Hi Scott. I am working with Sycorp up here in Canada and was asked what product in our line would we use to clean White wool when there is a urine stain on it?
Thanks!!

Joe, I always try to be sure that folks consider all 3 aspects of a urine deposit – stain, odor and contamination. Since your question was about stain specifically, I will address that, but don’t over look other aspects.

It was not clear if this was a wool rug or wool carpet, There are some things you can do to a rug that you simply can’t do to an installed carpet.

Wool is very absorbent. Urine should be considered a permanent stain on wool. That sets the proper expectation. Whatever you are doing is a salvage or restoration attempt. Even if you do not remove the stain completely, you are improving otherwise damage.

Start with the least aggressive method – Apply TCU Neutralizer, mild agitation (you don’t want to end up with a fuzzy spot.) allow some dwell time and then flush. The Water Claw is a good tool to use here.

Anything else can do some damage to the rug. So the benefits need to be weighted against the potential damage.

PetZONE can do very well on many wool rugs, but it can also leave a yellowish cast to the fibers. On darker colors this may not be noticeable, but it would look bad on the white wool you are asking about.

For the white wool, I would treat with a reducer such as Red Relief for Wool and include a lot of patience.

Scott Warrington

Scott,
My problem is human urine odor (no stain) at the top 3 steps of a staircase. Short shag .thick backing but no pad over 5/4 wood . Stairs are over clients kitchen.
Do not want to soak due to wood .Have water claw tho . Air movers would be tough also due to top of staircase.
Any suggestions ?
Thank You,JIM

Jim, You have an advantage going for you here. Human urine is not as concentrated as animal urine. The volume of liquid can be equal or more than pets will eliminate, but when the water evaporates there is less material that needs to be neutralized.

It is often possible to saturate a carpet and pad even getting the wood subfloor wet without danger to the wood because the Water Claw is able to recover so much of the water. The wood only stays damp a short time. So, if speed is a factor, you can still consider using an oxidizer like PETZONE to break down the urine present and remove the source of the odor.

If time is not a critical factor, and you prefer to stick with a procedure that uses less moisture and does not get the wood wet (or as wet), then I suggest using Bio-Modifier.

This bio-enzyme product uses natural enzymes to decompose urine to basic components. The action is not as fast as an oxidizer, but requires much less moisture.

Apply Bio-Modifier so that it reaches all the places the urine did. You have to reach the urine to break it down. This may mean that only the face yarns get wet or you may have to also wet the backing and the cushion. Keep in mind that urine may spread out as it goes into deeper layers of the flooring.

Even though you will be getting carpet and perhaps other layers wet, the amount of moisture reaching the wood subfloor will be significantly less than is required with oxidizing.

Depending upon the volume of urine present, the enzymes can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 days to digest all the contamination. I feel comfortable leaving Bio-Modifier to work overnight, 8 to 12 hours for most jobs.

Apply the Bio-Modifier. After giving it necessary time to work, use hot water extraction to rinse the carpet. If required, you can also apply a heavy mist of Hydrocide or Hydrocide Xtreme (diluted according to label directions) to finish off any remaining odor.

If you choose to use oxidizer or bio-enzyme, urine is being broken down and decomposed. This is similar to the natural process that occurs over weeks and months. You have sped it up to minutes or hours. But odor is still released during the decomposition process. Expect odor to be present until the process is completed. GOOD VENTILATION is very important during either process.

Scott Warrington