When you have pets, messes are inevitable. However, that shouldn’t mean that you have to spend hours cleaning them up. This guide makes quick work of explaining how to remove odors and stains associated with pet urine. Using these ideas, you can quickly clean up odors and urine stains without ruining your flooring.
1. Use key cleanup principles
Three principles will come to your rescue when cleaning pet urine and preventing stains and odors:
- Clean it up as soon as it occurs
- Mop it up thoroughly
- Vacuum regularly
2. Use the right products
The best products to neutralize dog urine are enzyme based cleaners, carpet shampoos, vinegar and baking soda. Additionally, you can invest in pet stain and odor removers available in the market. We recommend Angry Orange Pet Odor Eliminator, and Rocco & Roxie Professional Strength Stain Remover. In case of solid messes or blood stains, use Zout stain remover. This is a highly concentrated stain remover so a little goes a long way. Saturate the stain and work it in. After 5-10 minutes, vacuum or clean with old rag and water. You will also need an old rag, microfiber towels, and paper/or paper tissues to mop up the urine. Here are some other highly recommended products to neutralize pet odors and stains:
3. Do not allow it to dry
Dried urine is not only difficult to remove from carpets; it is also an invitation to your pet to reoffend the area. Pets use the odor of stale urine to mark the same spot and urinate over and over. So mop up the mess, and pour some vinegar over it. Test a small area of the carpet to ensure that the vinegar does not discolor it. Vinegar will remove the smell and also prevent your pet from using this spot again for marking.
4. Blot it up
Use plenty of papers, old rags or microfiber towels to blot up the wet mess. This will prevent the urine from soaking through and seeping into the deeper layers of the carpet. Once it is dry, apply the enzyme based cleaner and let it sit for an hour. After wards, wipe the carpet. You can also apply baking soda and let it sit for an hour. Then vacuum thoroughly.
5. Use vinegar
A mixture of water and vinegar (1:1) is the easiest way to remove set in urine stains from the carpet. Use a small amount of this mixture on the deeper layers of the rugs, carpet or upholstery. Use a scrubbing brush to get as much of the liquid as possible into the deeper layers of the rug/carpet. Vinegar neutralizes ammonia from pet urine and reduces odor. You can now blot up the wetness. If you have a dry and wet vacuum, use it to eliminate the wetness. Vinegar and water works effectively on hardwood floors to remove odors and stains and also prevents pets from re-offending that location.
6. Baking soda
Baking soda is a great deodorizer and helps remove stains and stinky messes. Apply soda liberally and vacuum after 30 minutes. Baby powder is great in place of baking soda to neutralize cat and dog urine odor. Sprinkle it on top of the stain to deodorize the room.
7. Use lemon juice
Nature has provided us with a natural bleaching agent in the form of lemon juice. To a gallon of hot water, add ½ cup of bottle lemon juice or squeeze fresh lemon juice from an entire lemon. Soak the carpet with this solution for at least 30 minutes. This trick works well for light colored carpets. It is generally safe but you may want to test it first before using on delicate or silk fabrics.
8. Dish detergent
Dishwashing detergent is one of the best pet stain and odor remover for carpet cleaners. Fill up a bucket with hot water and add 2 tbsp of dishwashing detergent to it. Let the mixture soak the stain for 30 minutes or overnight. Clean up with rags and vacuum as usual.
9. Hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide neutralizes dog urine quickly. Add undiluted to the tiles or carpet and let it sit for an hour. Make sure you test the hydrogen peroxide on a small area first to prevent discoloration. Do not use hydrogen peroxide stronger than 3%. In case you do not have hydrogen peroxide on hand, you can substitute laundry stain remover containing hydrogen peroxide. Any stain remover having the word ‘oxy’ will contain hydrogen peroxide.
10. Vanilla essence/extract
To get rid of pet odor from carpet, spray a mixture of water and vanilla. Fill up a spray bottle with 2 parts water and one part vanilla and mist it on the carpet. You can also spray all over the pillows, curtains etc to neutralize pet odors.
11. Liquid chlorophyll
Liquid chlorophyll is better than steam cleaning to remove odors. You can purchase it at a pharmacy.
12. Rubbing alcohol
Apply rubbing alcohol in the spot where your pet urinates inside the home for the first time. First you must soak up all the urine and then ply the area with rubbing alcohol. Allow it to dry. Your pet will not reoffend the spot.
Try these 12 easy ways to get rid of pet urine stains and odors.