Saturday, July 25, 2015

Pet Urine and Rugs

Even well trained and well-behaved pets make accidents on rugs. You maybe surprised to know that in many cases, pets select the higher quality rugs to go on! You may notice the accident right away, or long after it happens. The sooner you act, the better.

There is no doubt that pet urine damages the fiber of our rugs. The stain and smell is not also pleasant at all. The extent of damage varies based on the content of the urine and type of our rugs. The urine content of our pets changes over time due to pet's age, medications, diet, health condition, sex, etc. The construction of our rug (fiber, dye, backing with latex glue in tufted rugs) also plays an important role when it comes to stain and odor removal.

If pet accident happens on my rug, what should I do?

First, do not panic, and do not use over-the-counter products with fancy names. There is  no one-size-fits-all when it comes to pet stain/odor removal. There is no spray or solution to take care of the pet accident as it never happened. In some cases, actually these products that have bleaching agents could damage the fiber of your carpet and rug permanently. When it comes to pet odor removal, these products do not remove the cause and source; they just mask it.

Act fast, and blot the urine as soon and as much as you can with plain paper or cloth towel. Use a mix of 1/4 tea spoon of non-bleach dish-washing detergent with one cup of warm water by saturating towel and blotting. Do not use laundry or automatic dish-washing detergent. Absorb the moisture with the towel, rinse the towel, and repeat the process until there is no transfer to the towel. Dry the area and make sure you do not leave the rug wet on the floor.

Of course this a kind of first-aid and temporary solution. This may not take care of the stain and odor permanently. Consult with a professional rug (not carpet) cleaner in your area to see how he or she can take care of your rug.

 
Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com
www.RugIdea.com
Tel. 310-770-9085