Pet stains and odors are very difficult to clean on your own. Even the best behaved animal has an accident now and then. Something as simple as a urinary tract infection, or age-related loss of muscle control, can lead to your usually well behaved pet embarrassing themselves. Unfortunately, tackling these issues on your own can lead to unsightly stains and embarrassing odors in your home. This is a result of uric acid, the smelliest part of urine. Uric acid is difficult to break down with cleaners. Additionally, you become desensitized to the smell and may not realize it’s lingering on. Improper cleanup could encourage your pet to go again. If you have a problem with pet stains in your house, call a professional to end the cycle.
Uric Acid is Resistant to Cleaners
Urine is a complicated substance. As mentioned earlier, the part of it that gives you that distinctly “urine” odor is uric acid. It has a sharp, unpleasant odor that lingers on anything that it gets into, making it difficult to get rid of. Most cleaners work by breaking down the chemical substance that causes an odor, enabling you to just wipe away the moisture. Uric acid can stand up to some of the toughest common cleaners. That leaves you with options like soaking your carpet in diluted hydrogen peroxide, which usually works–but frequently damages your carpet and discolors it as well.
To really attack the uric acid in your carpet, you need a professional cleaning service. A professional cleaning service has access to technology that makes it easier to attack smells on a molecular level. A steam cleaner, coupled with strong cleansers, can break down uric acid and clean it away, getting rid of the odor at the source.
You Become Desensitized
When you spend too much time smelling a strong odor, you become desensitized to it. Your brain decides to ignore some of the data that your nose is giving it in order to focus on new and changing information. Your brain’s boredom with the status quo works against you when it comes to pet stains and odor. When you can’t smell the problem, you may think that a little spot isn’t so bad. It is, and anyone who visits your home (and thus, isn’t used to the smell) would agree.
Improper Cleaning just Makes Things Worse
Not cleaning your carpets all the way creates a feedback loop with your pet. In a perfect world, your pet would always be able to go outside or in their litter box. In real life, once they’ve had an accident it gives them conflicting ideas, especially if you didn’t properly clean the spot. They know they’re not supposed to go inside, but their nose is telling them that they already did. Unfortunately, it draws them back to the same spot the next time they don’t want to hold it to their litter box or their evening walk.
Pet stains are difficult to clean because of the chemicals in them. Uric acid doesn’t break down easily, which leads to a strong, offensive odor that wears you out after a few days. You might think the problem is solved, but your pet things they now have a cool indoor bathroom–and will treat your home as such. A professional cleaning can end this cycle and get your home back on track.