Pet Odor, Detection, Removal

Pets in your home? Even the best trained and well behaved pets will occasionally have an "accident". Lets begin with "urine", carpets and your home. A urination "accident" can often go undetected until long after it happened. There are several types of damage that can occur from pet urine depending on its' makeup at the time. Urine makeup (chemistry) will change over a pets lifetime because of a variety of factors, such as: age, health, diet, sex, medications and reproductive cycles. Urine is composed of water, excess proteins, hormones, inorganic salts, urea, uric acid and urochrome [a natural pigment]. The water part evaporates, leaving alkaline urine salts. These salts are hygroscopic [moisture loving] and attract atmospheric moisture which cause odor to be released. These salts are not water soluble. Because of the variety of changes in urine chemistry, some urine stains may be permanent.
1. Minor pet odor Treatment. (Minor contamination) This applies to the surface of the carpet only. Is usually caused by a small dog or a cat that had a small or a "few" accidents. Carpet or spots are treated with a product that dissolves the urine salts and organic contaminants so they can be rinsed more thoroughly out of the carpet or fabric. The product we use also helps prevent the production of ammonia gasses and urine odor normally associated with cleaning urine deposits. The carpet is extracted with a deodorizer that is designed to further dissolve, absorb, encapsulate and neutralize odors. We do not guarantee pet odor will be fully removed as urine may have seeped into the backing of the carpet, into the pad, into the sub-floor (either wood or cement), into the wooden tack strips (carpet fasteners) and even into the baseboards and drywall (sheetrock). If these areas below the surface of the carpet are affected, much more invasive methods of decontamination will be needed.
2. Heavier pet odor Treatment. (More extensive) This type of treatment may need an after hours black light urine inspection. The black light is done in the dark so as to reveal all possible urine deposits and to develop a plan to remedy the situation. After hours black light urine inspection is $75.00 and usually takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

The pet may have urinated in several areas and or had 1 or more "favorite" spots of heavy concentration. Sometimes this may involve a corner of the carpet being pulled up, carpet removed and replaced, carpet cleaned and deodorized front and back, tack strip being removed and replaced, baseboards being removed and discarded, wall area wiped down, sub-flooring (either wood or cement) being decontaminated, cleaned and then sealed. The minimum charge for any of these type of services is $42.50. With following charges at $85 per hour shop labor plus materials and chemicals. Materials may be: tack strip, padding, sub-floor sealer, deodorizing enzymes, etc., etc.

3. Unsavable Carpet / Pad. Sometimes the urine concentration is so severe that the most cost effective way of dealing with the problem is to remove all the contaminated building materials, carpet, padding, affected tack strip and baseboard. Followed by a thorough cleaning, decontamination and sealing of the sub-floor and other materials. The affected building materials (carpet, pad, tack strip, etc.) can then be replaced.
Landlords and property owners with tenants: It is a good idea to have in your rental agreement a clause that states the tenants (with pets) will pay for a urine inspection after they move out, especially if there are any lingering odors or concerns about pet problems. After hours black light urine inspection is $75.00.


The diagram below shows one of the methods of removing pet odor from the carpet in the center of a room after the area has been identified.