WARNING: This help file applies ONLY to synthetic, colorfast carpeting. Please don't try these steps on upholstery! Call in  a professional for contaminated upholstery.

An old saying holds especially true for pet spots - "The longer it sits, the worse it gets!". Pet spots should be remedied AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Here's how:

• Identify The Area of Concern - Seems pretty obvious, but take a look (and smell) a few feet around the area. Many times pets use the same area over and over again, but occasionally they may go in other areas a few feet away.
• Remove The Source of Contamination - No, I don't mean to kill Muffy or Fido! But if the pet is not removed from that area, or is not yet housebroken, it will probably continue to use the area even after you've treated it.
• Check Carpet For Colorfastness - Apply the mixture found in the next step (4) to a clean, white terry towel. Place the dampened towel onto an inconspicuous part of the carpeting. (a closet, for example). Leave the towel applied for 2 minutes, remove and check the towel for any dye transfer from the carpet to the towel. If there are no signs of color bleeding, proceed. If there are signs of bleeding, STOP IMMEDIATELY & CALL A PROFESSIONAL!
• Treat The Spot - Pour 1/4 cup white vinegar in a 32 oz. spritzer bottle and fill the rest with cold tap water. Spray directly on the spot and gently agitate area with the handle of a plastic spoon. Caution: if you rub the area too hard, you will disrupt the carpet fibers and that's usually permanent. Be extremely careful when agitating the fibers.
• Blot It Up - Now take a clean, white terrycloth towel and blot (don't rub) the area. Continue spraying and blotting until it is either gone or not working any more.
• Apply a Poultice - A poultice is a wicking agent. Take several clean, white terrycloth towels and arrange them so that you have many thickness of towel on the dampened area. Then apply a heavy, plastic weight to the top for 24 hours. The theory behind this is that since the remaining spot dries from bottom up, the contents will wick up into the towel leaving a clean carpet. Although it sounds fishy, try it. It works!
• Repeat if Necessary - If the spot is getting lighter, repeat steps 3. through 5.
• Post Treat (if necessary) - If the area continues to smell, it's time to do some further investigation.

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• Suck It Up - Using our general spotter consisting of half water,   half white vinegar and a splash of Pinesol, evenly spray the carpeting and agitate it in with the dull end of spoon handle. (see above caution for agitation precautions) Then, rinse with tap water until all of the spotter is gone, blot and apply the poultice like in steps 4. and 5. above.
• Enzyme Time - There are a few consumer products out today that breakdown proteins found in animal and human excrement and urine. Check with your local pet supply store for help. Nature's Miracle® seems to be one of the better products on the market.
• Let It Work - Enzymes take time to work. They're living organisms which need certain conditions to live. Check the label directions for details.
• Flush Again - Repeat Step 1. After 24 hours, remove the poultice and take a whiff. If the smell is gone, CONGRATULATIONS! If not, however, keep on reading. There's one last thing to try.

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• See What's Lurking Beneath - The pad underneath carpet is nothing more than an expensive sponge. Just like a sponge, it holds everything until it's either replaced or rinsed out. Since most pad has a top protective layer built into it, it's usually more economical just to cut out the contaminated part and replace it than to try and salvage it. To disengage the carpet, you'll need some special tools. This might be better left to a professional since most homeowners don't own the proper tools to disengage and reinstall the carpet. But if you want to chance it, use a hardened awl to pierce the carpet and pull it back. Start in the corner and work toward the area of contamination.
• Cut It Out! - Now, carefully cut out the contaminated section of pad. keeping the edges square will simplify re-installation.
• While you're down there - Check the sub floor and tackless strip for contamination. (those needle-looking things nailed into a wood strip.) Be VERY careful around those tackless strips. They're extremely SHARP!
• Flush It - Now is an opportune time to either flush it yourself (using a portable extractor) or call out the big guns with a truck-mounted extraction unit.
• Seal It Or Else! - If the sub floor and/or tackless strip has been contaminated, sanitize (with bleach - BE CAREFUL!) and seal the sub floor with a sealant like Kilz® or equivalent. Otherwise the contaminated area will continue to smell and you'll have to go back down there again. After the backing is dried from extraction, seal it too, being very careful not to overdo it and let the sealant work its way to the fibers atop. Also, if the tackless strip is extremely contaminated or rotted, it's best to replace it since you won't be able to get into the nooks and crannies with your sealant. Please note: If you're in a concrete sub floor situation and the tackless needs replacement, it's time to make the call to a professional as concrete is more difficult to hammer those silly nails into than wood!
• Pad It - Next, get some new pad (check with a carpet store for the proper weight and thickness) and carefully cut (blood on carpeting is generally not trendy) in the new padding. Then, tape all sides with duct tape and lay the carpet back down.
• And Stretchhhhhh It Back In! - Here's the part where you will need a special tool. The carpet needs to either be stretched with a power stretcher (preferable) or kicked back into place with a knee-kicker. Depending upon how much carpet you've had to peel back will determine whether you need it stretched back in or not. If it needs to be stretched, please, please, PLEASE call a professional since the carpet will never stay flat again unless it's properly stretched back into position.
• Finally, Flush From Above - Once the carpet is stretched back in, use the extractor on the top side. Apply a malodor counteractant if necessary to finalize the process. Smoke odor deodorizing spray (found at janitorial supply houses) usually take care of any remaining odor. Please Note: If you have a Stain Resistant carpet, make sure that the deodorizer is Stain Resist safe. The label should tell you whether it is or not. The use of any product that is not Stain Resist compliant may void your carpet warranty.

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