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

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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.

 

 

 

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Thomas Priebe
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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!

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Cleaning Up Carpet After Pets

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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.

How to Vacuum Litter

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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

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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 Owners – How To Cut Back on Litter

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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

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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

Remove Animal Stains from Carpet

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Protein stains from animal accidents can be very difficult to get out of your carpet unless you deal with them right away with the correct extraction method.

The first step to cleaning up animal accidents is to pick up all solids with a paper towel and then blot up any liquids from the spill. If cleaning vomit pour an inch of baking soda onto the wet spot. The baking soda will wick acidic digestive juices up and neutralize the vomit. Pick up the clumps of baking soda when done and throw them away.

For wool or natural carpets always read the manufacturer’s directions to clean a spill.  If you have a synthetic carpet you can use use an enzymatic pet urine remover product next. The enzymatic will digest animal proteins including urine, feces, blood and vomit. Because it works on all proteins it cannot be used on wool which some carpet is made from. If you have a natural carpet made of wool or cotton you need to use baking soda and vinegar to remove protein spills.

Of course, you can achieve even better results with no worries by calling Commercial Steam Team . Our powerful and safe equipment relieves you of any worries from using rental equipment and is so much more powerful than any equipment on the market.  We leave your carpet fresh, clean, and safe for pets and family. Call us today at 952-224-7222 and let us show you how easy it can be!