The Puddle Push: Why Your Cleaner Might Be Making Things Worse

Uh-oh…you scrubbed.  You sprayed. You did everything you were supposed to do …right?

FROM THE DESK OF THE SHADY SCOOP  

So, your cat had an accident.

You did what any responsible pet parent would do. You grabbed that bottle of liquid cleaner, marched over to the crime scene and sprayed the living daylights out of it. You scrubbed. You sprayed again. The yellow stain disappeared. The room smelled like artificial lavender, tropical rain, or some other mysterious fragrance that apparently requires three words and a waterfall to describe it.

Congratulations.  You have apparently just cleaned your carpet AND booked a tropical vacation!

For a few hours, you felt victorious. YOU: 1. PEE: 0

Then a few days passed. The weather got humid. The room warmed up. And suddenly…

HELLOOOO AMMONIA! “Say hello to my little friend.” Ha!

That unmistakable smell came roaring back like it had a key to the front door.

So, What Happened?  Because more cleaner means more cleaning… Right? Well not so fast sweetheart.

Because when it comes to pet urine on carpet and fabric…more liquid isn’t always more clean. And that is where things can get …well…a little puddly.

You used a highly rated cleaner. You followed the directions. You did everything you were supposed to do. So why is the funk back? Because here's the dirty little secret nobody tells you:

Sometimes, that big puddle of liquid cleaner can actually push the problem deeper.

Meet the "Puddle Push”

Let's talk about what is happening underneath your carpet.

Carpet isn't tile. And carpet padding isn't exactly a waterproof swimming pool. Your carpet is made up of multiple layers. There's the surface fiber you can see, the carpet backing underneath it and then that wonderfully absorbent layer of padding underneath everything. When your cat has an accident, gravity gets involved immediately. The liquid doesn't politely sit on top waiting for you to arrive with your spray bottle.

Down it goes. It travels through the carpet fibers, into the backing and down into the padding. By the time you discover the accident, that little spot you can see on the surface may have created a much bigger mess underneath. Think of it as a tiny crime scene with a very large underground operation.

Now comes the part nobody wants to hear. You find the spot. You grab your liquid cleaner. And…SPRAY! More liquid hits the carpet. The cleaner mixes with what's already down there and can carry loosened urine components farther into the carpet and padding. Instead of pulling the mess up and out, you may be helping move it sideways and down.

That's what we call THE PUDDLE PUSH

And trust us…The Puddle Push is NOT your friend. You may make look at that beautifully clean surface and think…” Well look at me! I handled that darn little mess.”

Oh, honey. You didn’t handle anything. You just gave the mess a little push and sent it on a field trip. Because while the carpet is sitting there looking all fresh and innocent…the real party may still be happening underneath. And guess what…You weren’t invited! The stain may be gone from sight. The room may smell fabulous. You may have mentally rewarded yourself with a little retail therapy, a spa appointment and a very expensive lunch because…darling you EARNED IT!  You handled that darn little mess…Or so you thought.

LET’S TALK ABOUT AMMONIA…YOUR LITTLE FRIEND. 

Remember when that room got warm and humid and suddenly HELLO AMMONIA! Well… Your little friend came back to visit…And here's where things get really sneaky.

As urine dries, it can leave behind uric acid and other residues that can remain in carpet and fabric. You may not see them. You may not smell them right away.  But they’re there.  Hanging around. Like that guest who said they were “just stopping by for a minute.” Three hours later…they’ve kicked off their shoes, opened your refrigerator and asking …what’s for dinner!

And humidity? Well, bless my soul, honey! Between heavy humidity and the rising fumes, those groovy little crystals down in the carpet just woke up, kicked off their shoes and started doing a barefoot boogie to a bluegrass beat right under our toes! They’re spreading Peace ~ Love and a whole lot of funk under that rug…which is all fine and dandy, except they’re also bringing back that old ghost of a cat pee smell! Darling, it smells so bad, it’ll curl your eyelashes! Suddenly that beautiful clean room isn’t smelling quite so...tropical. The vacation is over.  Welcome back, funk!

