We love our pets, we really do, but sometimes they cause some problems in our life. One such problem is when they pee on our carpet. Accidents happen, we know that, but we also know that these accidents can be more than just a little bit of wet carpet.
Urine’s Damage to Carpets
Pet urine can damage carpets in a variety of ways; odors, bacteria, discoloration, and damage to the subfloor are the main concerns when our little friends have unhappy little accidents. Odor is the first noticeable sign and problem of a carpet urination. If left alone to soak, the water in the urine will evaporate and leave behind concentrated ammonia (an even higher concentrated amount is found present in cat urine). This can cause some serious irritation to people with certain allergies or asthma. The longer the urine sits in the carpet unclean, the harder it will be to remove the smell and the worse the discoloration of the carpets will be (due to the oxidation of the urine and its reaction with the dyes in the carpet).
Another contributor to the foul smell that comes from urine soaked carpet is the bacteria that starts to colonize the damaged areas. The longer the your pet’s pee sits in the carpet the more bacteria will grow. For most people, these bacteria will not pose too much of a threat to their health, but can cause serious discomfort. The bacteria can irritate eyes and sinuses, inflame airways, and spark allergic reactions. Children, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems must be far more careful as the bacteria can cause more serious health problems in them.
Pet Pee and Mold
If your pet’s accident is not a common occurrence and you get it cleaned immediately you don’t have to worry too much about mold. The problems with mold arise when a pet urinates on the carpet and it goes unnoticed for a time, or for frequent urination in the same spot. The mold starts to grow under your carpet and can be a real pain the remove. You might not even be able to see the mold infected areas when you finally come across the pee soaked areas. These molds that can grow here can turn the room into very uncomfortable places, seriously irritating skin, eyes, airways, and in the worst scenarios even cause long term conditions.
Damage to the Subfloor
In a lot of cases, underneath your carpet is a wooden area called the subfloor. If urine is left to soak in the carpet, it will make its way down to the wood and continue to soak in that. After enough time, this will cause the wood to begin to rot. The longer it is left unchecked, and if it is exposed to continuous urination, the area of rot will spread. This will lead to costly repairs and a great annoyance towards your little loved one. The subfloor will need to be repaired and te carpet replaced.
So what do you do if your pet pees on the carpet?
Clean the area up and make sure you let it fully dry. Make sure you inspect the carpet in your home if you ever smell any off smells, and make sure your little friend only had the one accident. Remember, the biggest accidents are the ones you haven’t found. If you ever have any questions, or your pet has made some damage you are not comfortable cleaning, give us a call and we’ll take care of it. You can call us at 619-284-4239 or visit our website cleanearthrestorations.com. We handle any carpet cleaning and water damage in the San Diego area, We can handle any carpet problem, no matter how big or small. We willclean your carpet, repair damage, and have you better than new in no time!
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