Question Re: Black Light/Urine

[pookie-poo]

I found a spot where Lola peed on the spare bed (I've been smelling urine for a while since she was diagnosed with a UTI.) I pulled off the comforter and blankets, sheets and mattress pad...in the process of washing them all...quite a few washer loads there. I pitched the electric blanket...not gonna bother with it...20 yrs old and now that my sister is gone, no need for it.

The spot flouresces very well under the black light. I outlined it with a water based marker. I saturated it with Zero-Odor spray, and then poured Urine Off onto the bed...maybe about a pint of it. Obviously, the bed is soaking wet right now, since I only did it about a half hour ago. I looked again with the black light, and no longer see the outline of the urine stain. Does this mean it is gone if I can no longer see the stain with the black light (now or when it's dry?) I'm certainly willing to pour the rest of the half gallon of Urine Off on the bed, if that will get rid of the smell. I do have Feliway spray to do the bed when it's dry. I plan to keep the bedroom door closed, or a plastic drape sheet on the bed while I'm in San Diego taking care of my sister's estate.

 

[ldg]

I honestly don't know the answer to this question - I never used a black light on the wet spot. I always waited until it dried to use the black light!

The real question is... do you think you poured enough on there to soak down and around where the pee got? That's the issue. When Spooky was stress peeing on our bed, I always gave a minimum of two treatments to the mattress just to make sure. The problem with the mattress is that it isn't the part that's on top that matters as much as the part that you have to get the enzyme cleaner to "wick" down to the same places the pee went.

 

[momofmany]

Originally Posted by LDG

I honestly don't know the answer to this question - I never used a black light on the wet spot. I always waited until it dried to use the black light!

The real question is... do you think you poured enough on there to soak down and around where the pee got? That's the issue. When Spooky was stress peeing on our bed, I always gave a minimum of two treatments to the mattress just to make sure. The problem with the mattress is that it isn't the part that's on top that matters as much as the part that you have to get the enzyme cleaner to "wick" down to the same places the pee went.

I agree with that. Before I put a permanent plastic liner on our bed, I always soaked the spot at least twice. A black light won't show things that are saturated deep into the mattress.

You can buy mattress pads that people use for adult incontinence issues - they have a plastic liner on the back of them. Or you can just get a plastic mattress pad liner and put your mattress pad on top of that. I find that the cost of these liners is far less than the cost of solutions in the long run. I still use them even though I haven't had anyone pee on my bed in years. Better safe than sorry - I've got old cats right now.

 

[pookie-poo]

Thank you both.

Right now I have impervious drape sheets from work on the bed, with a comforter over them, so the cats have a place to sleep while I'm away. I will purchase something better when I get back. It looks like Penneys carries a couple different waterproof mattress pads. I'll probably just store the comforter that goes with the curtains/bedskirt in the linen closet to protect it in case Lola gets another UTI. I can always bring it out if I ever get company.