Pet Odors

New dogs and cats quickly become an important part of the family. In fact, some kittens and puppies are so loved they're actually treated like humans. And just like babies, these infant animals are cute, cuddly, and come with a slew of headaches. Like children, the first obstacle you'll always encounter is potty training. Early on, accidents are unavoidable, but even as they grow up and learn to go outside, pets still have the uncanny ability to bring new smells into the house. Therefore, you're always going to need a little help keeping your floors and rugs in good shape. Here are some quick tips to help you clean and remove those carpet odors that seem to continually linger around the house.

Preparing for Prevention
The best way to avoid pet odors is to stop them in their tracks. If an accident isn't cleaned up properly, a dog or cat will simply assume that's the where you go to the bathroom, so make sure that you're thorough in your carpet odor removal. But sometimes the accidents may not be the animal's fault. If it's reoccurring, it may be a health issue, so have your animal checked out by a professional veterinarian. Or the problem could be hygiene: is your pet's hair too long so that feces is getting clumped and stuck in it? Make sure that you investigate all aspects of the crime before applying blame the animal or yourself.

Addressing Accidents
No matter the species, there will be accidents and they need to be cleaned up quick. But why are they so hard to get out? Well, many of today's foods are loaded with fillers and dyes to look like meat. So when regurgitated, it comes out as a hot, acidic form of the dye; and since rugs are set with hot acid, it causes stains. Urine has a coloring agent called urea, which gives it a distinct staining color. And untreated urine contains an alkaline salt that, like table salt, draws moisture from the air and can become sticky (it can actually "grab" the vacuum while cleaning). However, there are solutions.

Some products contain an active enzyme with mutant bacteria that feeds on the protein deposits in urine, but this digester needs to time to work and requires a large dosage. Or a professional could remove both dye and urine as long as you don't make it worse. For example, cleaning a stain with vinegar could set the dye (think of using it to dye Easter eggs). Also, a stain shouldn't be rubbed: it'll deform the fibers and drive the stain deeper. Rather, blot the stain and call a carpet cleaner that can use a heat transfer, which uses steam and a solution to transport the fugitive dye to a cotton towel.

What's That Smell!
Gravity works against you in removing pet odors. Liquids seek the lowest area, which means it travels down through the padding and into the subfloor. When people apply over-the-counter products they only scratch the surface of the problem since most odor-producing substances are deposited well below the pile. In fact, a quarter-sized spot may be the size of a football underneath. There is a science to locating contamination. The use of a moisture probe, a long-wave black light, or even your sense of smell may be necessary to find it all. And to remove carpet odors altogether, you may have to replace the padding, seal the subfloor, and treat both sides of the carpeting before calling it good.

Does a Wet Dog Live Here?
Maybe you have a well-trained dog that never has accidents, but your house still smells like a wet dog. Maybe the dog is older and his coat is musty, which means the problem is probably dander. Dogs rub against furniture, sleep on rugs, and a lot of retrievers actually produce strong oils to keep their coat "waterproof." First, pre-spray the contaminated upholstery with a specialty product to help dissolve the oil. Then, lather it with rug shampoo (remember, it is hair we're dealing with here), and finally rinse the area clean. Also, it's important to bathe your dog regularly to prevent future problems.

Lingering Pet Odors
Maybe you've scrubbed the floor and replaced the carpeting. So why does it still smell like cats? Then the problem may be elsewhere. If you use a long-wave black light in a dark room, it's amazing to see where contamination exists. It's not unusual to find that cats have climbed curtains or walked along the sofa to spray walls. Also, replacing carpeting without treating the subfloor may contaminate the new product. Plus, repainting won't guarantee total removal of pet odors since the walls need to be sealed first. In severe cases, even the heating and cooling ductwork may need to be treated. Or, since building materials are porous and absorbent, the sheetrock may require replacement.