Every person out there who has owned a pet in the past has been through the accident on the carpet.  This is a big issue because if it is not properly taken care of the pet will continue to go back to the same place and soil the carpet again.  Also if not cleaned properly the odor will set in and it will be next to impossible to get rid of it without replacing the carpet.  The good news is that if you catch it soon enough, you won’t have to replace those carpets. 



 

The affect that urine has on the carpet depends on many things.  First, it depends on the type of carpet that you have.  Some carpet dyes can be permanently affected by the acid in pet urine.  If it is not cleaned up quickly, then you will end with a discoloration or stain in your carpet.  Another thing that greatly affects the carpet is the moisture.  Depending upon how long the urine has been left, the extent of damage to your carpet varies.  If not taken care of rather quickly, urine will cause moisture which in turn will cause the layers of your carpet to become damaged.  The type of damage we are talking about is separation of the backing materials from the carpet fibers as well as moisture into the padding which could potentially damage the flooring underneath the carpet.  If the accident occurs at a seam then you might see separation of the seam, and this is very difficult to repair.  Odor caused from urine is probably the worst issue when it comes to carpets.   Unless you remove the urine completely from the carpet, the odor will continue to return.  The longer the urine sits, the harder the odor is to remove from the carpet.  This is usually the culprit of having to have carpet replaced secondary to pet accidents.   

So now that you know what it does to the carpet, let’s discuss what you can do to prevent your carpet from becoming ruined.  Barring from locking up your pet or getting rid of them, probably the best thing that you can do is get the accident cleaned up quickly.  Remember, you want to blot the spot, do not rub.  If you are using any store bought cleaning agent, you want to make sure that it is safe for your pet and that it specifically treats pet stains and odors.  Patience is the key when it comes to cleaning up pet accidents.  The process is painstakingly longer then we really want it to be because you have to clean it in stages.  After you clean the first time, you want to wait until the area has dried and do it again.  This will ensure that you remove most if not all of the urine which will prevent stains and odor from sinking into the fibers of your carpet. 

Finally, if the stain and odor continue to be a problem; or if it looks like there is a problem with the seams or the fibers of the carpet then your best bet would be to contact a professional carpet cleaning service.  Most professionals will be able to remove stains and odors and make you carpet look almost like new.  If you are a pet owner, you might want to wait to get that new carpet until you get fido house broken.