Pet Urine Removal: Knowing the Difference Between Enzyme and Bacteria Cleaners
Pets are beloved family members and bring so much joy to our lives. They offer hours of playing, cuddling, or just hanging out. They also give us plenty of opportunities to take cute photos to share with family and friends and make great company when we are working from home or relaxing after a long day at the office. Most parts of being a pet parent are incredibly rewarding, but with all of these benefits, there are a handful of downsides, including cleaning up after them.
This is usually not too big of a deal, but if they have an accident in the house or repeatedly use the same spot as their outdoor restroom, there may be unpleasant odors with which you must contend. This is why you need a good pet urine cleaner and odor eliminator if you share your home with pets and your home has artificial grass, carpet, rugs, or any type of upholstery that your pets can access.
Most importantly, do not waste money on products that cover the odor rather than removing it. These products often mask the odor with a more-appealing scent. This can work temporarily to make the odor smell less noticeable to humans, but that fake fragrance will wear off and, even before it does, your pets will still smell the original odor and are more likely to continue to return to that spot to urinate in the future.
Of course, using the same spot for urination is fine and even helpful if we are talking about artificial grass outside or an artificial grass pet restroom area in your home, but it is not at all helpful if you are trying to train your pets to stop urinating in the house or in certain areas. Either way, you are better off avoiding any product that simply masks the odor without removing it.
You also should avoid solvent-based cleaners designed to break down the chemicals in stains. These products can be effective in removing stains and odors, but the solvents in these products can be harmful to your pets and can damage the surfaces they are intended to clean.
So, once you have crossed those options off the list, you will likely be deciding between an enzymatic cleaner and a bacteria pet urine cleaner, both of which are better for your pets, your family, and the environment.
Bacteria Pet Urine Cleaners
Bacterial cleaners have naturally occurring living organisms (the bacteria/microbes) that remove stains/odors by breaking down nitrates, ammonia, and phosphates. These urine ingredients are a food supply for the bacteria, and the microbes produce carbon dioxide and water as they consume them. Because of this, bacteria/microbe urine cleaners are considered safe for use around pets and your family.
As long as their food supply is available and the area is kept moist, the microbes will continue to thrive and consume the odor- and stain-causing materials until the food source (the odor/stain) is gone.
Enzyme Pet Urine Cleaners
Enzyme cleaners are a non-toxic option that is safer to use and more effective than harsher, chemical-laden formulas. They are also more effective than other natural odor-elimination methods, such as vinegar (assuming an effective formulation is applied). There are many different enzymes that can break down different substrates but the correct enzymes must be used to achieve great results.
The efficacy of enzyme cleaners comes from the ability of the enzymes to get into tiny areas where waste resides and break down the odor/stain-causing materials. The enzymes work faster than bacterial pet waste cleaners at breaking down the odor or stains, however, since they are not living organisms, they do not have the ability to multiply and consume the odor-causing bacteria until it has been eradicated. Enzyme cleaners have to be applied repeatedly until the job is complete. This is why enzyme cleaners on their own are best used for drain odor applications and/or stain removal applications.
Best Pet Urine Cleaner: Enzyme + Bacteria (Microbes)
Enzymes + Bacteria cleaners are considered the best cleaners to rid pet urine odors (assuming the correct enzyme/bacteria formulation is applied). The enzymes will immediately get to work breaking down the odor while the bacteria(microbes) will finish the job by consuming it, therefore eliminating the source odor/stain completely. For pet waste odor elimination, your best bet is Urine Zero because it is the perfect combination of enzymes and bacteria.
Urine Zero was developed by microbiologists and is specifically formulated for removing urine odors, as well as odors from vomit, feces, trash cans, and diaper pails. It is all-natural, non-toxic, and safe for use around pets and children. It can be used on artificial grass, carpets, rugs, upholstery, and even hardscapes, such as paving stones or concrete.
Urine Zero acts as a pet urine cleaner by effectively and permanently removing odors at the source. As urine decomposes, ammonia is produced, which is usually what is responsible for the urine smell we all know. The ammonia you smell is made up of nitrogen and hydrogen, so the best way to get rid of odors caused by ammonia is to remove one of these components. All living organisms, including microbes, need nitrogen to maintain life. The microbes in Urine Zero feed on this nitrogen, which is how we remove the nitrogen from the nitrogen + hydrogen = ammonia (NH3) equation and permanently remove pet urine odors.
Urine Zero is particularly effective at disrupting urine decomposition to eliminate odors by exponentially reproducing and adapting to the food source available. This means that it is more effective at completely and permanently removing odors because it consumes all of the organic energy sources available to it. While it starts with the urine components, it will then move to other organic matter as that energy source depletes. This continues until the available food sources are completely depleted.
Because Urine Zero is a 10x professional strength formula concentrate, it is also quite cost-effective and is less expensive than competitive products.