Quick Reference Links

• Litter boxes
• Furniture and mattresses
• Hardwood floors
• Marble and non-glazed tile
• Plywood and OSB sub-floors

• Clothing, bed linens, towels
• Carpet and upholstery
• Concrete floors
• Glazed tile, porcelain, and other hard surfaces 
• Using the black light

The particulars of using Urine-Off on various surfaces and materials are discussed below in detail. However, they all will follow these general principles:

3. In certain cases where deposits are heavy, very old, or other urine odor/stain products have been used, more than one Urine-Off treatment may be needed.

• Soak it, and allow to air-dry
• Repeat as necessary
• The more absorbent the material, the more Urine-Off will be required.
• NEVER spray on pets or people. Urine-Off is mild and safe to use around pets and people but is not designed for topical use!
• ALWAYS check fabrics for colorfastness in an inconspicuous area. Again, Urine-Off is mild and safe to use on water-safe surfaces, but play it safe and test first!
• Do NOT use directly on pet litter - this is ineffective. If the litter has a urine odor, change it. Urine-Off is great for the litter pan itself, however (details below).
• NEVER use other cleaners or chemicals of any kind at the same time as Urine-Off - this will reduce its effectiveness. Use Urine-Off first! If other chemicals have already been applied, be sure to rinse repeatedly to remove all traces and allow to dry completely before using Urine-Off!

1. Empty the litter box

2. Wash and dry as usual, being careful to rinse away all traces of
soap.

3. Liberally coat the entire box, inside and out, with Urine-Off.

4. Allow to air dry for 30 minutes or so.

5. Initially it may take more than one treatment to remove built-up urine.

Once box is odor-free, wipe with a paper towel and put it back in service!

Clothing, bed linens, towels

How many times have you had to throw away a towel the cat peed on because no matter how much detergent or bleach you used, the smell would not come out? Now you can save your baby or incontinent loved one's clothing, the valuable bed linens and your towels from the garbage pail by using Urine-Off� as a pre-treatment before washing your urine-contaminated laundry.

• Saturate the entire affected area where urine may have come into contact on the laundry with Urine-Off. Use the Urine-Off Black Light to locate the difficult to find odors, helping you to treat at the source and save product.
• Allow to sit for 15 to 30 minutes before washing.

For particularly stubborn odors and stains, saturate and place in a plastic bag overnight. This will keep Urine-Off moist longer, allowing the bio-enzymatic action to completely break down the odor and stain.

Furniture and mattresses

Always check for colorfastness! For specific treatment of more delicate furnishings, such as leather, always consult first with the manufacturer or store where you bought the item. As a general rule, Urine-Off will do no more harm to the surface of leather or fabric than water would -- and especially not as much harm as the burning acidity of dried urine.

For old dried urine stains

• Be aware that long-term urine exposure can actually burn leather, the dyes in the fabric of the furniture or the mattress. Such damage is not common, but even the most complete urine removal cannot reverse it.
• Do not use any other cleaners or chemicals! If you plan to have the item professionally cleaned anyway, do this only after you have removed all urine odor and stain with Urine-Off.
• Strongly recommended: Use a Urine-Off Black Light to locate all affected areas (for details, see the Black Light section of these instructions).
• Use the "stream" setting on nozzle and saturate stained material and underlying padding (if applicable) with Urine-Off.
• Urine-Off must contact all of the urine soaked material completely to remove the odor and stain. For mattresses and heavily padded furniture, ensure that Urine-Off soaks through to the pad as much as the urine would have originally soaked through. Use your Urine-Off Black Light to specifically identify surface areas of contamination.
• For particularly old or difficult stains, saturate the area and cover with plastic wrap for 24 to 48 hours, allowing Urine-Off to stay moist longer.
• Note that as the first application of Urine-Off goes to work, the urine odor may actually intensify at first. This is normal with old or heavy urine deposits, and indicates that the urine is being broken loose and is rising to the surface. The plastic will also help to draw the urine to the surface.
• Allow to air dry.
• Repeat application on subsequent days until stain is no longer visible (may take 3-4 applications) and odor is removed.
• After urine odor and stain are removed, remove residue by applying a small amount of water to the area and blotting up with paper towel. It is important to remove residue or the area may attract dirt.
  

For fresh urine deposits

• Be aware that long-term urine exposure can actually burn the dyes in the carpet. Such damage is not common, but even the most complete urine removal cannot reverse it.
• Do not use any other cleaners or chemicals! Do not shampoo carpet. If you plan to have the carpet shampooed anyway, do this only after you have removed all urine odor and stain with Urine-Off.
• Strongly recommended: Use a Urine-Off Black Light to locate all affected areas (for details, see the Black Light section of these instructions above
  
  Use the "stream" setting on nozzle and saturate stained material and underlying padding with Urine-Off� (Urine-Off� must contact all of the urine soaked material completely to remove the odor and stain).
• For particularly old or difficult stains, saturate the area and cover with plastic wrap, allowing Urine-Off to stay moist longer.
• Note that as the first application of Urine-Off goes to work, the urine odor may actually intensify at first. This is normal with old or heavy urine deposits, and indicates that the urine is being broken loose and is rising to the surface.
• After a few hours, remove the plastic and blot the area dry with paper towels.
• Repeat application on subsequent days until stain is no longer visible (may take 3-4 applications) and odor is removed.
• After urine odor and stain are removed, remove residue by applying a small amount of water to the area and blotting up with paper towel. It is important to remove residue or the area may attract dirt.

For fresh urine deposits:

• Do not use any other cleaners or chemicals. Do not shampoo carpet or upholstery. If you plan to have the carpet or upholstery shampooed anyway, do this only after you have removed all urine odor and stain with Urine-Off.
• Soak up as much urine as possible by blotting with paper towels. Do not use your shoe to press down the paper towels, as urine residue on your shoe will track urine scent for several steps! Use your hand and then wash, or use a protective glove.
• Use the "stream" setting on nozzle and saturate the urine stain and the underlying padding with Urine-Off�. (Urine-Off must contact all of the urine-soaked material completely to remove the odor and stain).
• Allow to air dry
• After urine odor and stain are removed, remove residue by applying a small amount of water to the area and blotting it up with a paper towel. It is important to remove the residue or the area may attract dirt.

Hardwood Floors

Urine stains in hardwood flooring are some of the toughest stains to remove, especially if repeated soiling has turned the area black. The black staining indicates that there is a heavy build-up of dried uric salt crystals, and also that actual wood damage has taken place, as the acidic urine has burned the tannins in the wood.

Urine-Off can remove the urine odor entirely, and can also remove the buildup of dried uric salt crystals with repeated application. The damage to the wood tannins cannot be reversed, however. This means that after the black stains are removed with Urine-Off, the wood may remain a stained gray to black consistency, which represents the permanent burning causes by the uric acid. If the degree of the discoloration is unacceptable, then refinishing will be necessary. In many cases sanding can remove the damaged wood to a level that is acceptable.

Always treat with Urine-Off before refinishing, as the heat of sanding and refinishing can bake the urine crystals into the wood and make odor and stain removal much more difficult. Use Urine-Off to remove as much of the staining as possible first, using multiple applications, and less wood will need to be removed during the finishing process.

The following procedure assumes a severely stained floor; less severe urine contamination will not require as extensive a treatment.

1.  Start by treating the perimeter first.

2.  Next spray the entire floor until completely saturated.

3.  Cover the wet floor with plastic sheeting - this slows the evaporation and allows the product to work longer. As Urine-Off breaks loose the uric crystals from the wood, the plastic will also help to draw the urine to the surface. NOTE: It is normal for the urine odor to actually become stronger at this point.

4.  After 30 minutes, remove the plastic and blot the floor dry with paper towels.

5.  Re-apply Urine-Off, without the plastic. The urine will continue to be drawn to the surface. After 30 minutes, blot the floor dry with paper towels.

6.  Continue to apply Urine-Off and blot up after 30 minutes until all odor is removed. Each treatment will improve the condition of the surface, as evidenced by the stains becoming lighter and smaller in diameter, until all urine residue is removed.

7.  Spot-treat stained areas as needed until stains are gone or have ceased to grow lighter, indicating that all urine has been removed. Allow to air dry.

8. After the final treatment, rinse with water and wipe or mop dry.

Using Urine-Off will remove the odor, reduce the staining, and provide a better starting point for refinishing or covering with new flooring. In some cases, the results can be so good the floor can be used as is!

Unsealed concrete may appear hard and impermeable but is actually like a hard sponge, with many tiny pores. This means that urine can soak deeply into it - and that removing the urine can be challenging. Carefully follow the steps below for best results.

• Do not use any other cleaners or chemicals! Make sure the floor is dry. If there is carpet adhesive or other residue on the floor, use a scraper to remove it.
• Sweep thoroughly to remove all loose debris and dirt. Dispose of all loose material in the garbage
• Strongly recommended: Use a Urine-Off Black Light to locate all affected areas (for details, see the Black Light section of these instructions above).
• Spray the affected surface liberally with Urine-Off using a pump sprayer.
• Cover with plastic sheeting for 1 to 2 hours. This slows the evaporation of Urine-Off and allows time for the first application to soak deeply into the concrete.
• Note that as the first application of Urine-Off goes to work, the urine odor may actually intensify at first. This is normal with old or heavy urine deposits, and indicates that the urine is being broken loose and is rising to the surface.
• Remove the plastic and blot the floor dry with paper towels. Frequently upon inspecting your toweling, you will find it to be colored yellow and smell heavily of urine. Dispose of the soiled towels.
• Reapply Urine-Off. Allow to dry 1 to 2 hours. (In humid climates lacking heat/AC, drying may take longer.)
• Reapply as needed, with 1 to 2 hours' drying time between applications, until odor is removed.
• Once odor is removed, use a sponge mop and a minimal amount of water to remove residue from the surface.

These surfaces, though smooth, have a certain amount of porosity that allows urine crystals to accumulate. The grout can be quite porous as well! Follow these steps for hard surfaces:

For fresh urine deposits,

• Wipe up urine with paper towel.
• Spray surface with Urine-Off and allow to air-dry.
• Rinse surface with clean water and dry.

For old dried stains,

• Strongly recommended: Use a Urine-Off Black Light to locate all affected areas (for details, see the Black Light section of these instructions above).
• Spray with Urine-Off until surface is saturated.
• Allow to air dry.
• Repeat application on subsequent days until odor is gone (may take 3-4 applications).
• Rinse surface with clean water and dry.

Marble and Non-Glazed Tile

Because marble and unglazed tile are actually porous, much like concrete, refer to the section above on concrete. Be sure to pay special attention to the grout, which is quite absorbent.

Plywood and OSB sub-floors

When replacing carpet that has been soiled with urine, it's almost certain that urine-soaked sub-flooring will be found underneath. Because the sub-floor will eventually be covered with new flooring, a perfect finish is not required; the main goal is the complete removal of urine odor. To remove the urine crystals from the sub-floor prior to installing new flooring material, follow these steps:

• Do not use any other cleaners or chemicals! Make sure the floor is dry.
• Sweep thoroughly to remove all loose debris and dirt. Dispose of debris and dirt in the garbage, as frequently much of this will be contaminated with urine and can pose a lingering odor issue if not removed. Note: vacuuming the area can actually introduce urine into your vacuum and create an unintended problem.
• Strongly recommended: Use a Urine-Off Black Light to locate all affected areas (for details, see the Black Light section of these instructions above).
• The first treatment with Urine-Off will make the stain darker as dried urine is broken loose and rises to the surface; the odor may also become stronger at first, but will dissipate as Urine-Off continues to break down the urine salt crystals.
• After the first treatment dries, you will notice the stain has gotten smaller. Light stains will be removed completely with the first treatment. Even the heavy stains will appear smaller.
• A second treatment will first darken the stain again, which will then become even smaller. Each consecutive treatment will continue to reduce the stain until it is completely removed, thus restoring the structural flooring to a urine-free condition.

Using Urine-Off Line of UV Black Lights

The crystalline structure of dried urine causes it to fluoresce a dull yellow color under ultraviolet (UV or "black") light. Thus, a Black Light becomes a valuable tool for locating the exact areas that need Urine-Off.

A few notes on Black Lights:

• Incandescent bulbs that screw in to a regular lamp socket do not work; a fluorescent tube-type light is required.
• "UV" refers to a specific band of light wavelength. Generally, urine will fluoresce under any UV light - but some exact wavelengths do a better job of fluorescing urine. The Urine-Off product line of black lights employs custom circuitry to produce the optimal light wavelength for urine fluorescence, and so work better - which means you don't have to have the room perfectly dark, or hold the light source so close to the surface. Hardware-store black lights work okay, but are harder to use effectively for these reasons.
• Urine is not the only substance that will fluoresce. Some soaps and detergents have components that fluoresce, even after rinsing thoroughly, as well as some fabrics and lint. These will usually fluoresce a bright white or even blue-ish hue, not the dull yellow of urine.
  

Familiarize yourself with your new black light

• Use protective eyewear: Prolonged and direct exposure to UV light can be harmful to the eyes. The ideal type of protective eyewear is safety goggles that can be purchased at any local hardware store. These glasses, like most eyewear made today, filter UV rays.
• Take the black light into the bathroom and darken the room. Inspect the toilet, especially around the seat hinges and the outside front of the toilet bowl. This will allow you to see exactly what urine looks like under black light. Even the cleanest bathroom will show glowing yellow urine crystals, because ordinary cleaners simply do not dissolve them.

Now you're ready to inspect the rest of the facility. Close the curtains/blinds if necessary to make your work area easy to see under the black light.

How do you tell what's urine and what's not? The color is the first clue. After that, you'll use common sense and sometimes your sense of smell. You probably have a good idea where the cat or dog has "gone," or the baby or elderly family member has had an "accident." The black light will confirm it - and indicate some spots you never guessed about! Fluorescence 5 feet high on the wall is probably not urine! But a puddle-shaped area on the floor near a cat's litter box, or beneath the crib mattress or an incontinent family member's favorite chair, probably IS urine.

Once you've located all the affected areas, you might want to mark them with a piece of masking tape or marker so you can find them when the house lights are on.

Now that all areas have been found, use the guide below to remove the urine odor and stain.

NOTE: Urine-Off's bio-enzymatic action is capable of breaking down the uric crystals completely so that their fluorescence is eliminated, particularly on hard surfaces like porcelain and glazed tile. The initial buildup will likely take 2 or 3 treatments, but light buildup will need only one treatment. Porous surfaces like fabrics, carpet, and even concrete, can retain so much residue that complete elimination of all fluorescence may require diligent extraction efforts with commercial equipment. This is simply too costly - once the urine stain and odor is removed, the goal has been reached!