How Can I Detect Dog Urine in the Carpet?

Dog urine can be difficult to detect. Sometimes, we can smell the urine, but cannot identify exactly where the spot or spots are located. The problem lies within the fact that the urine can soak deep into the pad underneath the carpet. If someone has shampooed the carpet, the odor may still remain if the pad is damaged underneath.

  1. Using a Black Light

    • A black light can be used in a darkened room to detect urine stains. These lights are available around Halloween or are sometimes available in your local pet store. I purchased one a few years ago for around $20 from a pet store. Turn off all of the lights at night and scan over the area with the black light. If you see spots show up, you are looking at urine or other stains. A black light can also be used after cleaning has taken place to see whether the stain has been successfully removed.

    Use What You Were Born With

    • We don't always have the funds available to purchase a black light. Sometimes your nose and vision are the best tools for discovering Fido's guilty little secret. You may have to get down on your hands and knees in the general vicinity and sniff around the area until you find the offending area.

    If All Else Fails

    • If you fail to find the exact area that is causing the odor with a black light or by simply sniffing around, you may have to have your carpets professionally cleaned. You can also try cleaning them yourself with a carpet shampooer or by renting one from your local store. If you have a rather large area that smells, try sprinkling coffee beans throughout the area along with baking soda and allowing to sit overnight. Make sure the area is completely dry before doing this or it will stain the carpet further. Vacuum and/or sweep the area clean the next morning. Stay off of the carpet while the coffee grounds and baking soda are soaking up the smell. In cases of extreme urine stains, the baking soda may turn yellow or dark brown.

      You may have to replace the carpet pad. This is an inexpensive alternative to replacing the carpet fully. You can carefully remove (or have it removed) the carpet and throw away all of the old pad (or just the section that was stained). Scrub the subfloor underneath (if it is concrete, use bleach and water, but be sure to ventilate well). Replace with a pad that is the original thickness (especially if only replacing one section of the pad) and reinstall the carpet over the top. The carpet can then be shampooed or professionally cleaned. Again, coffee grounds and baking soda can be placed on top of the stained carpet before cleaning to help remove any final odor. This mixture can be evenly spread on top of and underneath the carpet before and after shampooing or steam cleaning.