Despite Cleaning Efforts, Urine Can Easily Destroy Carpet

Mark Johnson, owner of the South ServPro in Spokane, says urine is very damaging to carpets. “If it’s the first-time offense,” says Johnson, “a professional can probably remove it effectively for you.” John Tart, owner of Northwest Carpet Cleaning and Dyeing in Coeur D’Alene, seconds that notion. “The best thing is to hire a professional carpet cleaner,” he says.

Neither, however, guarantee a cleaning if the animal is then given free rein in the house again. And, usually, pet owners don’t realize they’ve got an extensive problem until they call for a cleaning because of odors. In general, says Johnson, if more than 30 percent of the carpet is damaged by urine, it’s more cost-effective to replace the carpet. Tart will give the carpet 40-50 percent saturation before declaring it a goner, but both say the functional question is this: is it more expensive to repair or replace the carpet?

The problem with urine on carpet is that it seeps through the top fibers and spreads through the pad, the floor, and the subfloor quickly, says Johnson. What looks like a little spot on top of the carpet is probably much more menacing underneath. Says Tart, “If it is 6 inches on the top you’ve got 18 inches underneath.”

Home-remedies and even surface cleaning by a professional cannot remove the odor from the carpet pad and floor. To repair the damage properly, a professional needs to replace the affected pad, carpet tack strip (animals often urinate near the perimeter of a carpet), and sand and seal the damaged floor and sub-floor to keep the odor from returning. If discovered and treated before the urine goes through to the floor, an enzymatic cleaner from a pet store can remove the urine, says Johnson, but most “accidents” aren’t discovered that quickly. Tart is even more skeptical about cleaners that claim to eradicate urine from carpets. “I’ll tell you right away it won’t work,” he says. “Maybe one out of a thousand will work.”

Johnson often uses a black light to help diagnose the problem. Urine contains salt, which is fluorescent under a black light. Pet owners can buy black lights (Nature’s Miracle black lights sell for about $35 at pet stores) but need to be aware that other spills with a high mineral content will show up, too.

Tart uses a moisture probe to detect wet spots, but, he says, “The bottom line is, you’ve got to smell it” to determine the unpleasant truth. Johnson agrees that the smell test tells the truth when it comes to finding the culprit of an odor problem.

Johnson says the type of floor in a home can make a difference. If Fido’s got you considering new carpet, “a polyester would be the most durable,” says Johnson, as opposed to a natural fiber. Tart favors a nylon fiber carpet as the most durable synthetic.

“Wool’s the best,” he says, “but you can’t afford it.”

The best bets with pets, however, are hardwood floors with a good finish, says Johnson. When a home has hardwood floors, he says, you not only see the spot more quickly, but the seal also helps prevent the moisture from penetrating the wood and damaging the underlying structure.