Archive for July, 2009
Dog Urine Solutions July 31, 2009
- Stray dog adopts cubs at zoo in Hefei, China
- Neighbor testifies about *dog* smell in East Rockaway trial
July 28, 2009
July 24, 2009
- It will be interesting to see what kind of damages are assessed (if any) in this case.
Pet Stains
Posted by Dog Urine in Pet Stains on July 30th, 2009
The pet stains I am describing here are stains from pet urine. I will focus specifically on those. I am not addressing urine odor in this post just the stain.
Many times there is no visible stain associated with urine. However when the stains are visible, what you will likely have is one of the following:
- Yellowish stain from the urochrome in the pet urine. This can be cleaned and removed.
- A stain left that is just the outline of where the urine ended, similar to a water stain outline. The stain that is left is at the edge of the moisture from the urine. The center of the spot has no visible stain. This can be cleaned and removed.
- A spot or stain that looks like any other circular dirty spot on the carpet or other fabric. This is from dust and dirt sticking to the urine residue in the fibers. This can be cleaned and removed.
- The most difficult situation with pet stains is when the concentrated alkaline has created color loss. The urine stain has actually faded the dyes in the fabric. This cannot be corrected by cleaning. Dying the fabric and restoring the color can correct this in some cases. Patching the carpet (if your pet stain is in carpet) can be a solution. The last resort is to replace the affected item.
Pet stains and stains in general are not always a result of one problem. You may have several things contributing at the same time. In many cases you need to address the items one at a time.
Odor Remover 2
Posted by Dog Urine in Odor Removal on July 29th, 2009
This is a continuation from odor remover part one.
BACTERIA AND ENZYMES (BIO/ENZYMES) as Odor Removers
Bio/enzymes have been used successfully for many years in the stain and odor removal industry. And in other industries also. They have proven effective to remove the greasy build-up that occurs in the drains of restaurants. Bio/enzymes are the primary organism used to break down sewage in treatment plants, returning the water to a clean, non-hazardous condition. Some laundry detergents contain enzymes. Enzymes were first used in the carpet cleaning industry as spotters for breaking down organic and protein based stains.
The names of each enzyme help identify the natural product they are best at breaking down. Protease is an enzyme that digests protein. Lipase works on fat or lipids (animal fats in urine). Amylase breaks down starches. Cellulase digests cellulose and so forth. Enzymes are produced by bacteria.
The bacteria are unable to absorb and digest food internally. So, they use enzymes to breakdown or pre-digest this waste matter outside the cell. To accomplish this the bacteria produce the enzymes which act as catalysts to speed the decomposition. The enzymes convert the contamination into simpler substances that can be absorbed by the cell.
The bacteria are packaged for use in a dormant form, that is activated in the presence of moisture and an organic food source. Once activated, they grow and multiply until the food source is consumed. Under ideal conditions, the number of bacteria will double every 20 minutes. Each cell could add over 16,000,000 additional waste and odor digesting bacteria in eight hours. But when the food source is completely gone, the bacteria die and enzyme production stops.
A previous limitation to using bacteria and enzyme products was the conditions they worked under. Too high or too low a pH could stop or slow the action of the enzymes. The presence of other cleaning agents could interfere with the process. Previously used disinfectants would kill or reduce the number of active bacteria. Because biological breakdown was a slow process it was necessary to treat with enzymes and return at a later time to clean. The technology used today allows you to over-come these limitations. Cleaning and treatment can usually be accomplished on the same day.
See also part one odor remover where we discuss Masking Agents, Encapsulation products and Neutralization products as odor removers. One more that is effective that I neglected to mention is an oxidizing chemical.
Odor Remover 1
Posted by Dog Urine in Odor Removal on July 28th, 2009
This is part one of odor remover
4 types of Chemicals being used in Odor removal
There are 4 types of chemicals used to eliminate dog urine odors that I will cover. The names they have been given are Encapsulation, Enzyme and a fairly new one that is called Neutralization. The fourth is a Masking Agent. There are quality chemicals available in each of these categories that if used correctly will do an excellent job. There are many more chemicals on the market in each category that are just not very good. The good quality chemicals work well when used correctly.
Masking agent/ not an odor remover
The masking agent in dealing with dog urine is, in my opinion almost useless. It comes in many different scents and what it does is add a scent to the air that covers other less appealing fragrances. The urine odor for example. When it wears off the old odors returns. We are all familiar with masking agents. One way they come is in spray cans and you give a little squirt from the can when you want the fresh smell they give in the air. These are great for many uses but not for removing dog urine odor.
