"Hi, I'm Kelsie from Forest Hills Pet Care. I work at a vet clinic, and therefore deal with animals urinating all over the clinic all the time. I had a puppy leave a smelly urine spot on our lobby rug, and used SUN to clean it. It was very easy to spot clean with, just a few sprays and a little scrubbing, and the smell was gone. Usually we have to hose off the whole rug and wait a day for it to dry, so this cleaner made my day a lot easier! I'd definitely recommend the SUN cleaner as a great stain and smell remover." - Kelsie, Forest Hills Pet Care

"SUN saved my expensive jacket. My dog Moxie had surgery and I held her on the way home from the vets. Later I realized that my jacket had a strong urine smell on the right side and arm. It's not a washable fabric, so I worried my jacket had been ruined. A friend gave me some SUN, which I sprayed on the jacket. After drying, there was no odor left at all ... other than a very light pleasant citrus smell. It was fabulous. Thank you!" - Theresa O., Battle Creek

Click the "Buy Now" button below

This post via the Dog Urine blog where you get solutions and answers to dog urine odor, pet stains and dead or dying grass spots.

SUN Urine Remover

"My dog has urinated on the tile and grout in my kitchen.  On humid days the smell of urine is very obvious, I am assuming because the urine has penetrated the grout.  Can you recommend product(s) to help get rid of  the odor?  Thank you

Christine"

answer:

Christine,

We have several good urine odor products we can recommend. I would suggest " Severe Urine Neutralizer (SUN)" because it is very effective for dog urine odor and easy to use. The key is to get it in contact with the urine residue. If the urine has penetrated the grout (and it usually will unless the grout has recently been sealed with a very good sealer) then the SUN (or any product you use) will need to penetrate that area also. If there are cracks in the grout the urine can run down and get under the tile and into the wood or concrete underneath. Also pay attention to around the edges of the tile, under the baseboard and toe-kick on the cabinets. Anywhere the urine might have run. A black light in a dark room helps to locate any urine residue areas. Then you can concentrate on those areas. Let the SUN solution run down and soak into the areas that you think the urine has done the same. SUN solution will neutralize the odor in just a few minutes. Give it  five to ten minutes. You can wet vac or wipe up any excess solution after this period of time and then let it dry naturally or you can put a fan on it to aid drying. If there is still an odor after you have used SUN that indicates the SUN solution has not come in contact with all the dog urine residue.

This post via the Dog Urine blog where you get solutions and answers to dog urine odor, pet stains and dead or dying grass spots.

Dog Urine Odor

In mammals uric acid is the number one ingredient in the urine. Urochrome, (a yellow pigment) and cholesterol (also known as lipids), and urea are other main ingredients found in urine. The specific ingredients in urine including dog urine, will actually vary, and is dependent on diet and health, along with other factors. When urine is leaving the body it begins a process of significant changes.  It picks up bacteria from the urethra and also from the skin. It also comes in contact with other microorganisms from sources such as carpeting and other surfaces.

These bacteria can now flourish. The warm acidic conditions of the urine are ideal for the bacteria to grow. The uric acid is broken down and becomes ammonia and CO2. This ammonia is extremely alkaline, with a pH of 11+. Strong, concentrated alkaline can damage dyes and cause color loss. What you think is a urine stain can actually be color loss. This color loss cannot be restored by simply cleaning.

Alkaline salt crystals are created as the acid in the urine reacts with the ammonia. These highly hygroscopic salts, as they’re termed, pull moisture from the air and remain slightly damp. When damp they stay active chemically. And this is the case in virtually every climate except extremely dry climates. As long the salts stay active, they will produce ammonia gas. When completely dry the ammonia gases stop but if moistened again such as during cleaning, they begin producing the ammonia gases again.

Ammonia gas is one of the parts of urines distinctive odor, which helps to locate and identify urine. Off-gassing from bacteria is another one of urines distinctive odors.  The off gassing from the bacteria occurs while it is growing.

Urine is a complex composition. Many chemicals form as urine is being decomposed by the bacteria. This presents a challenging and sometimes difficult situation. In time, many of the complex organic compounds become part of the carpet or other fiber. Even when the bacteria have been killed, ammonia and these other chemicals produce strong odors. This is why something much stronger than a simple sanitizing cleaner is needed to neutralize the odor from dog urine!

