Moved into an apartment about a month or so ago, did my initial walk through (probably right after the carpets had been cleaned because I wasn’t aware of the smell) well as I was hooking up stuff around the house, I’d begin to notice a more and more powerful dog pee smell from the carpets. I alerted the leasing office (who wasn’t aware that the previous tenant even had a pet) and they contracted someone to do a pet treatment to the carpets. This worked for a couple weeks, then the smell slowly returned. About a week ago, I finally get my POD aim, which had MY carpet cleaner inside of it. And I did my very own, very concentrated, pet odor removal. I use my cleaner to wash numerous times and to then rinse the soap out. But the smell is slowly returning.
What can I do that I haven’t already tried? My wife and kids will be joining me soon, so I’d really like to have this issue resolved ASAP... thank you in advance!
Anonymous2019-08-20T03:48:16Z
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It can be greatly reduced. You need a "plant leaf misting bottle" you can buy at a dollar store that has a trigger pump handle. Fill container half full of white vinegar(stuff you buy at a grocery store) Set the nozzle for fine misting spray and pump it so it rains above the area that stinks and add a foot in either direction. Say, if you were standing, shooting out horizontally or just barely into the carpet because the air around the carpet stinks too so as the vinegar mist comes down it evaporates even before hitting the carpet and that that hits the carpet goes into the fibers so take longer to dry. You don't need it sopping wet. Just lightly damp. Now walk out of that area for the full day, maybe 2 and you MIGHT HAVE SOME VINEGAR SMELL MEANING IT IS NOT QUITE DRY. As soon as it is 100% dry you will not smell vinegar, or pet urine odor. If you still smell the pet odor, then mist it again and wait 24 hours. And you should be good. Vinegar is mainly water so no worry about it bleaching or staining anything. It is a great deodorizer. I have used it to get rid of paint smells when I paint the house in the winter using Oil paints, or in a very stinky bathroom when a guest took a dump and you wondered "what died?"...or horrible cooking smells in the kitchen such as burnt cabbage. It also removes the perfume odors and smoking odors.
Do not use Baking Soda on vinegar as it NEUTRALIZES THE VINEGAR changing it into basically water so does NOTHING. Baking soda boxes are left in the fridge and they absorb odors for a year and then chuck the box for a new one.
The urine probably soaked into the carpet pad and maybe the subflooring underneath. Carpet cleaners will not remove this odor so the carpet may need to be replaced. Keep contacting the landlord.
IT's time for new pads and carpet. The pee has soaked into the wood subfloor below. The carpet must tossed and the floor painted with good coat of KILZ. You can spray the subfloor first with Nature's Miracle, let it dry a couple days then pain with KILZ.
Of course, being a rental, the landlord has to cover the cost. Perhaps you could strike a deal by removing the carpet yourself and finishing the subfloor as described?
It's soaked into the pad, so you will never get rid of it. The carpet and the pad need to be replaced and possibly the subfloor needs to be replaced or sealed.
You contact your leasing office again. If they can't get the smell out, they will need to replace the carpet. If they refuse, then they are in violation of your lease and you have grounds to leave. If that's your avenue, then be sure to document your efforts to give the lessor opportunity to remedy the problem.