Encapsulation as an odor remover
Encapsulation chemicals are chemicals that envelop and completely seal off the urine odor. It then dries to a crystalline form making the urine molecules odorless.
Neutralization odor remover
Neutralization is newer technology. It is an amazing new odor counteractant. It does not fit into the traditional categories of odor control agents. Its special designed molecular structure has an expanse of surface area that absorbs, binds to and counteracts odors. It is very effective on dog urine. Neutralization works immediately on contact with odors to make your cleaning job more pleasant. Neutralization contains no bleaches, no bacteria, no enzymes, no oxidizers nor chemical de-sensitizers. It is safe to use even when children or pets are in the home. Neutralization chemicals can be used on carpet, upholstery, mattresses and a variety of hard surfaces.
See part two of odor remover where we explain enzymes.
Dog Urine Smell
Posted by Dog Urine in Urine Odor on July 27th, 2009
Is it urine or not?
Do you have a spot on the carpet or floor that you are wondering if it is urine or something else? I am going to describe a simple test you can use to find out.
- Moisten the suspected spot lightly with hot water. Misting from a spray bottle works just fine.
- Take a folded paper towel and place it on the moistened area.
- Take a book (I use a phone book) and place it on the paper towel to help it absorb some of the moisture. You can put a piece of plastic between the book and the paper towel to protect the book from getting any moisture on it. Let it sit (absorb) for long enough to transfer some odor. 30 seconds to one minute should do it.
- Wearing gloves take the moistened paper towel and put it in a plastic cup or similar container.
- Smell the odor in the cup. This usually quickly identifies whether it is urine or not.
photo credit: wotthe7734
Pet Urine 2
Posted by Dog Urine in Pet Stains on July 26th, 2009
This is part two of "Pet Urine, Scale of Severity." In part one we defined minor, light and moderate pet urine damage. In part two we will define severe damage.
Severe pet urine
The pet urine soaks the face fiber and the backing of the carpet and the pad and gets into the wood subfloor/floor. The buildup of dried lipids has made the carpet fibers sticky. Tack strip around the edge of the room may be rotting. Urine may have wicked up into the baseboard and wallboard.
Note: When the pet urine reaches the backing it spreads and when it reaches the pad it spreads and when it reaches the floor, you guessed it, it spreads. The area affected by the urine is usually several times larger than you can see from the top or the face of the carpet. This is not always the case. If the dog has sprayed small amounts of urine (marking his territory for example) then there is not enough volume for it to spread and the area may be no larger than what is visible.
If you have many minor or light problem areas in a single room and you are hand treating them yourself one at a time the problem may become a moderate or severe problem to you. Cleaning many light problem areas can become too big of a job. If you hire a professional carpet cleaner who deals with dog urine to come in and clean the carpets it should remain a minor or light problem to him. As long as the dog urine problem is only in the carpet face fibers, the professional can clean and treat the whole room at one time as though it was one large light issue. If you have a good carpet cleaning machine you can do it yourself. It is when the urine gets deeper into the carpet or into other areas (furniture, walls etc.) that the problem becomes moderate or severe and effective decontamination becomes more involved.
see also part one of "Pet Urine Scale of Severity"
Pet Urine 1
Posted by Dog Urine in Pet Stains on July 25th, 2009
This is part one of a 2 part "Pet Urine, Scale of Severity" article.
Let’s create a scale to help us determine how severe the pet urine contamination is. We need a couple things in order to effectively correct dog urine stain and odor problems. We need to locate each of the problem areas. We also need an idea of how extensive or severe each of the problem areas are. This scale will help determine this. We will use 4 levels in this scale. Minor, Light, Moderate and Severe. We will apply it to a carpet and pad scenario. The principles can be applied to other applications also. For example furniture, drapery, mattress’s and other fabrics. This scale will also be useful for concrete, hardwood, walls, tile and other hard surfaces. Not as useful as when applied to carpet and fabric but still useful. It is not much use for grass, lawn or plant damage.
Minor pet urine
This is where the dog has urinated only small amounts and you are able to blot (paper towels or absorbent rags) it or extract (wet/dry vac) it out before it can dry in the carpet. A small amount may have reached the backing of the carpet but it has not reached the pad or the sub floor. However it does get into the face fibers of the carpet and it has not dried in the carpet.