This post via the Dog Urine blog where you get solutions and answers to dog urine odor, pet stains and dead or dying grass spots.

Facts You Must Know When Removing Dog Urine Odors And Stains

April 10, 2010
- A little post about house breaking your dog. I have added a little information to it.

This post via the Dog Urine blog where you get solutions and answers to dog urine odor, pet stains and dead or dying grass spots.

Dog Urine Solutions April 10, 2010

December 17, 2009
- A review of urine gone with black light.

This post via the Dog Urine blog where you get solutions and answers to dog urine odor, pet stains and dead or dying grass spots.

Dog Urine Solutions December 17, 2009

December 10, 2009
- Might make your skin crawl.

This post via the Dog Urine blog where you get solutions and answers to dog urine odor, pet stains and dead or dying grass spots.

Dog Urine Solutions December 10, 2009

December 2, 2009
- Very interesting idea if you have that need.

This post via the Dog Urine blog where you get solutions and answers to dog urine odor, pet stains and dead or dying grass spots.

Dog Urine Solutions December 2, 2009

November 23, 2009
- In this article they clearly identify a couple of the negative health affects that your dog can have when you feed it supplements designed to change the acidity of its urine. These products are usually for the purpose of making the dog urine less damaging to grass and lawns.

This post via the Dog Urine blog where you get solutions and answers to dog urine odor, pet stains and dead or dying grass spots.

Dog Urine Solutions November 23, 2009

November 4, 2009
- Article helps with potty training and choosing a technique to use for potty training.

This post via the Dog Urine blog where you get solutions and answers to dog urine odor, pet stains and dead or dying grass spots.

Dog Urine Solutions November 6, 2009

October 29, 2009
- The answer is yes. There are several. One basic concept in accomplishing this is first clean out all urine residue (fresh or old) that you can. Second treat the remaining urine with one of the chemicals that will change the urine residue on a molecular level rendering it harmless and odorless. You need to assess how extensive your own damage is to make a good decision on whether cleaning or replacing is better for you. http://www.dogurinesolutions.com goes into detail.

This post via the Dog Urine blog where you get solutions and answers to dog urine odor, pet stains and dead or dying grass spots.

Dog Urine Solutions October 30, 2009

October 23, 2009
- I have 3 initial thoughts. The first is this seems to me to be a huge overreaction by all parties involved. Second: Don't let your dog pee on other peoples property. Third: Many city's have ordinances making it illegal for your dog to urinate in a neighbors yard.

This post via the Dog Urine blog where you get solutions and answers to dog urine odor, pet stains and dead or dying grass spots.

Dog Urine Solutions October 23, 2009

October 13, 2009

This post via the Dog Urine blog where you get solutions and answers to dog urine odor, pet stains and dead or dying grass spots.

Dog Urine Solutions October 16, 2009

October 6, 2009

This post via the Dog Urine blog where you get solutions and answers to dog urine odor, pet stains and dead or dying grass spots.

Dog Urine Solutions October 9, 2009

September 29, 2009
- I found this article interesting and it gives us another dog urine solution. It is about the health of your dog instead of cleaning up after him/her.

This post via the Dog Urine blog where you get solutions and answers to dog urine odor, pet stains and dead or dying grass spots.

Dog Urine Solutions October 2, 2009

September 22, 2009
- There are several types of chemicals that are affective on urine stains. If the urine has soaked deep into the grout then the chemical has to soak in that deep also so it can get to and remove the stain.

This post via the Dog Urine blog where you get solutions and answers to dog urine odor, pet stains and dead or dying grass spots.

Dog Urine Solutions September 25, 2009

September 15, 2009
- An example of the damage that can be caused by dog urine.

This post via the Dog Urine blog where you get solutions and answers to dog urine odor, pet stains and dead or dying grass spots.

Dog Urine Solutions September 18, 2009

September 10, 2009
- Our pug (Betty) had slight blood in her urine several times that turned out to be an infection caused by excessive skin around her vulva. The vet gave her a little face lift in that area and removed the extra skin. It was not cheap. She has done great since.

September 8, 2009

This post via the Dog Urine blog where you get solutions and answers to dog urine odor, pet stains and dead or dying grass spots.

