According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, about 63 percent of all households in the United States have a pet. But, pets and carpeting are not always a good mix. Nails tear at carpet fibers, fur and dander become embedded deep in the pile, dirt is tracked and ground into the carpet. Then, there's the inevitable "accident". Pet urine, if left unattended, can damage carpet in several ways because it doesn't stay on the surface of the carpet. It penetrates the carpet fibers and contaminates both the backing of the carpet and the flooring material below the carpet.

Because of the acidic nature of urine, it is a perfect breeding ground for bacteria. Moisture can weaken the layers of the carpet, allowing separation or delamination of the backing material and seam areas can become damaged and separate. Pet urine is mainly made up of uric acid, which will break down into ammonia and carbon dioxide. Ammonia is highly alkaline, with pH levels that can easily exceed 11. To get an idea of how damaging this can be, wool should never be exposed to a pH balance of more than about 8.5 or the fibers become damaged. The high pH level and the yellow pigment in pet urine can also adversely affect the dyes in your carpet and make them unstable. What may appear to be a urine stain may actually be color lost, which can't be corrected by cleaning.

Then, there's the odor. As the acidic urine reacts with the ammonia that is being created, it will form alkaline salt crystals. These salts will absorb moisture from the air and they will remain active. As long as the salts are active, they will produce ammonia gas. This is why the odor that was previously unoticeable becomes very noticeable when you clean your area rug, carpet or upholstery.

But, the good news is that you can have pets and carpeting, too. All it takes is some routine maintenance: regular vacuuming and cleaning up after your pet should it slobber or have an accident. Area rugs will help, too, especially if they are machine washable. They can help protect your carpeting from pet accidents. Just lay area rugs down in your pet's favorite spots to help protect your carpeting and flooring. The most important part of your carpet maintenace plan is is to have them professionally cleaned on a regular basis. The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration (IIRC) recommends that pet owners get their carpets professionally cleaned at least twice annually and as often as once every three months for people with multiple pets.

Steam 'N Clean Carpet Cleaning specializes in cleaning carpets and taking care of pet accidents. We use hot water extraction from truck mount units, which does a much better job of cleaning deep in the carpet fibers, where the odor resides. Additionally, our cleaning process also includes an anti-microbial treatment to make sure the bacteria from the pet urine stays out.

To help stains from future pet accidents, we recommend our Teflon® carpet protector. It will keep the fur, dander, slobber and pet accidents on the surface of your carpet, so it's easier for you to clean up. This will extend the life of your carpet and keep it looking nice for years to come. Each time you call us to clean your carpets, be sure to ask for our Teflon carpet protector to protect your investment for years to come.