Light pet urine
This is when there is a little more urine and you are not able to clean it up quickly. It soaks deeper into the face fibers and reaches the backing. But not into the carpet pad. If many deposits occurred in the same location the urine would likely have reached the pad and the floor below. In this case the contamination would no longer be described as light. Urine may or may not have dried in the carpet.
Moderate pet urine
Urine has soaked through the back of the carpet. Urine stains and/or alkaline salt crystals are apparent on the backing of the carpet. The carpet pad is contaminated and very possibly the subfloor/floor under the carpet. If the Tack strip (the strip used around the outer edged of the room to hold the carpet down) has been affected it is stained only but still in good condition. The lipids (animal fats in urine) left in the carpet are not enough to make the carpet fibers sticky.
continue with "Pet Urine Scale of Severity" part two
Urine Odor part 2
Posted by Dog Urine in Urine Odor on July 24th, 2009
Part two
We have discussed using the eyes and nose to locate the source of your urine odor in part one. In part two we will discuss using ultraviolet light and the use of a moisture sensor.
ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT (black light) to locate urine odor. Urine residue will glow under a black light. Ultraviolet lights in several intensities are available to help you locate urine deposits. Low powered black lights must be held very close to the carpet in a dark room. Medium intensity lights will work from a few feet away. High powered lights can quickly be used to check a carpet and other fabrics from several feet away. All black lights work best in a dark room but this is not as critical when using a more powerful light. When necessary, black plastic sheeting can be used to cover windows and light sources. Another option is to drape a sheet or dark blanket over yourself while you are making the inspection. Black lights are readily available at many price points.
You will recognize urine by the shape of the spot and by its characteristic yellow (from dogs) glow. However, a bluish glow may indicate urine stains where cleaning has been previously attempted with a product that contained an optical brightener.
MOISTURE DETECTOR to locate urine odor. Use a moisture probe to examine all the carpet in question. As urine dries a chemical reaction creates an alkaline salt. Alkaline salts are hygroscopic, that is they absorb moisture from the air. In all but the driest conditions the salt residue will hold enough moisture to activate a moisture probe. Moisture detectors are harder to find and can get expensive.
Use all the tools you can– eyes, nose, moisture detector and UV light -to locate all urine deposits. Be sure to mark the location of all odor areas. Use white chalk, pennies or some other markers. A diagram on graph paper will help you locate the problem areas if the treatment is being done at a later time.
See also part one “urine odor, locate the source”
Dog Urine Solutions July 24, 2009
- Lawn Burns « Earth's Balance Weblog
July 24, 2009
- Good article. Be careful when feeding your dog pills and additives. Some of them can be harmful to your dog.
Urine Odor 1
Posted by Dog Urine in Urine Odor on July 23rd, 2009
Part one Locate the source
When you are dealing with urine odor often you do not have a stain or anything visible indication to show you where the urine odor is originating from, or where the problem is. I am going to discuss the different methods of finding these areas. We have several tools available to locate them.
It is very important to locate each area because if you don’t find all the problem areas, you will not be able to completely eliminate the urine smell. Each spot needs to be treated. It needs to be treated with the correct chemicals and in the correct way if you want to get 100% odor removal. The steps you take change depending on how severe your urine odor problem is.
The tools available are our eyes, our nose, ultraviolet (UV) lights, and moisture detector.
Eye’s If you actually see the area where the dog is urinating, or when there is a yellow stain left on the surface of the carpet, this is when we use our eyes to locate the area. If you can look at the back of a loose carpet or rug and inspect it, many times there will be stains left that are obvious when nothing is visible otherwise. This is true with other fabrics also. The stains will look like water stains and sometimes there will be a white salt residue. If the carpet is not loose but is installed you can still pull it up off the tack strip and look at the backing. This then will need to be stretched or kicked back in again onto the tack strip. You can also use the alternative injection method of treating the urine odor.
NOSE Obviously the nose is a great tool for locating the contaminated areas. We may enter a home or a room and immediately smell the presence of odors associated with urine. Sometimes it is strong and sometimes it is a faint urine odor. Determining the precise location of the smell is more difficult. In part this is because air currents diffuse the odor. Closing any open windows, turning off ceiling fans, heating or air conditioner and other sources of air movement will make it easier to locate the source. Remember that most women are more sensitive to odors than men. If you are a male with less than a great nose for odors you may benefit from a female assisting you.
Continue with part two “Urine Odor, locate the source”
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