We love our pets…

Oh how we love our pets! We often treat them like family members. But if you're a pet owner, you are probably aware of how pet stains happen. Just when you're not looking, your house pet has an "accident" and your once-lovely carpet or furniture has been "decorated" with a pet stain and, no less serious a problem is the accompanying pet stain odor. Pet urine is a serious problem when it absorbs into your carpets, sofas, and floors. The odor and bacteria can cause health related risks if not located and properly treated. If the odor is not located and treated within a few days your pet will repeatedly use that area multiple times. Each time your pet returns to the same area the urine penetrates deeper and deeper into the carpet fibers, padding and sub floor. On sofas, chairs, and mattresses urine easily absorbs into the foam padding and seat cushions of your furniture.

According to the 2007 National Pet Owners Survey, 63% of U.S. households own a pet, which equates to 71.1 million homes. When left alone, urine from pets can seep through carpet, into padding and down to the floor beneath. Urine can delaminate (break down the backing of a carpet) a carpet and can cause rotting of jute backing.

Finding the exact source of a pet odor can be very difficult. Tru-Clean Carpet & Tile Care utilizes Xenon UV lighting to readily find the exact spots. Urine, under a Xenon light source, glows very distinctly. Our technicians are able to locate invisible odor causing areas, diagnose the problem and perform the corrective procedures to eliminate odor causing bacteria and spot elimination.

We can assist you with pet stain removal so that your stained carpets and upholstery are looking and smelling better than ever. Our cleaning specialists use sophisticated pet stain removers that zap out pet stains without damaging your valuable carpets and furniture. When you are rid of pet stains and odors, you can once again feel proud and totally confident inviting guests into your home.

In many cases our normal cleaning process is all that is needed to correct minor pet problems. The powerful rinsing action of our cleaning system can effectively remove urine from carpet fiber. To treat the odors associated with pet stains we offer a highly effective bioenzyme treatment, which involves the introduction of an enzyme digester which eats the odor-causing matter.

The problem with pet odor is that it can be much deeper than it appears at first. Pet urine can easily soak through the backing of the carpet into the padding underneath. In more severe cases the urine can penetrate into the sub-floor beneath the padding. This creates a problem that is multi-layered.

The urine also provides for the growth of bacteria. This in turn contributes to a worsening of the odor problem and can contribute to permanent color loss of the carpet fiber.

Treatment

To eliminate this problem the urine must be removed or neutralized from each of the layers effected. If the contamination is limited to only the face yarn of the carpet then the cleaning itself may effectively remove the odor. In more severe cases a urine neutralizer may be applied.

In the most severe cases, replacement of the carpet padding, treatment of the under-side of the carpet and the sub-floor may be required. Even replacement of the carpet, however, can not guarantee complete removal of the odor.

Left untreated over a period of time pet odor can become absorbed into many of the porous materials in your home. Draperies, sheet rock, upholstered furniture, base-boards, even the concrete foundation are just a few of the materials that can absorb these odors.

At Tru-Clean Carpet & Tile Care we offer a range of solutions to help you with your pet odor problems. In the long run, however, it may be more a matter of proper maintenance instead of total elimination. After all, we love our pets and want to keep them a part of our family. Pet ownership adds to the challenge of maintaining a clean and healthy home. At Tru-Clean we can help you meet those challenges.

Urine Control

Please note that when cleaning urine spots, there is a difference between cleaning the urine soiling and treating for odor. Cleaning existing urine spots MAY NOT remove any associated odor. In fact, it could increase the odor in the air space for a temporary period of time.

Pet urine can cause permanent damage to your floors and fabrics. It can also create an unhealthy indoor environment. When urine is first deposited onto a floor or fabric, it is in an almost "neutral" state which means it is easier to remove when it is fresh. Once it dries, it turns "alkaline" and becomes more difficult to remove. If left for days or weeks, depending on the fabric or floor type, it will permanently change the dye structure, therefore causing permanent staining. Even if the soluble deposits are removed, the damage to the dye structure may already be done.

To prevent permanent staining in the future, clean urine spots immediately by blotting with a white terry cloth towel or plain white paper towels until no moisture is transferred.

To clean the spot, mix 1 part white vinegar to 2 parts water and massage (don't rub) into the spot with a white terry cloth. Once you have "flushed" as much of the urine out as possible, blot with dry cloths until dry to the touch.

If you have a small extraction machine, flush with fresh water until spot is removed. Do not use over the counter, general spotters or extraction detergent. If you do not use this formula, ask us about special pet spotters.