The unmistakable smell of urine in a carpet can leave you with a challenge on your hands. Whether from small children or pets, urine accidents can linger in your carpets if you don’t deal with the problem quickly and properly. Our professional carpet cleaning in North London offers all of the expert advice and tips you need.
Act fast
You’ll probably notice the smell of urine in a carpet as soon as you walk in a room, so when it becomes evident that a pet or small child has had an accident, it’s essential to get on the case right away.
The longer the urine stays in the carpet, the trickier it will be to deal with, and nobody wants a carpet that smells!
Identifying the source of the smell
If you catch the urine accident as it occurs, then you’ll know whereabouts on the carpet to focus your attention on. But what happens if, for example, a pet urinates on a carpet overnight or when you’re not in, and you have no clue where the offending area in the carpet might be?
If you can smell the urine but can’t see where it is, a useful trick is to take a UV light and shine it on the carpet. Apparently, urine glows when exposed to UV light, so this should help you to identify where the problem lies.
Of course, it could be that a pet has urinated over a number of different areas in a carpet, so there comes a point where it might be more effective just getting the entire carpet professionally deep cleaned by our carpet cleaning Essex team.
Blot the carpet
Fresh urine doesn’t actually smell. It’s when it has dried into the carpet and crystallised that the smell starts to take over. That’s why it’s preferable to remove the urine before it gets to this stage.
First of all, soak up as much of the liquid from the carpet by blotting the area with an absorbent cloth. Kitchen paper will also work fine.
Once the cloth or paper has soaked up as much of the urine as possible, apply some water to the area. Only use cold water, as hot water could actually set the urine stain into the carpet, making the situation a lot worse.
If you’re worried about wetting a carpet with water because it’s moisture-sensitive, it’s probably a good idea to seek professional help from our carpet cleaning Surrey experts. That way, you can be confident of not causing any damage to the carpet.
Removing the urine crystals
Rinsing the carpet with water might not be enough to remove the urine crystals and odour from the carpet, so further action may be required, especially if the urine has already set into the carpet.
You can purchase cleaning products for removing odours from carpets, but always check to make sure that it’s enzyme-based.
Enzymes help to break down the organic compounds responsible for causing the bad smell, continuing to work until the odour source is eliminated. The enzymes also neutralise any bacteria feeding off the organic compounds.
Furthermore, because enzyme-based cleaning products are non-toxic, this is a safe way to remove urine odours from carpets, especially if you’re worried about any cleaning solution residues having an impact on the health of children and pets.
Be wary of using some cheap deodorisers that claim to get rid of carpet odours, because all they might do is cover up the smell for a short while, but not actually remove the root cause of it. Once the smell of the deodoriser starts to wear off, the urine odour could rear its ugly head again.
Careful application
When applying an enzyme-based cleaning solution to the carpet, always read the instructions on the label to make sure you are using the product safely and correctly. Test the product on a small, hidden area of the carpet first and wait for 24 hours to make sure there are no adverse effects, such as discoloration, before using the cleaning solution on the affected area.
If you’ve got a specialist type of carpet, or you’re ever unsure whether a cleaning product is suitable, our carpet cleaning Surrey professionals can advise you on the best course of action.
Use kitchen cupboard staples
If you don’t have any enzyme-based cleaning solution to hand, turn to your kitchen cupboard for a quick and easy fix.
Many people swear by mixing equal parts of white vinegar and water added to a spray bottle and then applying to the urine stain and letting it soak into the carpet for about 15 minutes. The acidity in the vinegar can neutralise the alkaline compounds in the urine, helping to get rid of the bad smell.
Then, sprinkle baking soda on the urine patch and leave it to dry. The baking soda absorbs and neutralises any odours from the urine.
Once the baking soda has dried, vacuum it up off the carpet and groom the pile in the right direction.
Hopefully, using either an enzyme-based product or the mix of white vinegar and baking soda should get rid of the urine smell from the carpet, but if you’re still plagued by lingering odours, or you’d prefer to get the experts in, our experienced carpet cleaning Essex business can assist.
Prevention tips
Accidents happen, but there’s things you can do to help stop urine coming into contact with your carpets, especially if it’s from pets.
If you have a litter tray in a room that’s carpeted, place a protective mat under the tray to prevent any splashes or spills from ending up on the surrounding carpet.
Once a pet has urinated on a carpet, they have a habit of repeatedly going to the same place to urinate again, so it’s essential that you make sure you have fully removed the urine smell properly. Pets are much more sensitive to smells than us humans are, so even if you think the smell has dissipated, this might not be the case.
If you want to be confident that both urine and its smell have completely gone for good from your carpets, seek professional assistance from our carpet cleaning in North London.
