Pet Urine and Your Wool or Silk Rug
April 6, 2017 02:14:45pm
Pets are part of the family, but when they have an “accident” and urine appears in your wool or silk Oriental rug, serious damage can occur if it is not dealt with properly.
Here’s what you need to know about getting urine stains out of your area rug:
- Act quickly! When it comes to urine stains, immediate action is critical. When the urine is fresh, the pH is low, but the bacteria is multiplying rapidly, and the pH levels are rising fast. By the time the urine has dried, the pH will be alkaline, and thus much more difficult to remove. These chemical changes can also cause color change to occur in the rug’s dyes, and the longer the urine sits in the rug’s fibers, the higher the chances that the color change will be permanent.
- Make a mixture of 1 part white vinegar and 1 part cold water. Test this mixture in an inconspicuous part of your rug to make sure no additional damage will be caused by applying this solution. If the mixture is safe, thoroughly wet the affected area with the mixture. Not only should you wet the urine spot with the mixture, but also wet the area several inches in each direction, so that the entire area is wetted. Allow the mixture to sit for 1-2 minutes and follow immediately with a wet vac.
- Vacuum over the affected area repeatedly with the wet vac until all moisture has been suctioned out of the rug.
- If you don’t have a wet vac on hand, fold a bath towel and place it over the moistened area. Press firmly (or even stand) on the towel for 10-15 seconds in order to absorb as much of the mixture and urine as possible. Refold the towel and repeat this until the area is dry.
- Find the best professional rug cleaning service in your area and call on their professional cleaners for urine stains. Even if you are able to soak up the majority of the urine, it’s still wise to have your rug assessed by the professionals to make sure there is no lasting damage. On the other hand, if you were not able to extract the urine, or if it was left to sit in the rug’s fibers for an unknown amount of time, you’ll want to be sure to have the rug cleaned by highly trained professional rug cleaners, who will clean the rug in a rug bath, in order to ensure your rug is restored to the best possible condition.
The Best Jacksonville FL Oriental Rug Cleaners
RugPro Oriental Rug Cleaning is the best rug cleaning service Jacksonville FL rug owners call on for their rugs’ needs. Our technicians are extensively trained to clean Persian and Oriental rugs thoroughly, whether it is only a maintenance dusting, or a deep submersion cleaning in our rug bath. If you live in downtown Jacksonville, Fleming Island, Mandarin, the Beaches, or St. Augustine, call RugPro at the first sign of pet urine – or any other contamination you may find – to ensure your rug receives the best possible cleaning and care.
