Month: December 2009

Dog Urine and Odor Memory

I am going to discuss a couple interesting facts that affect dog urine odor removal.  First what I call Odor Memory. This is when we (humans) smell a particular odor and our brain remembers it. For example urine. If we smell urine and it gets into our nose and brain then certain things like seeing the urine stain again will trigger that smell in out brain and we will smell the urine again even if the smell is not still there. This is a psychological odor that is not a real odor but our brains can’t tell the difference. Sometimes we can just  think of the smell and we will smell it. It happens with all types of smells. Most of us have had this happen. This affects removing dog urine odor because we can psychologically smell the odor even after we have removed it. Sometime we wnat someone else to test smell the area we have cleaned to see if the odor is gone.

The other interesting point is that on average women can identify 10,000 distinct odors and the average man can identify 5,000 distinct odors. Thus women are more sensitive to odors than men. If you want a better test to see if the odor is removed have a women check it out.

Urine Odor Mattress

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How to clean urine odor out of a mattress The steps to clean urine odor from a mattress are the same as cleaning it from many other fabric type items. Step one: Find it or locate exactly where the urine residue is on and in the mattress. It is not always obvious with urine. A black light will help if you need to use one. Step two: Clean as much urine residue as you can out of the mattress. In the case of a mattress I would use an extraction type upholstery cleaning tool. One that will spray water or a cleaning solution onto the area and the pull it back out creating a rinsing action. You can spray the solution on with a spray bottle and extract out with a wet vac also. This will clean the surface and slightly deeper into the fabric and padding of the mattress. Sometimes urine will remove some dye from the fabric so you may not be able to completely restore the appearance. When you do this cleaning use a good product designed to remove urine. If you have a urine odor use a product that will also eliminate that. You can read about products that are affective on urine at here Step three: Now you have located the areas and cleaned as much urine with its odor as you can out. Now you need to treat the remaining residue with a good product that will eliminate any urine odor and decontaminate the mattress. You will need to soak the product into the mattress so it reaches and comes in contact with any remaining residue. The product will then finish the job of decontaminating the urine and odor in the mattress. You will change the process of how you do this depending on the type, and specific product you use. For example enzyme products need time to work on the urine and other products work immediately on contact. See our recommended products page.

Creative Commons License photo credit: Leslie Duss

Urine Product

urine productOxi Blast is a professional urine product. Previously only available to professional cleaners and odor removal technicians. It is now available to you. It works by forcing large amounts of oxygen into the urine residue breaking it down into basic elements like carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrogen and other elements. These compounds then leave by evaporation or are easily extracted. This product is a specific blend effective on urine not only because of the oxidation but it also contains odourcide, an odor neutralizer that attacks the dog urine neutralizing it by bonding to and encapsulating it. Oxi Blast works on eliminating the urine odor in two separate ways. The oxidation is also affective in removing the urine stains. Plus it contains additives that enhance solution penetration to improve rinsing and removal. The last item I am going to mention is that they have built into it anti-resoiling properties that keep the treated area from attracting new residue. You can order a free sample here. They do charge a shipping and handling fee.

Dog Urine On Grass

grass dog urineI have written before about dog urine on grass. I told you I would let you know when I found a product that I can recommend for counteracting the damage dog urine causes to grass. The product is “Grass Revitalize for dog urine” from RemoveUrine.com. It is a microbial product that breaks down the excess nitrogen in the urine. You spray it on the grass and lightly water it in. Two to three applications a year. It helps and strengthens the grass in several ways including effectively dealing with the three reported issues with dog urine.


Pet Stains On Hardwood

pet stains hardwoodI came across a question about pet stains on hardwood. The following comment and question was asked.

“I left my dogs alone for a couple days and they peed EVERYWHERE. The hardwood floor is dark in some spots and after mopping it still smells! Does anyone know a way I can fix this without tearing up the floors????”

In answer to this the following was written.

“From your description it sounds like the urine has soaked into the hardwood. I have hardwood floors that are sealed well with a quality sealer. When our dog was a puppy she would pee on them often. We were lucky because the urine beaded up and we were able to wipe it up and remove it. Eventually I know it would have found its way into the hardwood, had it been in greater volume or left to sit for too long of a time. There are different types of products available that will eliminate the smell but they have to come in contact with the urine residue. This means you have to soak them into the hardwood to reach the urine. Some of these products will also remove the pet stains. One of the challenges with wood is that the moisture from the urine or the chemicals can warp the hardwood and cause additional damage. It might be worth a try though. If you can’t get the smell and stain out to your satisfaction with these products then the next step is to sand it down removing the stain and odor and refinish the hardwood. If this does not work then you are to the replace the floor stage which is usually the most expensive.”

Urine Odor out of Concrete

I am continuing with my series on questions from readers with answers.

Rick writes and asks “Can you please tell me more about the odor neutralizer? I am working with concrete that has been used in a dog day care / kennel for a couple of years. So far I have tried a degreaser/cleaner, enzymes (which included covering the floor with plastic for 24 hours to keep it wet), white vinegar, a high-tech odor neutralizer, and finally bleach, both straight and diluted. I have power-washed at the start, and again after each of these treatments. The bad odor has been reduced but it is still present.”

Answer:

Rick
Thanks for asking. Concrete is porous so what you have is a situation where dog urine has been soaking into the porous surface (it sounds like continuously) for a couple years. At least some of the products you have used are working. The enzymes work by digesting the urine residue. The reason you keep them wet its two-fold. One: They have to be wet to be active. When they dry they do nothing. Two: To get them to soak into the concrete far enough to reach the urine, which would be in pretty deep. Bleach uses oxygen to break down the urine. It will work also if it can reach the urine in enough concentration and for a long enough time to work (which for oxygen is fast). Washing is good and it will remove the urine it can get to. You do need to be careful with power washing though because it can drive the urine even deeper into the concrete depending on how you do it. Neutralizer you asked about also has to come in contact with the urine to change the molecules. So your challenge is to get one of these (a good product) deep enough into the concrete. Where the urine is after a couple years of soaking in. One suggestion is to apply a product and keep it wet for several days. The longer it is wet the deeper it will penetrate. Also make sure that the urine smell is not coming from surrounding items. Is there wood close that might be contaminated or fabric or even dirt. Urine will wick up several inches into other materials when present. It is common not to be able to completely remove all the odor in a situation like yours. (concrete or even wood) So an option used by professionals is to seal the concrete. After you have removed the majority of the odor you can then seal the concrete with a good pigmented shellac, varnish or acrylic sealer. These sealers have microscopic holes left in them when they dry. These holes are larger than the odor molecules so odor can still get through the sealer. If you apply two coats of sealer this will help eliminate that issue. The end result is a completely satisfactory odor neutralized environment. Get back to me with any additional questions.