Enzyme Pet Urine Deodorizers

Image of cat and dog

The enzymes we in use in Molecular Modifier by Pro’s Choice to remove pet odors from carpet are effective because the enzymes consider the pet urine contamination as food to consume.

What exactly is happening when we use an enzyme treatment? We spray Molecular Modifier by Pro’s Choice on the carpet and after a few hours or days we clean it out and it takes care of pet odors. But what are we really doing?

Enzymes are part of our daily lives. Metabolic enzymes run our bodies, digestive enzymes break down the food we eat into a chemical structure our bodies can absorb and specific enzymes are found in our saliva that actually start the digestive process. Without them we simply could not survive.

But how does that relate to treating pet urine?

Simply put, the enzymes we use to remove pet odors from carpet are effective because enzymes treat the urine contamination as food.

When you hear someone talk about “bug count” or about the amount of “bugs” that are in their product, they aren’t talking about the enzymes themselves. They are talking about the bacteria that produce the enzymes.

So here’s the deal: When the bacteria in Molecular Modifier are put into an environment where they sense food (i.e. when we spray it on urine), they begin to react. These bacteria can’t process the contamination into food by themselves, so they produce the enzymes to break the contamination down into a form that the bacteria can metabolize. Once this process is complete, the bacteria reproduces and in turn creates more enzymes to break down even more of the contamination to consume. This cycle continues until either there is no contamination left or the environment becomes inhospitable to the bacteria.

Since we’re working on the molecular level, even though there are millions of these reactions taking place every second, it still takes time for these enzymes to do their jobs. Typically, seventy two hours (3 days) dwell time is ideal for most treatments but enzyme activity can continue for up to two weeks (so long as there is even residual moisture in the carpet).

A question that is often asked is, “Can the enzyme treatment be left in the carpet or does it have to be cleaned out?” Well, the answer to that is both yes and no. Yes, the product can be left in the carpet. Once the food source (urine contamination) is gone or the area dries out completely (becomes inhospitable), the bacteria dies off and becomes inactive.

But there is a catch. You see, in order to keep all the enzyme producing bacteria from settling at the bottom of the bottle while it’s sitting on the shelf waiting to be used, manufacturers will add a surfactant to keep everything suspended. This surfactant will attract soil to the treated area. While the urine contamination may be gone, a dirty area will appear in the shape of the area treated.

Can we make the enzyme treatments more effective? Yes we can. When you heat up your bacteria to 110 degrees Fahrenheit it will “stimulate” the bacteria, increasing its ability to create enzyme drastically. But don’t overdo it. Heating up your enzyme product to 110 will stimulate the bacteria to create more enzyme but heating it up to 120 will kill off your bacteria leaving you with only the enzyme that has already been produced.

Now ask yourself this: How hot does it get in your van? In the winter time it may be no big deal but how hot does in get next to your big truck mount in the middle of summer? Some products are susceptible to extreme temperatures. Storing your Molecular Modifier on a shelf next to your truck mount may shorten the life of the product during the summer months from a year to just a few months. A secondary container like an ice chest will prolong the life of your product considerably. You don’t necessarily need ice in the chest to keep the product cool just a barrier from the external heat sources.

Just to summarize and bring this to a close:

  • Be sure to find and treat ALL contaminated areas when using an enzyme treatment.
  • Warm the Molecular Modifier to 110 degrees to increase its effectiveness.
  • Keep your products protected from extreme heat.
  • Call us at (800) 428-9512 if you need a little help.

This article has been condensed from a CTI Pro’s Choice article on enzymes.

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Published by: Bane-Clene® Corp.
Copyright: Bane-Clene Corp.

Date Modified: December 18, 2020

Date Originally Published: November 29, 2014