Hampshire Carpet and Upholstery Care

Blog Post

Why cat and dog urine is bad for your carpet

Richard Lee-Costello • May 24, 2019

How a professional carpet cleaning company can prevent permanent damage

carpet cleaning southampton

Why Pet Urine Is Dangerous to your Carpet

Your carpets add luxury to your home by adding warmth and comfort, this is the main reason people choose carpets, however, their aesthetically pleasing nature can be marred by a permanent stain. If the stain was caused by animal urine and other bodily fluids, it becomes a health hazard. If your pet has an accident on your carpet it is important to act fast and for effective and safe extraction using a professional carpet cleaning company is a must as you can see from our cleaning method later.

How pet urine damages the carpet

Acid and bacteria.

When urine first hits your carpet, it is acidic with a pH level of 5 or 6. This encourages the growth and spread of disease-causing bacteria. The urine also begins to oxidize and react with the carpet, which causes the carpet stained to discolour.

Urgent attention needed.

Spills can become permanent stains if left untreated, when the acid in the stain turns to alkaline, with a pH level of 10-12. That is why it’s best to deal with fresh spills right away. Fresh spills that haven’t had a lot of time to dry are also easier to remove.

Permanent damage.

Stains that have been left on the carpet too long may cause irreversible damage. Even when you remove visible deposits, the dye on the carpet may already have faded or darkened. Additionally, the problem can be compounded by the urine soaking through to the flooring.

ODOURS

Lingering Odour.

Once bacteria start breeding on your carpet, amino acids are created which are absorbed by the carpet fibres and therefore meld with the carpet. Drying or exposing the stained carpet to sunlight will not help because the dried urine also produces hydrophilic salt crystals which attract moisture. Every time the salts are remoistened, they give off ammonia, a nasty-smelling gas.On more humid days particularly, this becomes a constant problem.

How we help you solve your carpet problem

As a professional cleaning service, we do a thorough treatment of your carpet to remove both stains and odours. Our goal is to preserve the colour, style and feel of your carpet, as we deodorize, sanitize and take away unsightly stains. We follow a process, covering all steps for the worst cases, and possibly omitting some steps for those with minor damage. The result will leave you with a clean, comfortable and fresh-smelling carpet and flooring.

Hampshire Carpet and Upholstery Stain Treatment

1.We clear the area to be cleaned of furniture and other visible dirt.

2.We neutralize the urine salt crystals with our urine surface treatment. We also use a Sub-Surface Spot Lifter which works on the same principle as flood tools but can perform Sub-Surface spot removal of urine and other spills.

3.Hot Water Extraction. After a short period of dwell time to let the treatment take effect, we apply Hot Water Extraction (Steam Cleaning Southampton), which is the most effective method.

4.Detergent. We pre-condition the carpet by dousing it with high quality but non-toxic, biodegradable detergent. Another special detergent may be needed for heavy stains.

5.Agitation. We then agitate and scrub the carpet to displace soil and other soluble crystals.

6.Rinse. We inject hot pressurised water into the carpet to rinse the dirt and solution and make them rise to the surface.

7.Vacuum. We use a powerful vacuum to extract and remove the dirt, solution and almost all of the moisture for the surface and sub-surface.

8.Dry. Lastly, the carpet should be allowed to dry in 2-8 hours depending on the intensity of the treatment. Opening the windows and doors can speed up the drying process.

