AMY'S ARTICLES

OUT DARN SPOT! CLEANING PET POTTY STAINS

I've lately received lots of press releases and samples lauding the benefits of a variety of cleaners and odor neutralizers targeted to pet owners. I'm not in the habit of recommending one over another, but thought a "round up" column describing several options would offer you some choices.

We've covered prevention (house training) in previous columns and will do so in the future. But young pets, ill pets, and other issues often results in problems and a single "accident" can lead to multiple offenses if the "potty spot" hasn't been properly cleaned.

Cats and dogs can detect minute chemical scents humans can't fathom. Simply mopping up the mess may satisfy your nose, but the smell lures pets back to the scene of the crime to repeat the dirty deed, time after time. Urine soaked into carpet proves particularly difficult to remove. With fresh accidents, pick up the solids and blot up as much liquid as possible. Avoid using ammonia based cleaning products. Since urine has ammonia in it, such products may mimic the smell and make the area even more attractive as a potty spot.

Once urine dries on carpet or walls, "pee-mail" notes are even more difficult to locate and clean. Turn off all your lights and shine a high-quality black light on suspect areas--that makes urine glow in the dark. Don't forget to check vertical areas such as walls and bedspreads that spraying cats and leg-lifting dogs like to target.

The best products don't just clean the area or cover up with perfumes, but actually neutralize the chemicals that smell bad. Urine is composed of sticky urea, urochrome (the yellow color), and uric acid. The first two can be washed away, but uric acid is nearly impossible to dissolve and remove from surfaces.

That's why successful products not only clean away the urea and urochrome, they also neutralize the uric acid with enzymes or encapsulate the urine molecules to contain the odor. Here are a few examples I've found to be successful and/or other professionals and colleagues have recommend to me. Ask for them at pet products stores, your veterinarian, Target, Walmart and similar sources as well as online.

Anti-Icky-Poo earned raves from animal behaviorists at the Western Veterinary Conference--and besides, I love the name! Anti-Icky-Poo uses live bacteria to eliminate any organic material left behind by your pets.

AtmosKlear Odor Eliminator developed for the automotive industry can be used straight or mixed with other cleaning preparations. It's recommended for pet odors and other household odors (smoke, gym bags, basement mustiness, etc).

Petastic formerly known as Nature's Miracle, has been recommended by pet professionals for years. It employs an enzyme that breaks down and neutralizers the odor.

PetroTech Odor Eliminator is made from organic ingredients that "encapsulate" the odors. I saw a demonstration of this product being sprayed into a cup of straight ammonia--and the odor disappeared instantly. This product claims to be safe for use on "skunked" pets, too.

Urine-Off employs an enzyme that digests the urine molecules. The website also offers quality black lights for aid in finding and cleaning problem spots.

Zero Odor is not an enzyme, but is composed of anti-odor molecules that bind with odor molecules and change them from smelly to non-offensive.

You'll find additional cleaning tips on the various websites. Let me know how these products work for your pet family!