Trying to save the carpet, replace the padding ?

[Shanna-like-Banana]

After several carpet cleanings, I think it's time to get to the source of the problem, which I *think is the padding.

The source of the problem is our two dogs and our pet sitter. This is the second time we've come back to wet spots on the carpet in 2 of the bedrooms. The first time she said, she cleaned up 3 messes while we were gone because the dogs kept jumping the gate and were coming upstairs. It's not that I don't believe her, but if that's what they're doing....shut the damng doors. We came home to several wet spots that trip, and Lord knows how long they sat there.

Well, we got the carpet cleaned a few days later, and I paid extra for the pet enzyme. I watched them apply it. The smell went away for a few weeks, but slowly started creeping back in. DH says he couldn't smell it, but I could.

Well the same thing happened again. We came home and I've found 3 spots in one room and 2 in another. Again we had the carpets cleaned with the enzyme killer, and again the smell is back.

The carpet isn't stained on the surface. It's got to be the padding.

Im trying to go on an idea I saw on HGTV once.

This carpet was a pretty penny when we paid for it. It's a frieze style. We got the most super duper, extra thick, rubberized padding and went with a very highest rated carpet. It was $5600 for 1300 sq feet. We've had major problems with the carpet in other areas of the house as well, Just in general with it not holding up to it's supposed quality. We've removed all the carpet from downstairs, and replaced it with hardwoods.

I really really don't want to have to replace the carpets and padding. If we do 2 rooms, we might as well do the others. Right now even if we go with a mid-grade pad and cheap carpet, we're looking at 2-3k.

Back to HGTV, what they did was remove the carpet from the room. They laid it out on the driveway and cleaned it with a certain type of carpet cleaning machine. It looked very much like a wax-floor buffer, but it was for carpet. It very well could have been a wax floor buffer with a special type of brush type pad. It looked like a soft bristle brush, that went down in the fibers and moved them around and really cleaned it. Then they said to use either a low pressure washer, or a pressurized handle for your garden hose. Working your way in rows across the carpet to rinse it, and then hang it over the fence to dry.

Then they went back to the room, removed and replaced all the padding and reinstalled the carpet.

Has anybody ever seen anything like this ? Or have any idea what the heck I'm talking about ?

 

[danygirl]

We had a service that tried this when the washer hose broke. It didn't work

 

[seashoreCM]

Often the carpet rinsing is not sufficient. Some of the filth stays behind in the carpet base fabric/canvas and dries there.

Some alternative methods:

1. After the carpet is washed, hang it on the fence and then soak it with water thorougly and wait for the bottom edges to stop dripping. Repeat three more times. Then let it dry.

2. After the carpet is washed, leave it on the ground and soak it with water thorougly. Use a wet vacuum cleaner to suck up as much water as possible. Repeat the soaking and sucking twice more. Then hang it up to dry.

Added later: Yes, replace the padding while the carpet is taken outside.

 

[Crystal Brewer]

My DH is an installer so I ask his .02 He says the rinsing method MAY work tho its most likely the padding so w/that replaced it would make a difference tho if this room is seemed to a hall it could be complicated to reuse the same piece of carpet. Also if the urine soaked into plywood subfloor you may have to cut&replace those spots for it to truly not soak back into new pad. Best wishes on an easy fix ;-)

 

[lady9]

I can't help you with the carpet but wish you luck on getting it cleaned.

I think you need a new pet sitter. I pet sit for a few different people (not for money, we often trade favors) and think he/she is not aware or chooses to not be aware of you pets' needs. We are caring for a dog this week that likes to go out first thing in the morning, then eat, and then needs to go back out again immediately. I always have the owners write down their pets' habits. Sometimes I check on the them an extra time or two each day because I do think they get stressed being home alone (or in a different home if they are at my house) and may need an extra potty break or extra play time.

 

[Shanna-like-Banana]

Thanks for the tips

I'm looking more speficially if anybody knows about the machine ?

 

[tvguy]

Also if the urine soaked into plywood subfloor you may have to cut&replace those spots for it to truly not soak back into new pad. Best wishes on an easy fix ;-)

If it's in the pad, it is likely in the subfloor. My new neighbor had to rip out all the carpet and then have the subfloor sealed before putting new pad and carpet down to fix the problem.

 

[southlakejr]

Unfortunately, I don't know anything about the machine. If there are any seams in the rooms, it seems unlikely that the carpet can be effectively reinstalled, but I'm not a carpet installer either.

In our last place, we had a cat that went a little pee crazy. We tried natures miracle, we tried steam cleaning, and we tried a professional. Nothing got rid of the smell completely. Until we soaked it with hydrogen peroxide. We rubbed some baking soda into the affected area, then soaked the area with a mix of hydrogen peroxide and a little bit of dish soap. Vacuumed up the baking soda when it was all done and voila!

Like I said, I don't know anything about the machine, but it could be worth a try. If you do, I would test a spot on the carpet first. But we have successfully used it to remove urine smell from the carpet in our last place, and pure hydrogen peroxide to remove a pet stain from our brand new, unfinished, solid hardwood floors in our new place.

Good luck!

