-FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS-
Please explain the pet urine stain removal process
Why is urine in carpets so difficult to remove?
Why does urine stink and get worse over time?
What are ENZYMES and BACTERIA and why do I need them?
What about people selling a pet urine removal recipe on the web? What is in it?
Is it true that ENZYMES and BACTERIAL/ENZYMES actually feed on the stain?
What is the first rule when it comes to cleaning urine in carpets?
What about antique rugs and how to clean them?
I am not familiar with PayPal Inc. who are they?
Will Natural Touch Pet Stain Remover get that "Yellow" spot out of my carpet?
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Please explain the removal process for pet urine stains in carpets?
Keep in mind, neither carpet shampooing nor steam cleaning alone will get rid of pet urine stains. That simply means that every single pet accident that you thought that you have cleaned is still there, hiding invisibly in your carpets and still creating gaseous urine odors. The
Pet Pee Detective™ will locate all of these stains so you can eliminate them with Natural Touch™.
Here are the proper steps to reclaim your carpeting-
Start by following the instructions for
Use good quality masking tape to box in the stains so you can find them later in regular room lighting.
Using hot tap water (do not boil), saturate the stain area with approximately 6oz of hot tap water. Let it soak in for a few minutes then remove the water with either a carpet extractor/steamer (if you own one, or can rent one) or a few absorbent clean white cotton towels. Repeat this process 3-more times before moving to the next step. The more urine you can dilute away, the better and faster
Use only an enzyme/bacteria based product like
Calculate how much
Each stain will typically require approximately 4oz of remover for complete elimination down to the carpet pad.
Pour
Press down on the stain several times with your hand in a rubber glove forcing the remover solution to be drawn deep into the pad underneath the carpet.
Do not do the whole house at once since you will need to keep all foot and pet traffic off the stains for about 24-hours or until the pad and carpets are thoroughly dry.
Now wash your hands and go do something fun. Your work is done for today.
Once the remover completely dries, your treated stains should be completely gone. Depending on the chosen enzyme/bacteria product, it can several days to for the bacteria to ingest the stain completely. During that time, the removal products short term deodorizers will stop any odors. Once the stained area dries, the bacteria all die off.
Note: The
Why is urine in carpet so difficult to remove?
When urine is allowed to dry and remain in the carpet or other material, it begins bonding itself to the fibers. The longer it is allowed to remain the stronger the bond becomes. Proteins (chains of amino acids) physically bond to the fibers while other portions of the urine crystallize into salts, forming ionic (electric charge) bonds. At this point it has become impossible to completely remove by cleaning alone.
When these mishaps occur the urine quickly saturates the face yarns and puddles on the carpet backing. Any excess then soaks through the backing into the carpet pad. Given average carpet/pad thickness and levels of absorbency, 1/2 cup of hot urine will penetrate clear to the hard floor beneath and spread into a circular pattern about 6" wide. Recurring urination in the same area tends to spread these hidden spots in ever-widening circles, contaminating more of the pad, the hard floor, and backside of the carpet.
In the meanwhile, mother nature begins the processes of decay. This painstakingly slow process is the root cause of your odor problem. Using a high quality enzyme/bacteria product like Natural Touch greatly accelerates this natural process.
Why does the urine stink and keep getting worse over time?
The composition of urine is complicated. Think of any possible combination of substances previously ingested: water, fish heads, mice, bones, etc, all of which contain many elements. Some of the parts are transformed by the body into yet other identifiable compounds before a watery elimination. For our discussion we will address the parts of urine referred to here as "organic wastes"; those portions of urine that decay.
The process of decay results in bacteria consuming the waste while converting it into gases. It is nature's way of getting rid of it. Organic wastes are a natural source of food for bacteria. While feeding on these wastes the bacteria produce obnoxious vapors, releasing primarily ammonia, sulfur and methane gases in various combinations which we perceive as a bad odor. Put yet another way, what our noses perceive as an obnoxious odor is in reality bacteria excrement.
Ammonia is the principle gas produced from urine decay. Chemically alkaline, the increasing presence of ammonia causes the pH to rise steadily, which in turn inhibits bacterial growth and the natural process of decay. While preferring a balanced, neutral pH, bacterial growth slowly continues nevertheless, gradually producing ever more inhibiting ammonia and other malodorous gases. In this loop, it can take mother nature several years to remove the odor's source. Simply stated, when it comes to urine naturally occurring bacteria eat very slowly, but other than that have no table manners at all!
What can you tell us about ENZYMES and BACTERIA?
Enzymes are very specific in that some break down only fat, while others carbohydrates, proteins, etc. Some 10,000 specific types have so far been isolated and cultivated: more are discovered almost daily. While an enzyme is a non-living molecule, a live bacterium cell can do nothing with its food supply unless first prepared by enzymes for bacterial consumption. In other words, enzymes alone cannot remove the wastes without the help of living bacteria, while the bacteria in turn need help from the enzymes. In this natural process, both enzymes and bacteria are required and have to work together in order to eliminate the wastes.