Dog Urine Solutions September 11, 2009

September 2, 2009
- Gary explains that you can wait for the neighbors dog to urinate on your lawn and then dilute it with water to counteract the nitrogen so it does not harm your lawn. When a neighbors dog is urinating on your lawn you can find out what the local leash laws are and advise the neighbor of them. One more possible solution is to spray your lawn with a product that treats the soil with microbes and neutralizes the effects of the urine on the lawn.

This post via the Dog Urine blog where you get solutions and answers to dog urine odor, pet stains and dead or dying grass spots.

Dog Urine Solutions September 4, 2009

August 25, 2009
- Never leave your dog unless you are shore it will be taken care of.

This post via the Dog Urine blog where you get solutions and answers to dog urine odor, pet stains and dead or dying grass spots.

Dog Urine Solutions August 28, 2009

August 18, 2009
- I understand there are only a few cases of Lepto reported each year in the state of New York. It is always wise to take precautions when you have a sick dog.

This post via the Dog Urine blog where you get solutions and answers to dog urine odor, pet stains and dead or dying grass spots.

Dog Urine Solutions August 21, 2009

August 11, 2009

August 11, 2009
- You might want to become familiar with the laws in your own area regarding animals relieving themselves on public or private property.

This post via the Dog Urine blog where you get solutions and answers to dog urine odor, pet stains and dead or dying grass spots.

Dog Urine Solutions August 14, 2009

1. The principle ingredient in urine (from dogs) is uric acid.
2. Urine also contains urochrome (yellow pigment)
3. Cholesterol (lipids)(animal fats)
4. Urea
5. And other ingredients.

The exact make-up of urine will vary depending on the dog's diet, health and other factors. The urine begins to change immediately upon leaving the body. The urine comes in contact with bacteria on the skin along with microorganisms in the carpet and elsewhere. The warm acid conditions offer a perfect breeding ground for bacteria which begin to flourish. Uric acid begins to be broken down into ammonia and carbon dioxide. The ammonia is highly alkaline (base).

A strong concentrated alkaline can damage dyes and create a permanent color loss.  Be aware that what appears to be a urine stain may actually be color loss that can not be corrected by cleaning. The urine odor can still be removed and you can sometimes correct the color loss with carpet dying techniques or patching. But cleaning will not restore color that has been removed.

As the dogs acidic urine reacts with the ammonia that is being created it forms alkaline salt crystals (white residue). When dry urine is re-moistened it gives off ammonia gas. The odor of ammonia gas is one part of the distinctive odor that helps us to identify and locate dogs urine. The other component of urine’s odor is off-gassing from bacteria that grow abundantly in warm, dark places with a never-ending food supply. The pet urine feeds the bacteria daily!

The complex composition of urine and the many chemicals formed as the urine is decomposed by bacteria present a challenging situation. With time, some of these complex organic compounds can actually become part of the fiber.

Even if the bacteria are killed the ammonia and other chemicals still produce an odor. This is the reason that more than a sanitizing agent is necessary to neutralize odors from dogs urine.

photo credit: Rob!

This post via the Dog Urine blog where you get solutions and answers to dog urine odor, pet stains and dead or dying grass spots.

Dogs Urine

The second way is that the veterinarian inserts a needle into the dog’s bladder and extracts a sample. They want the dog to come in with its bladder 2/3 full or fuller. They say it does not hurt the dog. The dog does not mind. It is a simple procedure. I don't know. I have a hard time believing my dog would not have a problem with that. But if you need a sample you have to get it somehow. There might be other alternatives but these are the two he told me about.

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Urine Sample From Dog

August 4, 2009
- This one speaks for itself.

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Dog Urine Solutions August 7, 2009

Step Four Stop it From Reoccurring

The final step in this “removing urine” series is to stop dog urine from being an ongoing problem for you. We will examine a few ideas. I know not all solutions will work for every circumstance but these ideas will help solve the problem of dog urine once and for all.

Some people have just purchased a home or rent one and they need stains and odor from dog urine removed. In these cases they need a onetime effective remediation process and the problem is solved.

I bet that for the vast majority of us the challenge is different than that. We have our dogs. By the way my wife and I have a dog. Her name is Betty Boop. She is a Pug and there is a picture of her on this post. She lives with us. She is a member of our family. She is one of us. We need a solution that deals with her remaining in the home. This is the scenario many of us are facing.