 

[disneymagicgirl]

I am sure glad you posted this. We just had a pet sitter that didn't let our dogs out. I could tell by the history log on our alarm. They NEVER have accidents. Well, they peed on our floor. Out house is BRAND NEW, had it built and moved in April 1. Now the carpet, frieze, in the playroom is likely ruined. I tried vinegar and baking soda. Then Odoban. Also steam cleaner with pet treatment. We shall see if the smell returns. Will give the peroxide trick a try. If so we will replace the carpet in that room while we can still easily find that style/color/brand. Sooo infuriating!

Does the peroxide bleach the color out?

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I am sure glad you posted this. We just had a pet sitter that didn't let our dogs out. I could tell by the history log on our alarm. They NEVER have accidents. Well, they peed on our floor. Out house is BRAND NEW, had it built and moved in April 1. Now the carpet, frieze, in the playroom is likely ruined. I tried vinegar and baking soda. Then Odoban. Also steam cleaner with pet treatment. We shall see if the smell returns. Will give the peroxide trick a try. If so we will replace the carpet in that room while we can still easily find that style/color/brand. Sooo infuriating!

That is just awful. Maybe you guys (you and OP) should consider kenneling.

I know the people who installed it can do repairs and replace the pad. I have never heard of taking wall to wall carpet up and claning it as described, sorry.

 

[usnuzuloose]

The machine is called a roto scrub. We own a carpet cleaning business. Your next issue which we do run into is the animal lifting a leg and peeing on the furniture. Even after cleaning the carpet it will still smell coming from the furniture. Replacing the pad is the option. You also need to seal the floor. Carpet to the pad to the floor below.

 

[usnuzuloose]

I am sure glad you posted this. We just had a pet sitter that didn't let our dogs out. I could tell by the history log on our alarm. They NEVER have accidents. Well, they peed on our floor. Out house is BRAND NEW, had it built and moved in April 1. Now the carpet, frieze, in the playroom is likely ruined. I tried vinegar and baking soda. Then Odoban. Also steam cleaner with pet treatment. We shall see if the smell returns. Will give the peroxide trick a try. If so we will replace the carpet in that room while we can still easily find that style/color/brand. Sooo infuriating!

Does the peroxide bleach the color out?

It could, test things in hidden spots. If this is new carpeting check with the manufacture as there may be conditions for replacing carpet. Often times they require you to use professional cleaning. Carpet cleaning is all about the temperature of the water and the suction.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

It could, test things in hidden spots. If this is new carpeting check with the manufacture as there may be conditions for replacing carpet. Often times they require you to use professional cleaning. Carpet cleaning is all about the temperature of the water and the suction.

We had it professionally cleaned as well as the vinegar and odoban.

 

[usnuzuloose]

We had it professionally cleaned as well as the vinegar and odoban.

Did you use these things on the carpet before the cleaning? You would not need to replace the carpet, just replace the piece of the padding. Unless the carpet was ruined by the vinegar.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Did you use these things on the carpet before the cleaning? You would not need to replace the carpet, just replace the piece of the padding. Unless the carpet was ruined by the vinegar.

The carpet is fine as of now, no stain, etc. I did the vinegar first, then odoban, then professional cleaning. So if the smell comes back, can I just pull up the carpet, replace affected area of pad, seal subfloor, and put carpet back down? How do you make it stay down? Staples or something?

 

[usnuzuloose]

The carpet is fine as of now, no stain, etc. I did the vinegar first, then odoban, then professional cleaning. So if the smell comes back, can I just pull up the carpet, replace affected area of pad, seal subfloor, and put carpet back down? How do you make it stay down? Staples or something?

My recommendation, have a professional do this. Have them replace the pad with the same kind of thick padding. It will require a stretching to putting the carpet back. You only need the piece of padding in the affected area. No sealing the floor is a case for something really bad. One place no need. They can clean the carpet after putting the new piece of padding back in. I can not tell you how many times people use all kinds of stuff on carpet and it never works. If it is new carpet, I would just have professional people do it. My husband has been dealing with carpets for over 30 yrs.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

My recommendation, have a professional do this. Have them replace the pad with the same kind of thick padding. It will require a stretching to putting the carpet back. You only need the piece of padding in the affected area. No sealing the floor is a case for something really bad. One place no need. They can clean the carpet after putting the new piece of padding back in. I can not tell you how many times people use all kinds of stuff on carpet and it never works. If it is new carpet, I would just have professional people do it. My husband has been dealing with carpets for over 30 yrs.

Ok, thanks! So do I call a carpet company to do it or a carpet cleaning company? I suppose I could call the subcontractor who installed it initially.

 

[usnuzuloose]

Ok, thanks! So do I call a carpet company to do it or a carpet cleaning company? I suppose I could call the subcontractor who installed it initially.

I would just call a carpet cleaner since you say it is a smell. We always have pad, as we do water damages. Just have them retreat the area with enzyme and put a new piece of padding down and put the carpet back in place. Find yourself a good carpet cleaner and keep them for everything. They get to know you and your carpet.

 

[lauradis]

We just pulled up a corner of new carpet that dog just has to pee on once week, replaced the padding and put plastic in-between carpet and padding and no more smell. not sure if you should put plastic between padding and carpet but its working so far

 

[Bob NC]

After several carpet cleanings, I think it's time to get to the source of the problem, which I *think is the padding.

The source of the problem is our two dogs and our pet sitter.

The dogs obviously need more house training, for the sitter I guess I'd recommend Depends.