Cat urine can be just about the toughest problem for your flooring. A professional carpet cleaner is usually your best bet for extensive urine damage. If the cat urine present in the carpet is relatively small the homeowner may be able to treat it. Great care must be taking to thoroughly remove the stain and smell from the carpet.
The main problem with cat urine is that it often penetrates the carpet backing and can enter the flooring below. When urine drys, it crystallizes and these urine crystals are often bigger than the backing spaces they enter when they are a liquid. It is virtually impossible to clean urine crystals from the carpet backing. A product containing enzymes must be applied to the carpet and these enzymes will eat the crystals. Many products on the market are simply heavy fragrances that try to mask the odor. These may work in the short term, however, there is still a food source for bacteria and other organisms present in your carpet.
The urine crystals will break down naturally over a long period of time, but these crystals have been shown to last as many as five years in the carpet. These crystals will continue to emit odors as they slowly break down.
The enzyme carpet cleaner you place in your carpet will need to stay wet for one to two days to fully consume the urine. This is extremely important because if you let the cat urine odor remover dry too fast then there may still be urine present in the carpet. Fans and any air circulation at all should be avoided at all costs. In order to increase your chances of success you may be able to cover the spots with plastic to retain the moisture of the cleaner.
Urine smell in your home can be an embarrassing problem to have. Follow these steps to confidently take care of your problem.
