-
***
The following is a compilation of tips from various members from the past few years(not my personal ideas).
List of past ideas from all the membership.
No guarantees that any of these will work for you.(in no particular order of importance!
I merely added them as I found them on various threads)
Some of these methods work for recent urine stains.
Others work for very old odors, too.
***
"Enzyme Cleaners" for pet odorsMost easily purchased at pet stores. (petsmart, petco, etc)
Sometimes available from veterinarians or janitorial supply stores.
NOTE:
Enzyme cleaners need a few days dry!
They have to soak in, and then fully dry.
Once they've dried, the odor leaves.
You may have to repeat the process.
A follow-up with a water-only steam clean might help remove residual odor.
However, residual odor might mean you need to repeat the process.
One member suggests that it's not heat that dries out carpet, it's air movement. Try a fan rather than a heater.
(not sure if this is true).
*** WARNING:Products like Nature's Miracle MAY contain live microorganisms which will die on exposure to soap, detergent, etc. There is a report which suggests that using the bacterial enzyme product first, to remove all odor, then following with other treatments, will optimize the outcome.
Wait until the enzyme cleaner is fully dried (maybe a week!) and has removed the odor, before washing the carpeting with soap.
NOTE: You might have residual soap left in your carpeting
from YEARS ago when you previously washed the carpet. This might interfere with the enzyme cleaner.
CAUTION: Many carpets are treated with Scotchguard and other chemicals that might hamper the effectiveness of enzyme cleaners.
***
BoraxBuy at laundry aisle at your grocery store.
One member suggests:
"Go to the pee spot, thoroughly wet it (pour a glass or two of water), then dump borax on the spot. Your pile should be at least 1/2" thick, not a sprinkle. Completely cover it.
Then take a laundry basket and turn it upside down over the spot so you don't walk on it but it can still dry. Let it dry completely (at least overnight, probably 2-3 days) then vacuum the borax up. You will see the borax turn yellow as it draws the pee out. It will clean all the way down through the padding to the subfloor."
Inexpensive!
Another member suggests:
"A solution of hot water and borax...borax is great for all kinds of odors. Also dries up gross stuff and makes it simpler to dispose of.
Borax will combine with soap or bleach okay."
***
Baking Soda (bicarbonate of soda)One member suggests:
"1) Do a quick vacuuming job to get up the loose bits, then sprinkle baking soda liberally on the carpet (this shouldn't aggravate your breathing issues as much as the scented carpet sprinkles do, plus baking soda doesn't make a lot of dust).
2) Use a soft brush (or socked feet ) to gently work the baking soda down INTO the carpet. This is important.
3) Leave it there overnight! Then vacuum it up the next day. Even if your vacuum cleaner isn't great, it should still be enough to vacuum the soda out of the rug.
Baking soda absorbs odor, and working it down into the rug then giving it time will do a much better job than just sprinkling it on the surface and vacuuming right after. This could go a LONG way toward helping."
***
Listerine brand mouthwash
(has to be this brand)
Recommended by several members for removing pet odors.
***
Oxygen cleaner"Oxy-Clean" brand
"Sun" brand oxygen cleaner from Dollar General Store
A member wrote:
This was done on fresh pee:
"I wet it down first, blotted what I could up, then mixed up some OxyClean. I sprayed it on and then took the actual OxyClean powder and put it on top of the wet rug, and under the rug (I know you couldn't do that part with carpet though). I put it on there very thick, threw a towel over it and left it there for a week untouched. After the week was up, I vacuumed up the OxyClean, and the smell is gone. It also cleaned my rug really nice too."
Another member wrote:
"I have gotten pet stains and other bad stains out of carpet and clothing using the oxygen cleaner. I run it through my carpet steam cleaner. You could do the same with the upholstery cleaner.
WARNING -- Oxygen Cleaner will lighten color of your rug!
Do not use on important dark-colored carpeting!
***
VinegarRun plain white vinegar - mixed with water - through the carpet cleaner.
Or just pour it on the stain.
Your carpet will smell like vinegar, until it dries.
Once dried, all vinegar odor will vanish.
WARNING: do not mix vinegar with any product that contains bleach.
vinegar + bleach = toxic fumes
*** Use a
blacklight(ONLY the kind you purchase at pet stores.)
It will tell you where the hidden pet urine stains are.
how it works:
ezinearticles.com/?Why-You-Need-A-Blacklight-To-Clean-Cat-Urine&id=344751
***
"Kennel Odor Eliminator" (K.O.E.)made by the Thornell Corporation.
Thornell makes products for odors for various animals including cats. I've been told however that the best product of theirs (even for cats) is the Kennel one.
This product was reportedly used on extreme cases of cleaning up neglected foreclosed homes with abandoned cats living inside.
This is supposed to work way better than Nature's Miracle.
It's not an enzyme cleaner -- so you CAN mix it with soapy water.
From all the product blurbs I saw on multiple websites:
Add only 1/4 oz (not 1 oz.) per gallon of water.
That would be a half-tablespoon of Kennel Odor Eliminator mixed into a gallon of water. Strong stuff.
www.thornell.com/index.php?p=page&page_id=koe
You can probably order it online from various pet supply web stores.
Or inquire at your local farm and feed store.
Their website has some interesting info:
Did you catch that? Decayed cat urine is chemically similar to the chemicals within skunk odor !
They say you need to pour the solution through the rug and pad and into the floor below, if the urine has seeped that deep.
Lots of info on the science of odors on their FAQ page:
www.thornell.com/pages/faqs.html
***
hydrogen peroxideCaution: it will lighten color of carpeting!
takeonestepatatime.proboards.com/thread/6847
*** "
Odoban"
Recommended by lots of people.
Safety debate inside this thread:
takeonestepatatime.proboards.com/thread/6866
*** *** *** ***
IMPORTANT:
Whichever method you use:
Pour the solution through the rug and pad and into the floor below, if the urine has seeped that deep.
If it is a small stain, pour it in a
larger diameter than the stain.
That is because the urine seeps outward from where it originally struck the carpeting!
This happens especially with the padding.
*** If nothing works, you may need to replace the carpeting, and especially the padding underneath.
You may even need to replace the solid floor and subfloor underneath that!
If you ever have the opportunity to buy new carpet and padding, its really worth it to do the following:
1) seal the subfloor so nothing can soak in
2) get the padding with the "pet proofing" to resist absorbing any drainage
3) get a carpet with the "pet backing" which slows drainage to the padding
*** *** ***
NOTEPetasticSomeone had posted in the midst of this thread that there is a product called "Petastic". [Her post must've accidentally been deleted ?] But the gist of her post was as follows:
A company called "Petastic" now owns the original formula that used to be "Nature's Miracle".
It is rumored that the
current formula of Nature's Miracle isn't as good as the original formula.
Meanwhile, Petastic uses the original formula, which is supposed to be better.
Petastic makes products for various pet odor issues,
and...
Also makes its own laundry detergent.
EDIT to update, Petastic, made by Venus Laboratories
is the same product made by the same company for decades,
but it's owner rebranded it as part of their "ecos" line.Laundry detergent for pet odors,
their original pet odor cleaner formula,
and some skunk odor cleaner.
Go here to find:
ecos.com
