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How Elder Caregivers Can
Get Urine Smells Out Of Carpet
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On a fresh urine spill, blot up the moisture as soon as you can with
towels, paper towels, or whatever you have that's dry, absorbent and
colorfast. Don't scrub the moisture down into the carpet because it
will naturally wick up to the top of the fibers and you don't want to
work it back down in.
Then, sprinkle Arm & Hammer™
baking powder or baking soda (either one) over the damp area, covering
it completely to a depth of about a quarter-inch. Don't rub it in. Use
more than you think you really need, so you can't see any carpet
through the powder.
Because the liquid naturally wicks upwards it will be drawn up from
the fibers, out of the carpet, and into the powder. Let it sit one to
two days until the powder is completely dry, then vacuum.
This should work if the urine spill is fresh and if it hasn't soaked
into the carpet padding or the floor beneath.
For an older urine contamination that has an odor Dalworth says you
really only have two choices: professional cleaning, or kill the
bacteria growing in the carpet. If your carpet is made of wool or
nylon, then you will probably need professional cleaners because
products containing bleach will take the color out of nylon, and
bleach will dissolve wool.
If you have carpet made of Olefin™ or polyester Dalworth says you
can mix a solution of 1 part bleach to 10 parts water and soak the
affected area with a trigger sprayer. After this mixture has had a
chance to work for a couple of hours, then apply the blot...Arm &
Hammer™... let it dry...and vacuum...as above. Reminder - don't use
bleach if your carpet is made of nylon or wool. If you aren't sure,
don't do it. If you think you're sure, test this on an out-of-the way
spot first, just to be certain.
If you have nylon or wool carpet and the urine spill is old and
smelly, you can try thoroughly re-wetting the spill with water and
then using the blot...Arm & Hammer™...vacuum method, but your
chances of success are greatly reduced because this won't kill the
bacteria actively growing in the carpet. You'll probably have to call
in a professional.
The best cure is prevention, of course. If you have carpet in the
bathroom, take it up if you can. If mishaps are occurring in other
rooms - by the bedside, for instance - get some inexpensive
rubber-backed bath rugs. Tape them down so they aren't a trip hazard.
When an accident happens you can pull them up right away and throw
them in the wash.
Addendum: I have heard from several sources that
the
Urine Gone™ Kit
 has
worked for them.
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A reader asked about this, and I decided to go
right to a real authority for the best answer. If you haven't had this
problem yet you stand a good chance of facing it in the future, so
save this issue somewhere where you can find it when you need it.
My definitive source on how to get a urine smell out of carpet was the
great people at Dalworth Carpet Cleaning in Dallas, TX (http://www.dalworth.com).
That "classic" urine odor in carpet is really caused by the
waste products of bacteria, so get to the problem quickly, before they
have a chance to start multiplying.
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