Owners of even the best-trained pets will occasionally encounter pet urine accidents. Often, the urine is not discovered until long after the accident. The types of damage from pet urine can be diverse and are dependent upon the makeup of the urine. Urine content will change over the pet’s life because of the pet’s diet, medications, age, health, sex, and reproductive cycles. Because of these variations, some urine stains may not be removable.

To treat urine-damaged areas, blot damp areas as soon as the urine is detected, with plain white paper toweling. Apply a solution of 1/4 teaspoon of a liquid dishwashing detergent (non-bleach and non-lanolin) with one cup of lukewarm water. Do not use automatic dishwashing detergent or aundry detergent. Absorb the moisture with paper towel, rinse with warm water and repeat the application of detergent. Continue rinsing and blotting with the detergent solution and water as long as there is a transfer to the toweling or improvement in the spot. Follow the detergent application with a solution of two tablespoons of ammonia with one cup of water. Rinse with warm water and repeat. Blot dry. Blot the area with a solution of one cup white vinegar to two cups water, and blot dry. Apply a half-inch layer of paper towels to the affected area, and weigh down with a flat, heavy, non-fading object. Continue to change paper towels until completely dry.

Urine can affect the dyes used in carpet, although not all occurrences will result in a permanent stain. Success is dependent upon the content of the urine, the dyes and finish used, and the time elapsed after the deposit. Some urine spots may be immediately noticeable, while others may take weeks or months for a reaction. The dyes may change color immediately after contact with urine. Color can sometimes be restored by treating the area with a solution of two tablespoons of a clear, non-sudsy ammonia in one cup of water. While this treatment is not always successful in restoring color, the ammonia can be effective in removing urine content and reducing objectionable odors.

When urine spots develop slowly and are noticed after much time has elapsed, the dyes and carpet fibers may be permanently damaged. In beige carpet, blue dyes are attacked by pet urine, leaving behind the red and yellow dyes with a resulting stain appearing red, yellow, or orange.

Pet urine, left unattended, can damage carpet in several ways. Moisture can weaken the layers of the carpet, allowing separation or delamination of the backing material. Seam areas can be particularly damaged and can separate.

Another problem, especially with cats, is odor. Unless the cat urine can be completely removed, complete odor removal is unlikely. A number of products are available to combat odor, but may simply mask the odor, and, in times of high humidity, the odor may reappear.

Recently, enzymes, available at pet stores and veterinary offices, have been developed that are more effective; but they may be better used by a carpet cleaning professional. If odor cannot be removed, the damaged area of the carpet can be replaced with a piece from reserved scrap. If carpet replacement is necessary, then replacement of cushion and even subflooring may also be necessary.

Some carpet manufacturers have developed backings that resist spills and even prevent the spillage from penetrating the carpet into the carpet cushion and, perhaps, the subfloor.

Check with your carpet dealer about these products.

Technical Bulletin #115

03/01 page 1 of 1

The Carpet and Rug Insitute

Procedures

1. Urgency is important with spot cleaning. The earlier that you get to it the better it will usually come off. Most carpet is stain-resistant but no carpet is stain-proof.

2. With a putty knife or the edge of other dull knife, scrape off as much of the foreign matter as you can.

3. Never scrub a carpet as this will distort and fray the pile. Absorb as much liquid as you can by blotting before adding any new liquid.

4. If you haven’t already done so, pretest your cleaning solution on a scrap of the carpet or in an inconspicuous area. Some products can damage carpet dye or cause yellowing.

5. Apply your spot-cleaning chemical to an absorbent towel. Never poor the chemical directly onto the carpet. Excess cleaner leaves a residue to attract soil. Some spotters in excess will damage the latex in the back of a carpet.

6. Work the spotter from the outside of the spot toward the center to keep the spot from growing.

Spot Removal Solutions

1. Detergent solution: To 1 cup of warm water add only 3 drops of dish washing liquid. Do not use laundry detergent or powdered dish washing detergent as these may damage the carpet. Do not add more then 3 drops of the liquid detergent, as excess will leave a residue that attracts soil.

2. Acetic acid solution: One half cup of white vinegar to one cup of water.

3. Alkaline solution: Two tablespoons of household ammonia to one cup of water.

4. Alcohol: Isopropyl or grain.

5. Dry cleaning solvent: Used for removing oily spots. Different brands are available for removing spots on clothing.

6. Rinse: Clear water

Removal Procedures Common Spills

Catsup: Scrape, blot, detergent solution, rinse, blot.

Coffee, Tea, Soft Drink: Blot, detergent solution, acetic acid solution, rinse, blot.

Feces: Scrape, detergent solution, ammonia solution, acetic acid, rinse, blot.

Ink: Blot, alcohol, blot, dry cleaning solvent, blot.

Lipstick: Dry cleaning solvent, blot.

Milk: Blot, detergent solution, rinse, blot.

Oil, Grease and Tar: Scrape solids, dry cleaning solvent, detergent solution, rinse, blot.

Paint, oil base: Scrape, dry solvent, detergent solution, rinse, blot.

Paint, water base: Scrape, detergent solution, rinse, blot.

Urine, fresh: Blot, detergent solution, rinse, blot.

Urine, dry: Detergent solution, ammonia solution, blot, acetic acid solution, rinse, blot.

Yellow areas dry and unknown: Rinse, acetic acid solution, blot.

Notice: All spots may not come out. All products should be protested on an inconspicuous area or remnant.

Visual and Real Color Changes

When viewing a carpet one frequently sees what appears to be a color change, but has the color truly changed or is it something different? Has the carpet gained or lost color?

Much of the time when an installed carpet is evaluated under lighting that is consistent across the entire area being reviewed, what the eye had previously registered as a color change is found to have been no more than shadows or a difference in light reflection.

• A window or open door places light and shadows on portions of carpet and may even make it appear stained.
• The shadows cast by a piece of furniture or other fixed object may make a carpet appear to have a dark blotch in it.
• A difference in artificial lighting may make areas appear to be different colors such as making one area appear yellow or green and another area more white or blue.
• Tinted windows regardless of how light the tint can make sections of the carpet appear a totally different color.
• When a carpet is walked on the fibers bend or compact so that more light is reflected from the side of the pile in some areas resulting in lighter and darker appearing areas.
• As a carpet becomes soiled or the fiber is abraded the traffic areas may develop a gray, brown or yellow appearance.
• At other times a carpet develops stains (color added) of bleached areas (color loss). Large area color losses may also develop from heat and sun or impurities in the environment.

In part 2 we will discuss visual color change.