Pet urine is the problem that generates most of our emergency calls, and it behaves differently to any other spill. It soaks through the carpet into the backing and often the underlay, then crystallises as it dries.
Those crystals reactivate with humidity, which is why a spot that seemed dealt with smells again on a damp day.
The short version
- Urine reaches the backing and underlay, not just the pile
- Surface cleaning masks odour without removing the source
- Enzyme treatment breaks down the source compounds
- Hair and dander need mechanical removal before extraction
- Cat urine is the most persistent and the hardest to shift
First response to an accident
Blot with white cloth or kitchen roll, pressing down hard rather than rubbing. Rinse very lightly with cool water and blot again. Do not use warm water, do not use a steam mop, and do not use anything ammonia-based — ammonia smells like urine to a cat and encourages a repeat visit to the same spot.
Why odour returns
Urine salts left in the carpet backing are hygroscopic — they draw moisture from the air and release odour as they do. Any treatment that only deals with the pile surface leaves those salts in place. Proper treatment floods the affected depth with an enzyme solution, gives it dwell time and then extracts it.
Hair, dander and allergens
Pet hair has to come out mechanically before wet cleaning, or it mats into the pile.
- Slow, repeated vacuuming in two directions on favourite spots
- Rubber-edged tools to lift woven-in hair from upholstery
- Deep extraction to remove the dander and oils that vacuuming leaves
- Regular intervals rather than waiting for a visible problem
When the underlay has to go
Repeat accidents in the same spot usually mean contamination below the carpet. Where that has happened, replacing the affected underlay section and sealing the sub-floor is the only permanent fix. We will tell you when we find it rather than clean over it.