A black light to find urine is a popular new trend for pet parents. These lights are a useful tool to help you find those pee stains in the carpets before they get too smelly. You can also use them to spot old stains that might not have been cleaned properly. They work by highlighting fluorescing elements, such as phosphorus, in bodily fluids like urine.
Urine glows under black light because it contains phosphorus and broken down blood proteins that fluoresce. The phosphorus is energized by the short wavelength UV radiation of a blacklight. When the phosphorus combines with oxygen in urine, it emits a yellowish-green color that is very noticeable under blacklight. This makes it a very easy way to find urine stains.
In addition to urine, blacklights can be used to detect other bodily fluids and liquid stains caused by food, laundry detergent, milk, honey, canola or olive oil, ketchup, tonic water, and antifreeze. They can also be used to detect molds and fungi, including some of the types that cause ringworm.
While it is possible to purchase blacklights specifically designed for urine detection, most any fluorescent flashlight that emits a UV wavelength between 365 and 385 nanometers will work as well. You can find these lights online or at a home improvement store. Most of these lights use LED bulbs, but you can also find them with fluorescent tubes. Regardless of the type of bulb, you will want to make sure the blacklight is bright enough to see the stains you are looking for.
Some people think that urine stains will glow bright white under blacklight, but the truth is that they will only glow a dark green or yellow color. You will need to use the light at night and sweep over suspected areas of your home, holding the blacklight about 1-3 inches away from the surface you are examining. You will have to look closely at the area, as urine stains can be difficult to see.
If you are able to locate the Use a black light to find urine, you can take note of it and then treat the area with a urine cleaner. You may need to repeat the process several times before you are able to get the urine odors out of your carpets. However, using a blacklight to find urine is much easier than trying to use your nose to smell for it!
One final tip: If you are using a blacklight to find urine, it is important to only use it on dry stains. If the urine is still damp, it will not glow under the blacklight. Also, it’s best to use the blacklight in a dark room. Too much ambient light will dilute the glow of the urine stains.
It’s a common practice for landlords to use a blacklight to create a map of dog, cat or other pet urine stains in the carpet. They can then mark these spots when tenants move in and out, and they can also check for re-stains after cleaning. This practice is often used to help ensure that tenants are keeping up with the “no pets allowed” policy.