Limestone floor
by Richard Lee-Costello 05 Mar, 2022
Limestone and Travertine clean, seal, restoration of holes and polishing in Hampshire
by Richard Lee-Costello 04 Mar, 2022
Did you know we work on Hard Floors too? this blog looks at our Marble Service
by Richard Lee-Costello 26 Feb, 2021
Leather is not just comfortable; it is beautiful too! Investments in quality leather furniture will give you plenty of years of service last several times longer than faux leather, leather is a thick natural skin which is durable and in the case of pigmented leather resistant to spills which can easily be cleaned up. Over time protective layers will reduce and these will need replenishing as with aniline leather which is very absorbent, will soak up any spill and oils from ourselves, pigmented leather will stain more easily if the layer of protection has gone. To help maintain the splendour of your leather sofa it is essential that it receives regular maintenance and a periodic professional leather clean service. During times where the furniture is not being used it is always best to cover with a light sheet (avoid strong colours as these may transfer to the leather and will need restoring). Hampshire Leather Care has come up with a simple to follow maintenance programme: Step 1 - Vacuum Cleaning Using a soft brush extension as leather can scratch easily when soft and supple, regularly vacuum to remove any debris, crumbs or dirt focusing on visible debris between the cushions and down the sides. Step 2 – Damp Cloth Wipe Using water only, dampen a soft cloth or sponge and carefully wipe down your leather furniture to remove soils which can not be vacuumed away, do not use baby wipes or other cleaning wipes as the chemicals on these may break down protection layers, remove colour, and dry out your leather. Be careful not to over wet as excessive water may soak in especially if not pigmented. Step 4 - Drying Your Furniture Leather should be left to dry naturally and shouldn’t take too long at room temperature so long as it has not been over wet. By opening a window, this will help your chair or sofa dry faster and prevent marks and stains. Step 5 - Conditioning Your Leather Once clean and dry you can condition the leather for longer lasting protection. Conditioning it will help keep the material soft and sumptuous for longer. High quality conditioners would be recommended for this. Depending on the conditioner used, follow the instructions provided but typically apply gently with a cloth, leaving a slight gloss and allow it to settle. We’d recommend using a conditioner once a month to really keep your furniture luscious. Poorly maintained Leather sofas, or well aged sofas such as chesterfield leather sofa need professional restoration services to restore colour and bring back its natural suppleness. Leather colour restoration can be used to make sofas a whole new colour and/or restore the two tone which may have rubbed off. Scratches from pets on leather can be repaired also, along with ink, grease, scuffs and denim dye. For a range of professional leather cleaning services, please see Leather Cleaning and Restoration Southampton .
by Richard Lee-Costello 11 Mar, 2020
Wash your hands often: Until your hands are washed it is important to try not to touch any part of your face Using soap, wash your hands for at least 20 seconds, if you are unable to wash your hands use a hand sanitiser which contains at least 60% alcohol covering whole of hand and rub together until dry. You should do this as soon as you can after sneezing, blowing your nose, coughing and being in a public place. Cover coughs and sneezes: Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze or use the inside of your elbow. Throw used tissues in the bin and wash hands as above. Avoid close contact Avoid close contact with people who are sick Put distance between yourself and other people if COVID-19 is spreading in your community. This is especially important for people who are at higher risk of getting very sick. Stay home if you’re sick: Stay at home if you have coronavirus symptoms Stay at home for 7 days if you have either: a high temperature – you feel hot to touch on your chest or back a new, continuous cough – this means you've started coughing repeatedly Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital. You do not need to contact 111 to tell them you're staying at home. Testing for coronavirus is not needed if you're staying at home. Clean and disinfect: Clean AND disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily. This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets and sinks. If surfaces are dirty, clean them: Use detergent or soap and water prior to disinfection. More info can be found at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/common-questions/ How to clean and disinfect your home / workplace: According to www.cdc.gov you should use disinfectants appropriate for the surface. Options include: Diluting your household bleach. To make a bleach solution, mix: 5 tablespoons (1/3rd cup) bleach per gallon of water OR 4 teaspoons bleach per quart of water Follow manufacturer’s instructions for application and proper ventilation. Check to ensure the product is not past its expiration date. Never mix household bleach with ammonia or any other cleanser. Unexpired household bleach will be effective against coronaviruses when properly diluted. Alternatively use Alcohol solutions e nsuring solution has at least 70% alcohol. The problem with using bleach is you cannot use it on most carpets and upholstery for example, also it is corrosive against certain surfaces, can cause respiratory problems of its own, only has a kill log of 5 and is not that residual. Hampshire Carpet and Upholstery Care offer a Sanitising Service inc. Coronavirus /Covid-19 Deep Clean in Southampton, Winchester, Fareham, Eastleigh, Portsmouth and all surrounding areas . Our Deep Clean / Sanitising service is recommended for prevention in residential and commercial properties. The product we use lasts! This is the jewel in the crown, patented technology allows for extended kill capacity weeks, months years! Our treatment is tolerant of soil, hard water, etc, is non-toxic and non-corrosive meaning it is safe to use anywhere. Heat, Sunlight or Travel distress has no effect on the product. You can protect your whole home, just one room if you have a baby etc. Whilst there is no proven kill for covid-19 as sample strands are all being used in the search for a vaccine, an Antimicrobial with a kill log-6 is being used by professionals to sanitise infected areas as this is what is expected to be able to kill the virus. Where bleach only has a kill log-5 (https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/guidelines/disinfection/disinfection-methods/chemical.html) , our treatment falls into the kill log-6 spectrum which is effective for political micro control of A/H1N1 swine flu , Mycobaclerium, Tuberculosis, MRSA, Medical Waste Treatment, Feline Calicivirus (Human Norovirus surrogate), Feline Coronavirus (SARA surrogate), enveloped and non-enveloped virus, HIV and C.difficile, Paeruginosa, E.coli, S.aureus, Enterococcus hirae, Bacillus suttilis, C.difficile, Aspergillus niger, Listeria, Salmonella, Legionella pneumophila. Our 429 service can be delivered by fogging which is a cloud of liquid in air. The droplets of atomised liquid in the airborne fog are very small, for this reason they can penetrate deep into structures and surfaces having improved performance of the product enhancing the outcome of the task. What the IICRC Say 'Regardless of what chemicals may be able to destroy the Novel Coronavirus, most efficacy tests are done in clinical environments and not tested “in field” meaning that the real world application and efficacy may not achieve the same results. As such, it is critical to remember that most antimicrobial products (disinfectants) are not going to achieve the desired results when applied to soiled surfaces, soft furnishings, etc. Even surfaces that appear visibly clean must be cleaned thoroughly prior to application of chemicals. The fact is that proper cleaning of surfaces is much like washing of hands and offers more protection than application of hand sanitiser as it actually removes the contamination rather than trying to “kill” or destroy it.'
by Richard Lee-Costello 16 Jul, 2019
Reasons why you should protect wool rugs and carpets, including a guide to how protection works
by Richard Lee-Costello 24 May, 2019
Why pet urine can permanently damage your carpets and how a professional carpet cleaning company can help.
by Richard Lee-Costello 27 Feb, 2019
How can we clean our carpets and avoid aggravating our allergies? Hampshire Carpet and Upholstery Care tells you how!
by Richard Lee-Costello 07 Feb, 2019
A helpful guide to prolong the life of your rug and keep it looking its best, you can also use our rug cleaning Winchester service in Hampshire
by Richard Lee-Costello 07 Feb, 2019
Advantages of having a professional carpet clean and using carpet cleaners near me
by Richard Lee-Costello 07 Feb, 2019
How dust mites are problematic around your home and why you need allergy carpet and upholstery cleaning in Hampshire
Show More
Share by: