Pet messes can be some of the toughest cleaning challenges in the home. Urine, feces, and vomit can leave behind visible stains, residues, and persistent odors on carpets, upholstery, and hard flooring.
For manufacturers of pet stain removers, carpet cleaners, floor cleaners, and odor-control products, performance testing can provide objective data to support product development, compare formulations, and substantiate cleaning and odor-reduction claims.
At Dell Tech Laboratories, pet-specific soils can be incorporated into established cleaning performance methods to evaluate products under controlled laboratory conditions. Our capabilities include synthetic urine prepared using an AATCC formulation, Feclone® synthetic fecal soil, and synthetic pet vomit, allowing testing to be tailored to the types of messes the product is designed to address.
Testing Pet Stain Removal on Carpet and Upholstery
For products intended to remove pet stains from carpet or upholstery, Dell Tech can modify the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) TM-110 spot cleaning procedure to incorporate pet-specific staining agents.
The standard TM-110 procedure evaluates the effectiveness of spot cleaning products by applying staining agents to a standardized nylon 6,6 carpet and assessing how effectively the cleaner removes them.
For pet-care applications, standard staining agents can be supplemented or replaced with appropriate pet-related soils, such as:
- Synthetic pet urine
- Feclone® synthetic fecal soil
- Synthetic pet vomit
After the stains are applied and allowed to set, the cleaning product is used according to the agreed test procedure. Residual staining can then be evaluated visually using a standardized rating system.
Testing is performed using multiple replicates, and representative before-and-after photographs can also provide a useful visual record of product performance.
Why use standardized synthetic pet soils?
Naturally occurring pet stains can vary considerably from one incident to another. Using controlled synthetic soils makes it possible to apply the same type and amount of soil across test samples, providing a more consistent basis for comparing cleaning performance.
This can be especially useful when comparing a new formulation against a benchmark or competitive product.
Pet Stain Removal from Hard Surfaces
Pet messes are not limited to carpet. Floor cleaners and multipurpose products may also need to demonstrate cleaning performance on surfaces such as vinyl or hardwood flooring.
Dell Tech can adapt ASTM D4488-A5, which evaluates the cleaning performance of products intended for resilient flooring and washable walls using particulate and oily soils.
For pet-care applications, synthetic urine, fecal soil, or vomit can be incorporated as the challenge soil. The substrate can also be selected based on the intended application of the product. Testing is commonly performed using white vinyl tile, but alternative flooring materials, such as hardwood, can be considered when appropriate to the product and the desired claim.
This allows manufacturers to evaluate questions such as:
- How effectively does the product remove a pet stain from flooring?
- How does one formulation perform compared with another?
- How does the product compare with a leading competitor?
- Does performance differ depending on the surface being cleaned?
Going Beyond the Stain: Pet Malodor Reduction Testing
Removing the visible evidence of a pet accident is only part of the challenge. Consumers also expect pet cleaning products to address the associated odor.
Dell Tech offers malodor reduction testing based on ASTM E1593, Standard Test Method for Assessing the Efficacy of Air Care Products in Reducing Sensorily Perceived Indoor Air Malodor Intensity.
The method uses sensory assessment to evaluate the perceived intensity of a malodor and determine the effectiveness of a consumer product in reducing it.
For pet-care testing at Dell Tech, synthetic dog urine can be used as the malodor source, with odor intensity evaluated by a five-person sensory panel.
This testing can complement physical stain-removal testing by addressing a different aspect of product performance. A cleaner may perform well at removing a visible stain, for example, while odor-reduction testing can separately assess how effectively it reduces the associated perceived malodor after a given time period.
Building a Pet-Care Performance Testing Program
Because pet cleaning products can have very different intended uses, testing does not necessarily have to take a one-size-fits-all approach.
Depending on the product and the claims being considered, a testing program could combine:
- CRI TM-110-based testing for pet stain removal from carpet or upholstery
- ASTM D4488 Practice A5-based testing for pet stain removal from hard surfaces
- ASTM E1593 testing for reduction of pet-related malodor
- Synthetic urine, fecal soil, or vomit selected according to the product’s intended application
- Comparative testing against a control, benchmark formulation, or competitive product
- Before-and-after photographs where appropriate
Combining stain and odor testing can provide a more complete picture of performance for products marketed specifically for pet messes.
Testing Designed Around Your Product
Whether you’re developing a carpet spot cleaner, hard-surface cleaner, pet stain remover, or odor-control product, Dell Tech Laboratories can help develop a test program suited to the product’s intended use and performance claims.
By combining established test methods with controlled pet-specific soils, manufacturers can generate meaningful performance data under repeatable laboratory conditions and better understand how their products perform against the messes pet owners encounter at home.
Contact Dell Tech Laboratories to discuss pet stain and malodor testing for your cleaning product.
Blog Author
Kate Hatherley
Katherine supports analytical testing in Dell Tech’s Lab Services. Prior to joining Dell Tech’s Lab Services Group in 2019, Katherine worked in project administration and geographic information systems in the Ontario forestry industry.
