Here’s a good explanation for those Pesky landlords that want to charge you for carpet replacement even though the urine is GONE 😊
Text
Should a client view cleaned carpet under UV illumination and they see a glow, how might you explain to them how the urine can be gone but the glow is still present? Consider an explanation such as this – “Urine contains proteins that stain carpetlike an invisible dye that can only be seen under ultraviolet (UV) light. We can completely flush out all the contamination but at least a small amount of protein almost always remains and it only takes a very small amount to create fluorescence. However, it is no longer urine in any way, shape, or form. It is merely an element that at one time was joined with many other elements to form urine. It is as harmless as the invisible ink (the stuff that glows under a black light) used to stamp hands at amusement parks and nightclubs.”
DETAILS OF URINE
The Make-up of Urine
Urine leaves the body (either animal or human) as a mild acid with a pH that is typically between 5 and 7. Until urine is leaving the animal, it is sterile containing no harmful bacteria, pathogens or microorganisms unless the animal has a urinary or bladder infection.
The principle ingredient in urine (from mammals) is uric acid. Urine also contains urochrome (yellow pigment), fatty acids and cholesterol (lipids), urea and other components. The exact make-up of urine will vary depending on the animal’s diet, health and other factors.
The urine begins to change immediately upon leaving the body. The urine comes in contact with bacteria in the end of the urethra and on the animal’s skin along with microorganisms in the carpet and elsewhere in the environment. The warm and acid conditions offer a perfect breeding ground for bacteria which begin to flourish.
With the aid of bacteria, uric acid begins to be broken down into free ammonia and carbon dioxide. The ammonia is highly alkaline (ph 11+). In a matter of an hour or so, what was slightly acidic or near neutral has become strongly alkaline deposit. This strong concentrated alkaline can damage dyes and create a permanent color loss. Blue and then red color is the most easily removed. Yellow may be the only color that remains. What appears to be a urine stain may actually be color loss that can not be corrected by cleaning.
Some have suggested that a fresh urine spot should be treated with white vinegar to neutralize and flush the urine from the carpet. This is NOT what should be done. Vinegar is an acid. You can not neutralize an acid with an acid.
source
