Well, for starters, you need to find which areas are soiled and then re-train your pet to avoid eliminating in those areas. And to do that, you'll have to clean those areas, and clean them well. Here are the steps you'll need to take:

• Find all soiled areas using your nose and eyes. A black-light bulb will usually show even old urine stains. Turn out all lights in the room; use the black-light to identify soiled areas and lightly outline the areas with chalk. Black lights can be purchased at home supply stores.

   

• Clean the soiled areas appropriately to remove the odors. To do this successfully, follow our recommendations below.

   

• Rule out medical causes for the behavior by visiting your veterinarian.

   

• Figure out why your pet is urinating and/or defecating in inappropriate areas. (For help, see our tips on Solving Litter Box Problems, Housetraining Your Puppy, and Reducing Urine-Marking Behavior in Dogs and Cats.)

   

• Make the areas unattractive and/or unavailable. (For help, see our advice on using aversives to modify your pet's behavior.)

   

• Make the appropriate "bathroom" area attractive. (For help, read our information on Positive Reinforcement: Training Your Dog or Cat with Treats and Praise, Housetraining Your Puppy, and Solving Litter Box Problems.)

   

• Teach your pet the appropriate place to eliminate by using positive reinforcement techniques.

To be successful, you need to follow all these steps. If you fail to completely clean the area, your re-training efforts will be useless. As long as your pet can smell his personal scent, he'll continue to return to the "accident zone." Even if you can't smell traces of urine, your pet can. Your most important chore is to remove (neutralize) that odor by following these steps:

To Clean Washable Items

• Machine wash as usual, adding a one-pound box of baking soda to your regular detergent. It's best to air dry these items if possible.

   

• If you can still see the stain or smell the urine, machine wash the item again and add an enzymatic cleaner (available at pet supply stores) that breaks down pet-waste odors. Be sure to follow the directions carefully.

   

• If your pet urinates or defecates on the sheets or blankets on a bed, then cover the bed with a vinyl, flannel-backed tablecloth when you begin the re-training period. It's machine washable, inexpensive, and unattractive to your pet.

To Clean Carpeted Areas and Upholstery

For "new" stains (those that are still wet):

• Soak up as much of the urine as possible with a combination of newspaper and paper towels. The more fresh urine you can remove before it dries, especially from carpet, the easier it will be to remove the odor. Place a thick layer of paper towels on the wet spot and cover that with a thick layer of newspaper. If possible, put newspaper under the soiled area as well. Stand on this padding for about a minute. Remove the padding and repeat the process until the area is barely damp.

   

• If possible, put the fresh, urine-soaked paper towel in the area where it belongs—your cat's litter box or your dog's designated outdoor "bathroom area." This will help remind your pet that eliminating isn't a "bad" behavior as long as it's done in the right place.

   

• Rinse the "accident zone" thoroughly with clean, cool water. After rinsing, remove as much of the water as possible by blotting or by using a "wet vac."