cat pee on a wool rug?

[grimel]

Someone called me about getting a wool rug clean that has been soaked with cat pee. Apparently the house cats decided they needed to teach the owners a lesson about something.

[the rugman]

We need pics - what kind of rug?

[Scott W]

Wool is very absorbent. Urine can be hard on wool rugs. Never promise or asume that urine will come out. Sometimes you be completely sucessful, but don't give the customer that expectationup front. It won't happen every time.

Inspect, test for colorfastness and so forth. This always comes first
Do your dry soil removal - dust, vacuum or whatever
Apply TCU Neutralizer
either flush with Water Claw (Put the tool on the back side fo the rug and have water flow from the front.) or better yet, soak in a bath for anywhere from an hour to overnight. Keep the water circulating.

Clean by your usual method for wool rugs.

[LisaWagner]

We need to know it is WOVEN or is it TUFTED wool. If it's tufted, give up now.

Lisa

[grimel]

I'm trying to get pictures. I've already told her wool is not odor release friendly and cat pee is the worst. My first thought was gasoline and a match.

[Rug Washer]

If the rug is safe for washing (Don't know No Picture] the odor can always be removed, the staining sometimes.

[leofry]

sorry lisa i am hitting you up hard on some questions... can you tell me why to give up if its tuffeted... why vs woven

[the rugman]

Whith tufted rugs urine will get into the latex - hard to remove if not impossible. Woven rugs can be soaked in a bath for hours if needed to release the urine. latex won't hold up to that. I have left rugs in my wash pit overnight. If it was tufted and the urine was in one spot you might have a chance - but it sounds pretty bad.

[LisaWagner]

Bob is exactly right. We never guarantee odor removal from latex-backed tufted rugs. Woven - no problem.

Lisa

[DeanL]

if it is a salvage job but the customer is attached to the rug. Wash the rug until the latex starts to disolve which will usually happen anyway. then remove the cotton backing, re-latex and replace the cotton. just glue it to the tufted part that folds over.

[LisaWagner]

Dean, if the latex quality is so bad it dissolved from just washing, then it's a super low quality tufted rug. the cost to wash, urine odor removal soak, time to remove backing, relatex, and add a new backing - you've charged several times what they paid for the rug.

Some rugs are meant to be toilets for pets, and disposable... guess you need to decide what kind of work you are willing to do and what cost.

I'd politely decline. If I loved standing in sewage, I'd be working for the water department.

Lisa