One solution is to keep your dog isolated to only areas that are easy to clean and maintain. You can do this while you are gone and let the dog move freely about the house with you when you are home. This solution works for many people but it does not work for me with Betty.

Second solution is to keep the dog outside. Don’t make a house dog out of your pet. He /she is an outside dog. Again this is a good solution for many but not for me.

Third solution. The one that does work for me is effective potty training. Potty training is not the easiest behavior to teach a dog. It is most definitely worth doing and doing well. The damage caused by dogs that are not properly potty trained runs into the multi millions. This whole site is addressing how to deal with it. Effective potty training can be accomplished quicker and easier than you might think. You will save frustration, aggravation and the obvious damage to your property. I recommend a guide called ‘The Complete 7 Day Potty Training Guide”. It is very detailed. It is easy to follow and effective. If potty training is the way you are going to go then get it.

The last idea and I hate to even mention it, is not to have a dog. There have been times in my life that I practiced this one but again it does not work for me. I’ll bet you are saying if you were a true dog lover you couldn’t even think such a thing. This also is a great solution for many people.

This post via the Dog Urine blog where you get solutions and answers to dog urine odor, pet stains and dead or dying grass spots.

Removing Urine 4

Removing Urine step Three

Kill the odor

In step one you removed as much fresh urine as possible. In step two you pretreated, cleaned and rinsed to remove any stain and more urine residue.  If you still have some visible stains, they can be removed later. In step three you will treat and neutralize the odor.

Note: If the urine has actually removed dye from the fiber/fabric resulting in a spot that is lighter in color than the fabric around it then you have a bigger problem.

In step three we deal with any urine residue that is left and kill the odor.

Recreate the conditions. What is meant by this is two things. One, because the urine is a liquid then you need to use a liquid to counteract it. And two, you need to use enough chemical to counteract the urine. As an example: if your dog urinates 2 ounces of urine twice a day in a year’s time you will have over 11 gallons of urine deposited. The point of this is to emphasize that if you do not get enough chemical in contact with the urine residue you will not kill the smell. . The chemical has to come in contact with the urine residue in sufficient quantities to neutralize it. There are several types of chemicals that work in different ways but this principle applies to each type.

Also you need to give the chemical the time it needs to work and this is where the chemicals differ one from another. Some work immediately on contact but others (example: bacteria enzyme chemicals) need time to digest the urine residue. After the chemical you choose has had the dwell time necessary to work you remove any excess with extraction or absorption. Finally take the necessary steps to insure proper drying of the area. Use fans to accelerate drying. Dehumidifiers if you are in a moist climate or you are working on a very large area. After it has had sufficient time to dry 24-48 hours check it to see your results.

We have just discussed the steps for removing urine from minor or light damage. The process is more involved if you have moderate or severe damage.

An alternatives to this process is an injection method of removing and eliminating urine and its odor.

Step four stop it from reoccurring

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Removing Urine 3

Removing Urine Step Two

After you have removed as much urine as possible with absorption or extraction (see step one).  Step two is to pretreat, clean and rinse the urine area with a neutral spotter. To pretreat is to apply your spotting chemical, work it into the spot if necessary and let it sit for the needed time (dwell time) to work. With minor or light urine damage that is fresh, you will need very little dwell time. If it is an old spot that has dried then you will need more dwell time. If your dried spot has alkaline salt crystals from the dried urine present then use an acid spotter instead of a neutral spotter. With minor or light damage you should not have the alkaline salts present.

Apply the neutral cleaning spotter with a spray bottle or a bottle with a flip top type lid. This way you can control the amount of spotter you use and where it goes. Gently work it into the spot with a cloth or grooming tool. Do not over agitate (scrub) the area or you can damage the fibers of the fabric you are spotting.  Then absorb/extract it back out again. Repeat this process of applying spotter, absorb/extract if necessary. The spotter will help to release and neutralize any urine residue still in the fibers. Hence you will be removing more urine. It does not hurt to have a neutral spotter that has an odor neutralizer in it. This is not necessary because the next step will be to treat the odor. Do not over wet the area. Over wetting can cause additional unnecessary damage. So after you rinse, remove as much moisture as possible to avoid these problems.

Removing Urine Step Three

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Removing Urine 2

Step one: If the urine you are removing is fresh and still moist the first step in removing it is to get as much out as possible before it dries. Two ways to do this is blotting / absorption or extraction / wet vacuum.

