The Complete Handbook of Pet Odor & Stain Removers

Chapter 1: Understanding Pet Odor & Stain Removers

You are looking at a brown spot on a beige carpet, or you are walking into a room that smells faintly of ammonia no matter how many times it has been mopped. These are not two separate problems. They are the same problem, and they are a chemistry problem, not a cleaning problem. The products in this category exist to solve that chemistry problem. To use them properly, you must understand the adversary. A pet stain is not just dirt that can be washed away with soap and water. A pet odor is not just a smell that can be masked with perfume or a scented candle. Both are the remnants of a biological fluid that contains a complex cocktail of compounds, some of which are designed by nature to be very persistent.

Consider a fresh urine stain. It is roughly 95% water. But that remaining 5% is the active ingredient in the problem. It contains urea, which is a waste product from protein metabolism. It contains uric acid, which is a crystalline compound. It contains creatinine, a breakdown product of muscle tissue. It contains various salts, hormones, and bacteria. On a hard, non-porous surface like a tile floor, a simple disinfectant and a wipe might be sufficient to remove this fresh urine. The surface is clean. The problem is gone. But on a porous surface, whether it is a carpet, a sofa cushion, a hardwood floor, or a concrete slab, you