How to Remove Urine Odor and Stains from Carpet

Overview

Whether you’re cleaning up after your child, an incontinent adult, or your pet, you know how difficult it can be to get rid of urine stains and odors from carpet. The reason that this type of stain is so difficult to remove is because of the uric acid crystals found in urine. Any type of urine from mammals, whether it is human or pet urine, contains uric acid crystals, which can only be removed by using an enzyme based cleaning product. Traditional products involving soap and strong chemicals aren’t able to work because they do not break down the uric acid crystals. The only permanent method of removing urine odor and stains is by using products specifically designed to bind with and destroy the uric acid. This is exactly how our enzyme based cleaners work.

Products must have the correct combination of enzymes and other ingredients to destroy the uric acid crystals and at the same time eliminate the bacteria surrounding the urine which causes the odor. The enzymes are applied to the stain in a liquid form and take the same path that the urine would have taken originally. We carry several effective urine removal products, and the product that you choose should depend on the age and the size of the stain that you have to remove. All of our products have a money-back guarantee, even removing stains as old as 20 years.

We carry two products that work great on carpet.

Urine-Erase uses a two-step process. First, a dry enzyme powder is mixed fresh with water. This solution is poured onto the surface of the stain and allowed to sit for 8 hours. The second step is to pour the accompanying gentle peroxide solution over the stain. This solution changes the stain and odor into an evaporable gas of water and oxygen. Once the area has air dried, any remaining enzyme on the surface is vacuumed away and the area is clean and odor-free.

Another effective enzyme-based urine remover is OdorZyme. This product consists of a super strength plant-based surfactant, which digests the uric acid crystals at the source of the odor and stain. It does not simply cover or mask the smell, it actually attacks the uric acid crystals—the source of the odor. Its one step design makes it useful to immediately neutralize stains and treat small spots with the easy to use spray on applicator. It comes in both a spray-on trigger bottle and a large money-saving economy size. As with all enzyme based urine removal products, it is important to use the amount of product that is equal to the amount of urine that originally caused the stain. This is especially important when using a spray bottle because the tendency is to just wet the surface. If the urine has soaked into your carpet, the cleaner must also “soak” in. The spray-on trigger bottle is convenient for quick spot clean-ups, or small stains.

Specific Directions for Carpets

ALWAYS check first for colorfastness by applying to an inconspicuous area.

For fresh urine deposits:

• Do not use any other cleaners or chemicals. Do not shampoo carpet or upholstery. If you plan to have the carpet or upholstery shampooed anyway, do this only after you have removed all urine odor and stain.
• Soak up as much urine as possible by blotting by hand with paper towels. Do not use your shoe to press down the paper towels, as urine residue on your shoe will track urine scent for several steps! Use protective gloves if desired.
• If using Odorzyme, use the "stream" setting on the sprayer nozzle to saturate the urine stain, the underlying padding, and the flooring, (Odorzyme must contact all of the urine-soaked material completely to remove the odor and stain). For large volumes of urine, remove the sprayer and pour Odorzyme directly onto the stain.
• If using Urine-Erase, mix the enzyme powder according to the instructions and saturate the are you are treating. Wait at least eight hours (or overnight) and pour the solution from the bottle onto the same area.
• Allow to air dry.
• After urine odor and stain are removed, remove residue by applying a small amount of water to the area and blotting it up with a paper towel. You may need to do this several times. It is important to remove the residue, or the treated area may attract dirt.

For old dried urine stains:

• Older urine deposits can adversely affect or remove dyes in the carpet or upholstery. This damage is not common, but if this has happened, the cleaner cannot reverse the damaged area.
• Do not use any other cleaners or chemicals! Do not shampoo carpet. If you plan to have the carpet shampooed anyway, do this only after you have removed all urine odor and stain.
• If using Odorzyme, use the "stream" setting on the sprayer nozzle to saturate the urine stain, the underlying padding, and the flooring, (Odorzyme must contact all of the urine-soaked material completely to remove the odor and stain). For large volumes of urine, remove the sprayer and pour Odorzyme directly onto the stain.
• If using Urine-Erase, mix the enzyme powder according to the instructions and saturate the are you are treating. Wait at least eight hours (or overnight) and pour the solution from the bottle onto the same area.
• For particularly old or difficult stains, saturate the area and cover with plastic wrap for 24 to 48 hours, allowing the product to dry more slowly.
• Note that as the first application goes to work, the urine odor may actually intensify at first. This is normal with old or heavy urine deposits and indicates that the urine is being broken loose and is rising to the surface.
• Allow to air dry.
• If necessary, repeat application for the next few days until stain is no longer visible and odor is gone.
• After urine odor and stain are removed, remove residue by applying a small amount of water to the area and blotting up with paper towel. It is important to remove residue or the area may attract dirt.

When possible, open windows and/or place a fan in the room to accelerate the drying process.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do I know how much of the product I need?

A: A good rule of thumb is to use a volume of the liquid based enzyme solution that is equal to the amount of urine that created the stain. Use enough product to follow the same path as the urine. All enzyme based cleaners work best when a sufficient quantity is used. If the cleaner does not extend beyond the edges of the stain, some uric acid crystals may remain.

Q: What happens if I still smell an odor after treatment?

A: First, remember that the smell usually gets worse before it gets better. This means that the cleaner is working. Carpet and underpads may take several days to completely dry, so make sure the area is dry. If the odor still persists, then you probably need to use additional product. You must reach all the dried urine for products to work effectively. Sometimes, especially for urine on the edge of the room, the urine penetrates the floor under your carpet pad, or the baseboard on the wall. These are stubborn areas that may require additional treatment, or require you to pull up the carpet in this area.