When blotting take a clean dry absorbent towel or rag and place it on the moist urine spot. Paper towel works well. Put gentle pressure on the towel being careful not to push the urine deeper into the fiber/fabric or spread it out any further. The purpose of this is to absorb the urine into your towel and out of your carpet, or whatever you are getting it out of. Turn your towel over or change the towel if necessary to keep a clean dry area absorbing as much urine as possible. When you have removed the majority of the urine, again using a clean dry area of towel place it on the spot and put a book (like a phone book) on top of it and let it sit. You want a book that covers the size of the spot and is heavy enough to apply  pressure so the towel will absorb the last bit of moisture that it can. You can place a piece of plastic between the rag and the book so the book does not get moisture on it.

When removing urine using the extraction method use a wet dry vacuum or a home carpet cleaning machine. Use it to extract (vacuum) the urine out.  Use the strongest wet vacuum available to you. Use it to pull the urine out of the fabric/fiber or off the floor. Extract as much as you can working from the outside edges of the spot to the middle. If you have a see through (clear) wand or tool on your vacuum you can see when the urine stops coming out.

If the urine is not fresh but has dried then skip this first step of extraction/absorption

Move onto the next step in removing urine of pretreat and clean.

Removing urine step two.

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Removing Urine

July 28, 2009

July 24, 2009
- It will be interesting to see what kind of damages are assessed (if any) in this case.

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Dog Urine Solutions July 31, 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”

This post via the Dog Urine blog where you get solutions and answers to dog urine odor, pet stains and dead or dying grass spots.

Urine Odor part 2

July 24, 2009
- Good article. Be careful when feeding your dog pills and additives. Some of them can be harmful to your dog.

This post via the Dog Urine blog where you get solutions and answers to dog urine odor, pet stains and dead or dying grass spots.

Dog Urine Solutions July 24, 2009

You can remove urine and eliminate urine problems yourself.

With a little information and help 90% of these problems can be corrected at home. The other 10% you may want to hire a professional.

To remove urine there are several things you will want to consider. In a dog urine removal situation you need to analyze the extent of the damage that you have. Consider this, if a small dog (10-15 lb dog) deposits approximately 2 1/2 ounces of urine each time he/she urinates. And if he/she urinates only 2 times a day, in one month that is just under 1 ¼ gallons of urine. In one year it is over 14 gallons. So ask yourself, approximately how long has the urine been accumulating?

Did you catch it right away or has this been going on for some time? Is it spread out in smaller amounts over a larger area or has it been concentrated in only two or three small spots?

This example is considering a small dog, 10-15 pounds. What if you are dealing with a large dog or two? Obviously the larger the dog the larger the amount of urine.  The answers to these questions change the steps necessary to remove the urine effectively and completely. Don’t be discouraged there are solutions to even the severe situations. To assess the damage and to locate all the urine spots you have see our "Urine Odor locate the source" and "Pet Urine, scale of severity" posts.

This post via the Dog Urine blog where you get solutions and answers to dog urine odor, pet stains and dead or dying grass spots.

Remove Urine

I am guessing you already have a problem or you would not be here.

Many people, not all but many are looking for a one step quick and easy method to remove and eliminate the damage caused by dog urine. Dog urine in carpets or rugs. Dog urine on concrete or hardwood. And dog urine killing grass or plants and more.

And who can blame them? Of course that is what they want. Isn't that what we would all want?

In this blog I will tell you exactly how to do just that. But only if your problem is a minor or light problem. If it is more than that (a moderate or severe problem) then it most definitely is going to take more to eliminate it. It can still be done effectively but it will not be quite as quick and easy.

We will discuss step by step how to deal with the minor problems and what types of products are affective for that. We will also discuss the different degrees of dog urine damage. From minor to severe damage. And step by step how to take care of each. What products and procedures to use to get the best results. Keep in mind with dog urine we are dealing with several different issues. We have the odor. We have the stain. We have the contamination and in the case of dead or dying grass we have the nitrogen and PH of the urine to address. Some products are designed to eliminate more than one problem at a time. In most cases though, it takes a multi-step solution to achieve the desired results.

This post via the Dog Urine blog where you get solutions and answers to dog urine odor, pet stains and dead or dying grass spots.

Dog Urine