Pet urine carpet damage is a concern that inspectors such as the Weinheimer Group see too often. Carpet inspectors are called to investigate a failing carpet and it is actually pet urine carpet damage, not necessarily a pet related problem but a pet owner problem. The animal may be peeing on the carpet but the animal owner is allowing it to occur.
Pet Urine Carpet Damage Prevention or Carpet Failure
Pet Urine Carpet Damaged Dye
Pet urine carpet will damage dyes used in carpet. The carpet may not be damaged every time an animal wets on it. Often though pet urine will leave a permanent stain. Success in removal of pet urine in carpet is dependent upon the content of the urine, the carpet dyes and finishes, how long the urine has been on the carpet. Unfortunately, there may be times when an accident goes unnoticed and weeks or months later a pet urine carpet discoloration starts showing up on your wall-to-wall carpet. The oily residue in the urine may be attracting soil or the pet urine in carpet may be eroding the carpet dye.
In beige carpet, blue dyes are attacked by pet urine, leaving behind the red and yellow dyes with a resulting stain appearing red, yellow, or orange. If you observe a change in color of the carpet you may want to try the following treatment, it is not always successful though it often is successful at restoring pet urine carpet color change and reducing odor. Following are methods you may want to try:
- Lightly sponge the area with a solution of two tablespoons of a clear, non-sudsy ammonia in one cup of water. Blot the area with white cloth or paper towels.
- Mix 1 cup water, 1 cup vinegar, and two big tablespoons of baking soda and mix well. Using a spray bottle, spray onto the spot, wait t 5 to 10 minutes and blot (don’t rub) the area with a white cloth or paper towels.
- Hydrogen Peroxide. This is another good old home remedy for urine. This can be helpful I stain removal. The brown bottle at the drugstore is usually 3% and this is what you will want to use. Put it into a spray bottle, dampen the spot and allow to dwell on the spot for 10-15 minutes before blotting up.
Delamination of Carpet Backing from Pet Urine Carpet Damage
Moisture can weaken the primary and secondary backing layers. When these backs are weakened, they will often separate. A carpet seam is often the first place this is usually seen. The seam opens and you think you have a carpet manufacturing or installation problem. Unfortunately for you it is a site related problem from pet urine in carpet that has destroyed the bond between the carpets primary and secondary back.
Odor from Pet Urine Carpet Damage
With cats, even more so than dogs, odor can become a serious pet urine in carpet concern. Unless the cat urine can be completely removed and complete odor removal is unlikely, you will have a lingering odor. This can be a very unpleasant pet urine carpet odor.
You may not notice the odor until you are away from the house for a couple of days. You go on a weekend vacation, return and the pet urine carpet odor hits you hard. This is the smell you became oblivious to but everyone else that visited you smelled it from the time they entered your house.
If you want to treat the carpet yourself there are a number of enzymes and other cleaning products that can be purchased at the pet store, veterinary office or janitorial supply house.
Prevention is you best step for pet urine carpet damage. Correction is your ongoing step and perhaps your last attempt to correct pet urine carpet before replacing both the pet and the carpet.
For more on pet urine carpet download information guide from the Carpet and Rug Institute.
Ha! ‘The owner is allowing it to occur’ (ie the pet urinating).
To infer that someone like me simply doesn’t care so “allows” it to occur, and that the offending pet should be “replaced” is totally offensive.
Completely unhelpful article with no actual solution offered. Funnily enough, there is more to the problem than the carpet and the owner. There’s also a much-loved but inappropriately behaving pet who, if you are at all humane, is obviously not to be replaced.
Amanda, sorry you are offended. The article tells you what pet urine can do to a carpet.
If a pet is peeing on a carpet to the point described in this article it is the pet owners fault. It is not the pets fault, it is not the fault of the writer, it is not the manufactures fault and it is not President Trumps fault unless It’s his own carpet.
As stated in the paragraph that you refer to, “Prevention is you best step for pet urine carpet damage. Correction is your ongoing step and perhaps your last attempt to correct pet urine carpet before replacing both the pet and the carpet.”
For the person that desires to allow their pet to pee all over the carpet, perhaps they should have a different type of floor covering.
Great rep!y!!!!
Will urine ruin the carpet backing in less than a year?
Steve
Unfortunately urine can ruin the back of some carpets within a period much less than a year.
I have used ammonia before on pet urine while refurbishing rentals that had damage. However doesn’t the use of ammonia based products only draw the smell of urine out intensifying the odor immensely? I would say vinegar and baking soda and peroxide seem to work best. Ecspecially on tough jobs. It may BE A two day n step process however your gonna fins it more efficient and rewarding as it does get the job done if used appropriately.
Cristy, the methods you mention do work will. In fact we will go ahead and add them to the article as additional alternatives.
Mix 1 cup water, 1 cup vinegar, and two big tablespoons of baking soda and mix well. Using a spray bottle, spray onto the spot, wait t 5 to 10 minutes and blot (don’t rub) the area with a white cloth or paper towels.
As you pointed out, Hydrogen Peroxide. This is another good old home remedy for urine. This can be helpful I stain removal. The brown bottle at the drugstore is usually 3% and this is what you will want to use. Put it into a spray bottle, dampen the spot and allow to dwell on the spot for 10-15 minutes before blotting up.