carpet smells like dog urine, but no dog lives here. how to get rid of smell?

Question

smells so bad i've tried everything. i can't stand to be in house. even shampooed carpet. please help.

Answer 1

Silly people! I have been in the cleaning industry for 30+ years . Get a black light and at night turn it on, the phospheris in the urine will glow. that will identify where the issue is. Have a company with a truck mount steam cleaner clean the rug useing an enzime ingester to get rid of the oder, if its into the pad the area that was wissed on has got to go, then if the subfloor was wet also use a oil based paint or bin to encapselate the smell and put a new pad over it and should be good as new.

Answer 2

Pet odor is a protein-based problem and cannot be eliminated by normal spotting procedures. In order to remove odor, you must use an enzyme product to digest the protein, particularly in urine. Enzyme products may be purchased at pet supply stores, veterinary clinics, or janitorial supply stores. There are many different types available, two that are very good are Outright Pet Odor Eliminator, and Nature's Miracle. Follow the directions on the package exactly, and don't be afraid to really saturate the carpet. Generally, pet accidents soak through the carpet back into the pad, so the enzyme treatment needs to soak in just as deeply. Water will not hurt your carpet; it is dipped in water numerous times during the dying process. This is the most important step, so be sure to saturate the entire area, covering the circumference of the stain thoroughly, too. Remember, the urine goes into the carpet deeply and spreads. Next, here's the secret: cover the treated area with a plastic garbage bag or a dry cleaner's bag. If there is any lettering on the bag do not let it touch the carpet or it will transfer to the carpet. Weight the plastic down with something heavy-- the idea is to keep the enzyme from drying out until it can do its job, which is digesting the protein in the urine. Leave the plastic in place at least 24 hours, preferably 48 hours-- resist temptation, don't peek! Then uncover the area and allow it to dry thoroughly. This may require as much as a week to 10 days, depending on how deeply you treated the spot. To speed drying, let a fan blow across the area. Once the area is completely dry (and only then), check for odor. If there is still odor, re-treat in the same way. If the odor is gone, clean the area with a good-quality carpet spotter that specializes in pet stains. Spot Shot is a good one. It is quick, efficient, and won't leave residue in the carpet.

Answer 3

Here's what to do: Number 1 find the source of the contamination. A black light will help you find the bad areas. Pull back the carpeting. Do this by renting a carpet kicker push toward a wall and then lift. If pad is contaminated replace the pad in the bad areas. Buy some cans of Kilz primer from HD. Spray the carpet backing and the bare concrete if you see contamination. Replace the pad and put the carpet back down and use the kicker and a stair tool to get the carpet tight back on to the wood tackless. Use a enzyme clean liquid and saturate the area. Give a lot of dwell time to let the chemical work. You can do this yourself if there is only minor contamination. If there is contamination thru out you might have to replace the carpet and padding. A good carpet cleaning company will do all of this for you for about 250 to 550. Thats a lot less than getting new carpet. I own a four truck clean co in phx and do this work all the time. Good luck.

Answer 4

Carpet is a pain in the butt and overrated, especially if you have kids. I have done away with much of the carpet in our house except for 2 bedrooms, because it was hard to keep clean, held odors and when I removed it from the living/dining room I uncovered a SEA of mold spores which were the result of "professional" cleaning, done during the previous family's ownership.

The fact is that all steam cleaning services wet the carpeting. They have to in order to clean the carpet. The extraction of the water they use under the best of circumstances is poor. A lot of water is trapped between the carpet and floor, with the padding acting as an inhibitor for the moisture to exit.

The only way to healthfully clean carpets is to have the carpeting removed from the premises and cleaned at a facility, where it can completely dry before it is rolled up and reinstalled in the house. The price makes that not worth it unless you have some really high-end carpeting and a generous budget.

This is factual information that Stanley Steemer, and all the on-site cleaners will swear up and down is untrue, because their business is based on on-site cleaning. Chemicals they use help inhibit mold, but it's not 100% effective. Not even close.

That is why I suggest, if you own the place, consider hard flooring and if you want something soft under your feet, get a nice area rug. Tile, wood veneer, parquet can vary in price from as little as fifty cents a square foot up to a few dollars or more, but unlike carpet... if you choose something durable you very well may never have to deal with anything more than an ovvasional sweeping and/or mopping.

Allergy sufferers also do better in houses with hard flooring for obvious reasons.

Answer 5

If you have a pad under your carpet check it. When the pad starts to disintegrate it will contract moisture from the air etc. and it will get a urine like smell. I had this in our house and just about went nuts trying to figure out where the smell was coming from. Also when you shampoo the wetness will aid in the disintegration of the pad and cause the smell. I ended up getting all new carpets.

Answer 6

It sounds like it may have soaked down into the floor beneath. Is this an apartment? If so, you should contact the landlord. If it's your own house I would take up the carpet and check out the floor underneath. That part of the floor, assuming there'e no other damage, could be bleached in order to get rid of the smell.

Answer 7

it is not just the carpet but the padding that is holding the smell... That is why when you go in a house with animals if has the smell rather than a house with flooring... If this is your own home, you may have to pull up the carpet and put down new padding.. good luck

Answer 8

If you have tried everything I am assuming you have tried bleach. In that case you may have set the smell in the carpet. Have you tried using a solution of half-to full strength white vinegar. Using a spray bottle, spray directly on to the carpet, as the vinegar is white it will not stain the carpet. You may have to apply this several times. If this fails I suggest you lift the carpet and get rid of it.

Answer 9

go rent a carpet cleaner and clean the carpet real good, they have special detergents that can deep clean. that's the best and cheapest way. don't listen to these dumb asses and pull your carpet back unless you plan on replacing the whole carpet and have the right tools to put the carpet back in, because if you don't have the right tools the next time you vacumn the carpet will get pulled back up. but it is true that the padding may be holding the smell, which you should have professionally replaced or if you have the tools do it yourself.

Answer 10

I'm with Ted the Toolman, what he said is very true and healthier.

Carpet is never the best choice - it gets dirty and attracts dust and mold.

If you won't do hard floors, try to get new carpet and padding if you can. Do you really want to live with that odor and bacteria - not to mention if you keep wetting the carpet & padding, it may generate mold.