ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
by mary

My female sheila keeps returning to area where there has been another dog that has urinated on my carpet. I want to get the smell and the stain removed commercial products I have used are not working. Does anyone have any suggestions on a product or home remedy to use so she will not return to these spots? Thank you very much for your sugestions and time.

DISCUSSION:

We had good luck with Nature's Secret (I think that's the name; it's close if not it). It is available at most pet stores and is in a white bottle with red logo/lettering. Hope this helps.
-cathy brown

I use See Spot Go. It is a spray and works very well.
-Marsha A.

Hi,I think the one that Cathy is referring to is Nature's Miracle. I use that one also. It works very well. I have two small children & it has worked well on food stains etc. from the kids as well as stains/odors from Pepper.
-Lydia/Pepper

Yep, Lydia is correct--Nature's Miracle. Another thing I used (doesn't take out the residual odors, but works on removing stains) is called Spot Shot. The plus with it is that it takes out old stains and also is great when there's a throw-up or similar problem--also good for stuff you spill, it took the stain from an entire cup of coffee that I spilled on the floor right out. On a fresh "accident," it seems to remove the odor, but I don't think it would work for old smells--it did take old urine stains. They have it at Walmart.
-cathy brown

I have a couple, mini poodle breeders/exhibitors of 35 years, with whom I have become great friends--they turned me on to the world's greatest product. (Their house NEVER smells at all of dog.) The product they use is Odo-Ban. You can buy it at Sam's Club for about $10.00 a gallon. I put it full strengthin a bottle and spray spots and then wipe it up with paper towel. I mist it full strength on the carpet to freshen it. I wash crates out with it. I have a Hoover Steam Vac Deluxe (which I also highly recommend--about $195 at Price-Costco or Sam's--both carry them) and in addition to the regular carpet shampoo, I pour in 1/2 cup of Odo-Ban full strength and my carpets and whole house come out smelling fresh and clean. An added plus is that Odo-Ban is an anti-fungal, anti-viral, anti-bacterial solution. Who could ask for anything more?
-Linda (Snow Angel)

White vinegar diluted with water also works well. Use about 1/3 vinegar to 2/3 water. I have used it on my carpets (which are white) and I don't notice an odor. It also does not stain.
-Terri Dainty

If the stain is fresh: first, some sort of blotting--a towel, powder or absorbent applied immediately (Nature's Miracle makes a granular product that works unbelievably well for this purpose. Don't use flour or powder, as you will have a mess. I've heard diatomaceous earth works well for this, but have not tried it.) Next, a 50:50 mixture of good old vinegar and water, doused on and blotted, blotted, blotted up. Also, depending on the size of the rug, a simple run under the faucet or hose with plenty of water usually works quite well. If the stain is not fresh, there are several options. Laundry detergent designed for baby diapers (Dreft) is good to wash out urine if the rug is washable; if not, apply an enzymatic cleaner as mentioned below, and keep the dog away for a week or two (can be done with foil). Finally, a last resort for us (due to the cost) is Simple Solution Carpet Shampoo (NOT liquid or concentrate Simple Solution). This will emulsify the stain and make it blottable, wipeable, or extractable, as mentioned below. It got green poop out of our rug, a gift from a foster dog.

Miscellaneous tips:
Simple Solution Carpet, Nature's Miracle, etc are all $$$ if you get them at the pet store. However, from RC Steele, a catalog company, they are quite reasonable (maybe 40% cheaper), especially when you consider the investment you have in your carpet.

If you are fortunate enough to have access to a small, extractor-type carpet cleaner, these work unbelievable wonders for pet stains. We have used all of the above formulas on our wall-to-wall carpet in the extractor and have had success removing diarrhea, urine, throw-up, etc. from off-white carpet. Most products on the market are excellent for dog urine, but not cat urine. Vinegar and water seems to work best, followed closely by Simple Solution Carpet Shampoo, and then Dreft mixed with water, for cats.

Finally, rubber-backed rugs sometimes attract animals to pee on them. I don't know why this is, but have found it to be generally true. --Lynn