If you have a pet and rugs in your home, then it is almost guaranteed you will sustain a pet accident on your rug.
FRESH PET PUDDLES can wreak havoc on a rug. Pet urine goes on warm and acidic, so it penetrates the fibers completely. Because rug dyes are acid dyes pet urine acts like another acid dye depositing yellow color.
On installed carpet pet stains are nearly impossible to repair completely. The sooner the accident is professionally addressed the better the chance of a successful outcome. Area rugs have a better chance of successful mitigation. When taken out of the home and cleaned in our wash plant, we have more tools at our disposal that can’t be used in-home.
PET URINE OLDER THAN SEVEN DAYS goes from acidic to alkaline in pH, and this damages rug acid dyes resulting in color loss and dye migration in these specific areas. This means pet urine will move acid dyes essentially lifting the dyed color and depositing its own color which is generally yellow. If it is not dealt with immediately, stains can be permanent.
Sometimes, whether in our plant or in your home, we can remove the urine stain, but what is left is a spot where the color of the rug is now lighter than it was originally. As mentioned above, pet urine has the capacity to lift and lighten dyes before depositing its own color. Whether in the home or in our shop, the only fix for this scenario is to re-dye the carpet or replace it. We do offer color repair services at McCartin’s.
Addressing urine odor is another issue we deal with a lot. McCartin’s used many different products depending on severity of the odor. What you can do to help mitigate the problem is to place clean absorbent towels over the area and place heavy weight on top to draw as much of the liquid urine out of the rug as possible until we can come in a professionally clean it. Using over-the-counter products generally do nothing but temporarily mask the smell and make professional cleaning more difficult because these products are highly saponic. McCartin’s Spotter product is best, order it here.
Repeated urine contamination areas foster fungal and bacterial growth. Left alone these areas will dry rot and become holes. Quick clean-up is the best rug care tip.
McCartin’s Spotter order it here.
Schedule a professional cleaning with McCartin's Services (215) 953-9593