When you were a child, did your Mother ever tweak your toes, reciting that little jingle that ends with “and this little piggy went ‘Wee, Wee, Wee’ all the way home”? It made you giggle, didn’t it. Perhaps you’ve carried the tradition down to your own children, and taught them which little piggy went where. And why not? It always seems to produce a smile. But does the story always end when the piggy gets home? Suppose the little piggy didn’t stop going ‘Wee, Wee, Wee’ (or worse) once it arrived home? Would you still be smiling? OK, let’s put this in context. You probably don’t really own a little piggy. But chances are you do have a dog, cat or some other type of pet. And as shocking as it may seem, dogs and cats (and many other varieties of animal) can do the ‘Wee, Wee, Wee’ thing all over your home just as effectively as that little piggy. Now don’t despair! Whether there are just a few ‘Wee, Wee’ spots you need to attend to, or your beloved pet has been “spotting” your carpet over an extended period of time, we have an answer for you. Let’s take a look at varying degrees of the subject at hand.
Cleaning up after an occasional “OOPS!” moment (one or two ‘Wee’s’): This is where you are faced with one or two pet spots on your carpet. Whether these spots originated as urine, feces, vomit (or some other equally unpleasant substance), you should remove them as soon as possible. I’m going to assume that you’ve already obtained a bottle of HomePro Pet Spotter Plus from your Professional Cleaner, or have ordered a bottle of HomePro by Design Pet Spotter from your Professional’s website, and have it on-hand just in case you are faced with an “OOPS!” moment. (If you have an indoor pet but don’t have one of the superb solutions mentioned above, I recommend you obtain either one of these spotters and keep it handy. Even if you don’t own a pet, it’s not a bad idea to have one these solutions available, since they are formulated to also remove children’s personal “accident” spots and other natural stains like coffee, grape juice, blood and grass. Fresh spots or old ones, these amazing formulas can get out 95% of them.)
Here’s how to proceed with an occasional spot or two: Fresh accidents: Remove or absorb any excess matter from the spot. Liberally apply your Pet Spotter directly to the stain. Allow the spotter to work for five minutes, then lightly agitate (do not distort fiber) and blot out the excess moisture with a clean towel, paper towel or rag. Repeat as needed, and then blot out all remaining excess moisture. There is no need to rinse. Old spots or stains: Apply your Pet Spotter liberally to the stained area and allow it to work for 30 minutes. Lightly agitate and absorb any excess moisture with a clean towel, paper towel or rag. If the stain still remains, apply your Pet Spotter to re-dampen the spot and allow it to work until dry. If the stain still remains, repeat the process.
Deciding whether it’s a “do-it-yourself” job or one you should turn over to your Professional (the basic ‘Wee, Wee’ question):
Let’s face it – the size of your pet matters. For instance, a St. Bernard has a larger bladder than a Chihuahua. That increased size will be accompanied by a greater quantity of urine. But size is not the only facet we need to consider. Other factors lending weight to the problem include the animal’s breed, gender and age. Each of these will have a bearing on the urine concentration, quantity and odor.
In addition, consider the amount of time the animal has been “going”. A pet weighing five pounds can produce around two ounces of urine each time it has to “go”. Assuming this “small” animal urinates twice per day, it can generate over 11 gallons of urine a year. Whether this has been concentrated all in one spot, or spread throughout the home, it can present you with quite an extensive problem.
Your ability to effectively restore your carpet to a pre-‘Wee, Wee’ state ends when the urine penetrates to (and concentrates in) the carpet padding and subflooring. Your spotting efforts will be successful as long as you can blot up all of the urine dissolved by your spotting solution. A heavy concentration of urine in the padding can not generally be removed from the surface of the carpet without the use of specialized equipment.
Calling in the Professional (way too many ‘Wee, Wee, Wee’s’):
OK, so you’ve determined that the problem is more severe than you are able (or willing) to deal with on your own. What can your professional do that you can’t? First off, your professional has tools to determine exactly where the ‘Wee, Wee’ has been deposited. Using equipment such as ultraviolet lights and moisture probes, he will be able to identify all of the affected areas. It is not at all uncommon to discover that a pet has been busy spotting areas of the carpet other than those the home-owner was already actually aware of. Once the extent of the problem has been defined, your professional will be able to determine what steps should be taken to correct the situation. These procedures may only require the use of his Sub-Surface extraction tools to saturate the padding and extract the urine residue from the surface of the carpet. On the other hand, some extreme cases may require pulling up and treating the top and under surfaces of the carpet, removal and replacement of the padding, sealing the subfloor etc.
When all is said and done, once your carpet has been returned to a pristine state, make sure you have just two items on hand: a bottle of Pet Spotter for those occasional “Oops” moments, and your Professional Cleaner’s phone number for the next time you have need of his service and expertise.