Bacteria is simply a term for a living micro-organism. There are both good (helpfull or friendly) and bad (potentially harmful) bacteria strains. Bacteria is everywhere you might sit, walk, sleep and is on anything that you touch. Our bodies rely heavily on bacteria to function properly. Now that you are educated, you won't be judgmental when you hear the word "bacteria from someone in the future. You can dazzle them with your new found knowledge on the subject.
The bacteria growing in urine contaminated carpet can be pathogenic or not. That is, any of several species can be present and multiplying, some of which may bear disease. All sorts of bacteria and bacterial spores (eggs) are present in nature and in our bodies. Most are friendly toward us while others are not. For example, our eyes would be glued shut with dried mucous were it not for some friendly microbes. Our digestion system could not work without them. Bacteria help make bread, cheese, yogurt and a host of other foods. There are many safe uses and our bodies need them. For the most part, bacteria as a whole have gotten a bum rap since we could not live for very long without them.
Bacteria are a multitude of microscopic simple, single-cell life forms called, singularly, bacterium. Bacteria grow when a bacterium matures, dividing into two identical "sister" cells. Growing in "colonies", countless numbers of bacteria are required to remove any amount of organic wastes. They must multiply continuously and extremely vast numbers are essential.
To give you some idea, magnification 30,000 times is required to view a single bacterium. "Tiny" is non-descriptive. In this microscopic world an average puddle of urine is about the same size as the Atlantic Ocean for you and I. Put in this perspective, how many of us do you think it would take to swallow the Atlantic Ocean (and vaporize the results)? Try to estimate the number of people it would require! On the upside, a bacterium can mature and divide very quickly, and bacterial activity produces needed enzymes in the process. As an analogy, enzymes are like the cooks who prepare food for an army of bacteria.
"Enzymes" is a common phrase describing products used for abatement, but includes the more costly products containing cultured bacteria spores in addition to enzymes. The thought of "Bacteria" is frightening to many people, therefore the word "Enzyme" is normally favored over a more correct term, "bacterial/enzyme". Some of the products sold for urine removal contain only free enzymes intended to assist the bacteria already present, while others have only bacterial spores. Any of these products are commonly, and perhaps more politely, referred to as "enzymes".
Bacteria approved for pet stain removal purposes, the Bacillus types, are essentially common sewer bacteria. These types were selected because Bacilli feeds only on decay and are considered "non-opportunistic", or "Friendly", if you will. All bacterial/enzyme products licensed for urine removal work contain strains of this species. Safe but very sensitive and vulnerable, Bacillus type cultures grow well only under ideal conditions.
Now that you are completely confused, here's the scoop: Enzymes convert the organic pet urine into a food source that the bacteria likes to eat. The stain literally gets eaten away by the hungry bacteria. Once the stain is gone (eaten away), the bacteria die off.
What about the people selling pet urine removal recipes on the internet? What's in it?
There are many people selling an old, home recipe for pet urine removal. This recipe is made by mixing of HYDROGEN PEROXIDE, BAKING SODA and if it's a wet stain, CORN STARCH. The exact ratio is 1-bottle of 3% hydrogen peroxide mixed with 2-TBS of baking soda.
The baking soda is used to make a paste, once dry, can be vacuumed up (why we don't know?). The corn starch is only used to help absorb a wet stain. This recipe was created long before technology had made it possible to chemically target specific stains with bio-organisms. These bio-organisms actually feed on the stain until it's completely gone.
Hydrogen peroxide is the only active ingredient used in that old recipe. Used blindly, it can be dangerous because: a.) It can be toxic to children and pets if swallowed; b.) It can damage carpets and cause permanent staining or the bleaching of carpets; c.) It's also more expensive to purchase by the gallon than most guaranteed professional products.
One good thing did come out this recipe though; CORN STARCH is still an excellent, low cost absorbent powder that will help draw any wet pee stain closer to the top surface making it easier to remove. Use corn starch only on a fresh, wet urine stain. Sprinkle about 1/8" thick completely covering the wet spot. Let it dry then vacuum. When finished, make sure to also treat the stain with a professional enzyme/bacteria removal product. Another wet pee stain remedy is 20-Mule Team Borax Powder (available near the laundry detergents at most stores) sprinkled heavily on the wet stain will soak it up fast. Then, just vacuum away residue when dry.
Is it true that ENZYMES and BACTERIAL/ENZYMES are produced to serve us?
Nearly everyone has heard of the use of enzymes to hasten the clean-up of oil spills. For every use you are familiar with there are probably thousands you have not yet heard anything about:
Key to several medical diagnostic tests are specific enzymes. Other uses of similar critters includes reclaiming arid and otherwise sterile lands for agricultural purposes. We could continue listing a multitude of specific , but this discussion need on a particular problem: that is, the malodor of urine contaminated carpet, fabrics and furnishings.