So How Do You Beat It?

You must stop thinking about the mess as something you simply need to cover, scrub, or perfume away. You need to think about what is physically happening to the mess. Work WITH physics. Don't fight it. That's why Shady Cat uses a completely different approach for carpet and fabric.

STEP 1: LOCK IT DOWN… LIFT IT OUT.

First, you want to physically draw moisture and staining material up and out of the carpet instead of adding another puddle of liquid to the party. That's where Powder Fusion comes in. Its high-absorbency powder is designed to grab onto moisture and help draw the mess toward the surface, where it can be removed. No drowning the crime scene. No creating a bigger puddle. No sending the funk on a deeper vacation into your carpet padding. Let the powder do the heavy lifting. Then vacuum it away.

STEP 2: DON'T FAKE THE FUNK!

Once you've removed the bulk of the moisture and residue, THEN it's time to bring in the enzymes. That's where Enzyme Fusion comes in. The enzymes go after the organic source of the odor rather than simply trying to make your carpet smell like a lavender field while the problem is still hiding underneath. Because let's be honest…We don't want your carpet to smell like flowers. We want it to smell fresh, clean and fabulous.

And About That Fabulous Fragrance…

Now, before we get carried away…

Shady Cat is NOT anti-fragrance. Quite the opposite. We happen to think your home should smell fabulous. That's why Enzyme Fusion has a sophisticated, luxurious fragrance designed to leave your space smelling fresh, clean and downright fancy. But here's the difference: We don't use fragrance to cover up the crime scene. We save the good stuff for AFTER the bulk of the mess has been pulled up and out.

Think about it. If you soak a urine spot with a heavily fragranced liquid cleaner while the urine is still hanging around in the carpet, you're basically creating the world's worst cocktail: URINE + MOISTURE + FRAGRANCE = UGGGGG

That's when you can end up with that bizarre combination of: "Why does my house smell like flowers and cat pee at the same time?" Why…No thank you. Shady Cat does things differently.

First, Powder Fusion goes to work absorbing moisture and helping pull the mess toward the surface. LOCK IT DOWN. LIFT IT OUT. Then, once the bulk of that moisture has been removed, it's time for Enzyme Fusion. And THAT'S when the luxury fragrance gets to make its entrance. No floral perfume fighting with fresh urine. No chemical-smelling fragrance cocktail. No "What exactly am I smelling right now?" Just the clean, sophisticated scent of Enzyme Fusion. It's the difference between trying to cover up the funk…and getting rid of the funk first, then making your home smell absolutely fabulous!

CLEAN FIRST. LUXURY SECOND.

Because we believe you deserve both: A product that works AND a home that smells amazing. That's the Shady Cat way. Carpet isn't tile. Fabric isn't hardwood. And pet pee isn't going to be fooled by perfume. If you want to get rid of the funk, you've got to treat the mess according to the surface you're actually dealing with.

That's why Shady Cat isn't a "spray it and pray it" kind of system. It's a two-step approach designed to tackle the problem in the right order: LOCK IT DOWN. LIFT IT OUT. THEN DESTROY THE SOURCE.

Because your cat may be Shady…But your cleaning system shouldn't be.

DON'T FAKE THE FUNK! DON'T MASK IT… DESTROY IT!

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NEXT UP IN THE SHADY SCOOP  

POWDER VS. SPRAY: THE ULTIMATE PET STAIN SHOWDOWN

If you shouldn't just spray it and pray it… THEN WHAT THE HECK SHOULD YOU DO? Powder? Spray? Both? 

Ohhh, honey. Dolly has opinions. And she's bringing the evidence. Stay tuned. This one’s going to get messy. And remember…Every Little Thing is Gonna Be Alright!

Peace ~ Love...You Won't Smell It Later!

XOXO,

Dolly