There is a right way and a number of wrong ways to clean urine stains on carpets.

Wrong ways include using soap and water, household cleaners, or perfumed sprays to try to remove stains or cover up the odors. With a sense of smell estimated to be hundreds of times more sensitive than ours, cats will detect the smell of their urine no matter what cleaning product you use or how much you use on a spot.

In fact, since urine or feces odors stimulate the urge to eliminate, you are probably encouraging your cat to have an accident in the same spot, when he would have otherwise waited until he was let outdoors to relieve himself.

The right way

For fresh, wet stains, blot the area thoroughly with a dry cloth or use a product which has absorbent granules. These granules can be applied right to the urine-soaked area. After you have soaked up as much of the stain as possible, spray or pour on a product made specifically for pet stains that contains 'live' bacteria and enzymes.

These natural organisms actually 'eat away' or digest the odor-causing bacteria, permanently removing them from the deepest fibers in your carpet and the padding below. Billions of beneficial bacteria attack stains and odors immediately and do not stop working until there is nothing left to digest.

In addition to eliminating odors, these products also contain mild cleansers which help remove discoloration and restore carpet fibers to their original form, and leave a pleasant scent.

Dried, set-in stains

Although dealing with fresh stains is best, you will not always discover accidents until after they have dried. The products you use on fresh stains are not as effective on set-in stains. Different, more aggressive bacteria and enzymes are needed for dried pet stains. Special formulas are available whose ingredients penetrate deeper and contain specific enzymes for exactly this purpose. For best results, we recommend a second application after 24 hours.

If you have a kitten, a cat with feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD), or an older, incontinent pet, we suggest you have these products on hand, since the quicker you can address the problem, the better the results.