Upholstery Pet Odor Removal Challenges

The principles of removing pet odor from upholstery fabrics are similar to those that are used for carpet. Source removal, the need for the deodorizing treatment to reach the source of the odor, etc all apply.

The challenge to the upholstery cleaner is that most carpet deodorization processes require a great deal of water to remove the source of the odor and to deliver the deodorizing treatment to the contaminated area.

Large volumes of cleaning and deodorizing solutions, when applied to upholstery however, can cause shrinkage, cellulose browning, dye bleeding, etc.

To prevent these problems in treating upholstery fabrics, the first step is to make the customer aware of the fact that what is needed to decontaminate and deodorize the fabric may cause moisture related damage, and that they bear all the responsibility for any other problems that might result.

The best products to use for upholstery odors are those that have little fragrance, as lingering perfume odors may be offensive to your customer, as they have closer contact to their furniture than they do with carpet.

The scope of the specifics of upholstery deodorization would require a manual not a blog post, but here are some additional tips to consider:

1. Add your deodorizing treatment (if compatible) to your upholstery preconditioning solution. This allows the product to have sufficient dwell time to work before extraction.
   
   
2. If necessary, inject your deodorizer into cushion foam. Urine penetrations cushions and into the foam much like it does carpeting. Remember that this material may wick to the surface and cause water marks, bleeding, or browning.
   
   
3. Inspect skirts carefully, as male animals often spray these areas. You will need to apply sufficient deodorizer to these areas, so remember that skirts made from natural fibers shrink readily when wet, so note this on your inspection sheet as well.
   
   
4. Post application of deodorizing treatments may be necessary. Most deodorizers leave a sticky residue, so limit post treatment to products that are formulated not to attract soil. Hydrocide and Hydrocide Xtreme contain polymers to prevent resoiling, and both are also noted for having little (Hydrocide), or a very mild pleasant (Hydrocide Xtreme) fragrance, and are therefore very suitable for upholstery use.