Pet urine, vomit, and oils settle into rug fibers and the backing below. Surface cleaning only masks the smell; real removal requires breaking down the proteins. Here is how to do it without harming wool, silk, or hand-knotted rugs.
Quick action on fresh accidents
Blot immediately with white towels, pressing straight down. Lift the rug edge to check whether the accident soaked through to the floor or the backing.
Apply an enzyme cleaner appropriate for the fiber. Test in a hidden area first on wool, silk, or hand-knotted rugs.
Set-in odor
Older accidents often need full immersion to truly clear. Surface treatment only reaches the top layer; the salts in dried urine live in the foundation and the pad below.
Avoid baking-soda-only solutions for old urine, they help short term and mask the smell, but the underlying issue returns the next humid day.
When to bring in professional cleaning
If the rug is wool, silk, or hand-knotted and the smell persists, send it out for in-plant cleaning. Synthetic rugs with pet odor often recover well with on-site enzyme pre-treatment plus extraction.
Bottom line
Pet odor recovery depends more on the fiber and how long the smell has been there than on any single product. Call us for an inspection before throwing a rug away.
Service areas
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