What is the first rule when it comes to cleaning urine in carpets?
Any satisfactory deodorization process must include removing the source of odor. This is the first rule!
Too many products marketed for "pet odor" problems are designed to kill off some of the gas producing bacteria that have occurred naturally in the contaminants. That, or disinfectants combined with "masking" scents that compete with the foul gases. In another approach a mineral, zeolite, is used to modify the ionic nature of and to adsorb free odor molecules (vapors). And we hear about agents that purportedly "encapsulate urine molecules", but could never really determine just what this meant in terms of eliminating the odor's source. As long as the source is still there, natural processes will eventually ensue and the odor will return.
In our experience, we find all of these approaches to be temporary solutions at best. Nor can high -powered, state of the art cleaning equipment physically remove enough dried urine to change conditions much. Moreover, the superheated water used with this type of equipment tends only to intensify the odor.
Our best hope has always been using nature's approach, that is, introducing biologicals that speed the natural processes to quickly rid materials of the contaminants. Over recent years, the advancing science of microbiology and newer, constantly improving technologies sustain the continuing development of better, quicker acting, and overall more effective enzyme products.
Can you tell us about Antique rugs and how to clean them?
Hand made antiques are the most valuable of all area rugs. Originating in eastern cultures, these rugs, in a broad sense, are commonly known as "Orientals." Woven by hand with the assistance of crude looms, they were constructed primarily from dyed wool. Unlike modern colorfast dyes, those used in the antiques tend to be unstable and bleed easily when wetted.
"Color bleed" is a condition whereby one color migrates into another. Natural dye exuding from the fabric may further complicate matters. Since wetting is essential for adequate cleaning, these rugs are a special challenge for those professionals who care for them.
In addition to wool yarns, some of the binding materials used in the weaves include cotton and linen. Dyes used were primarily vegetable based, but included other experimental and exotic dyes, as well. The key here is that all of the materials used came from "natural" sources; the fabrics, dyes, etc., everything used in its manufacture were derived from any source readily available to its creators at the time.
Natural fibers used in the spinning of yarns are complex, each type having unique characteristics. The fibers are porous, or absorbent, and all are grown with a lumen, or hollowness; a natural fiber is constructed like a tube that is hollow on the inside. While the complex surfaces and twist of the yarn tend to hide dry particulate soiling, staining is more likely to occur when liquid soiling is taken into the lumen.
Immersion cleaning of wools is recommended as natural fabrics require thorough soaking in order to adequately flush the accumulated soils. Oriental rug cleaning professionals commonly use a water bath with a lowered pH. Acids added to the bath tend to freeze unstable dyes thereby reducing the risk of color bleed.
High alkalinity as found in dried urine increases the risk of color bleed: a high pH, or alkaline condition, can more easily bleed the colors of these acid set dyes into surrounding areas than wetness in a neutral/acidic pH range. Dried urine becomes increasingly alkaline over a period of time and can cause the colors to bleed.
I am not familiar with PayPal Inc., who are they?
PayPal is the world's largest online payment service. It is an account-based system that lets anyone with an email address securely send and receive online payments using their credit card or bank account. PayPal accepts most major credit cards and e-checks and is completely FREE to use. Founded in 1998, PayPal, an eBay Company, enables any individual or business with an email address to securely, easily and quickly send and receive payments online. PayPal's service builds on the existing financial infrastructure of bank accounts and credit cards and utilizes the world's most advanced proprietary fraud prevention systems to create a safe, global, real-time payment solution.
PayPal has quickly become a global leader in online payment solutions with 63 million account members worldwide. Available in 45 countries around the world, buyers and sellers on eBay, online retailers, online businesses, as well as traditional offline businesses are transacting with PayPal.
PayPal has received close to 20 awards for technical excellence from the Internet industry and the business community at large -most recently the 2003 Webby Award for Best Finance Site and the 2003 Webby People's Voice Award for Best Finance Site.
Located right next door to us here in San Jose, California, PayPal was acquired by eBay Inc. in October, 2002 and has been a eBay Company ever since.
PayPal is a very safe and secure e-commerce payment site?PayPal's advanced technology helps keep your account safe. They are committed to handling your customer information with high standards of information security. PayPal automatically encrypts your confidential information in transit from your computer to ours using the Secure Sockets Layer protocol (SSL) with an encryption key length of 128-bits (the highest level commercially available).
PayPal will send us a "Notification of payment received" e-mail which confirms your payment. As soon as we receive notification of your payment from PayPal, your order will ship.
Will Natural Touch Pet Stain Remover get that "Yellow" spot out of my carpet?
Yes, just pour from the bottle on the stain, let dry overnight and the yellow stain will be gone.