How to Detect Urine in the Carpet

Wondering how to detect urine in the carpet?

Whether it is from pets or toddlers, urine on the carpet can bring odor and discoloration to even the highest quality carpet. A flooring inspector that is looking to see if there is any urine present has several different ways to detect it.

When there is a urine spot on the carpet, urine crystals form as the water portion dries out. These crystals include salts, bacteria, uric acid and other proteins. When the crystals become more concentrated, there is more odor. It’s important for flooring inspectors to find all the urine spots so the carpet looks, feels and smells pleasing to the home or business owner.

There are several ways to detect urine in a carpet.

1. The first and most obvious is noting discoloration and smell. Fresh urine on a light colored carpet will be easy to identify.
2. Blacklights can reveal possible areas of urine contamination. The blacklight will also show spots created by other substances that can show up, such as carpet cleaner, glue, tonic water, petroleum jelly and baby powder.
3. Moisture probes can be used to detect urine spots because often the urine salts will pull any moisture from the air and keep the area a little more wet than surrounding parts of the carpet.
4. Specialized chemical test strips can also help flooring inspectors detect urine spots in carpet. The test strips react a certain way when they encounter wet or dried urine to show that it is present.

When it comes to cleaning up urine, there are a few options, such as a vinegar solution, commercial enzyme cleaner, and more. With the right treatment, carpet can be completely cleaned of urine.