem on occasion. One such occasion is when they track litter around the home or office.

Litter that is no longer ‘fresh out of the box’ is as we know not very sanitary, and having that spread around is not good. Clumping cat litter in particular is very trackable. Litter can spread germs and smells, and if enough builds up can be an inspiration to start a new kitty bathroom. Besides, it hurts to walk on litter in bare feet.

A quick solution for reducing most of this litter problem is simply to have a carpet remnant or sample on the approach to and under the litter box. These remnants are much easier to clean. (Just take them outside and shake and beat them out.) A medium length cut pile carpet is generally best for this purpose.

For more ideas on controlling litter issues, visit our page on Cat Litter and Carpet.

Prevent Problems With Cat Litter in Carpet

in , , /by

cat on carpet cleaningThe simplest way to keep your kitty from tracking dirty cat litter into your carpet is to change the litter frequently. Once a cat’s litter becomes dirty the clumps may stick to their fur or between their toes and be tracked throughout the house.

To further minimize the spread of litter, place small carpet remnants or carpet samples under and around the litter box for at least a three foot distance. Whenever these carpet pieces become dirty with litter take them outside and shake and beat them out, or if this is not possible, then vacuum these pieces frequently.

For more great ideas read this article on keeping litter out of your carpet.

For the best in pet safe carpet cleaning call Commercial Steam Team today at 952-224-7222