Accidents happen. And no matter how well-trained your dog is, there will be times when you must deal with every pet owner’s worst nightmare: pee smell.
Dog urine has a lingering smell that becomes hard to remove. It’s an intense mix of hormones, bacteria, ammonia, and uric acid that every pet owner knows.
This lousy smell worsens when mixed with air fresheners and scented candles. So, you must deal with it as soon as possible.
This guide will walk you through the process of eliminating dog urine smell from different floor types. It will also suggest the best tips and tricks to keep your floors smelling fresh.
How to Remove Dog Urine Smell From Floors？
If your pet dog wets the floor, you need to act fast.
Luckily, different cleaning methods work for various types of flooring. At the same time, you must choose the proper cleaning method that won’t harm your floors.
You’ll need these tools before you start.
- Protective gloves
- A mask if the odor is too pungent
- A Bucket
- Spray bottle
- Kitchen towels
- Clean and dry microfiber cloths
Removing Urine Smell From Wood Floors
Hardwood floors are elegant, adding to your property’s value.
But if you have a messy pet, they can soak up urine, making the odor impossible to withstand. Moreover, old urine stains leave black markings on the wood floors.
Using Vinegar
A DIY water and white vinegar solution will help break urine and eliminate its odor. Mix equal parts of the two liquids in a spray bottle and apply the solution to the urine stain. Wait for 30 minutes as the vinegar neutralizes the ammonia in the urine.
Blot the urine stain with kitchen towels or a clean cloth. Repeat the process until the smell is no longer noticeable.
Mix Baking Soda and Vinegar
A mixture of baking and white vinegar is potent for removing pet stains and foul odors. Baking soda is a natural deodorizer that absorbs the bad smell while leaving your floors clean and fresh.
Clean the spot using water and vinegar, then sprinkle baking soda to absorb the smell. You can also prepare a vinegar and baking soda solution to clean any urine stains.
The abrasive nature of baking soda will help scrub away any markings and prevent the urine from soaking into your floor.
Use Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is a potent chemical that breaks down biological stains easily. However, because it’s too strong, you want to stick to a concentration of 3% while using it on hardwood floors.
This chemical has a bleaching effect and might lighten your floors if used without dilution.
Soak a kitchen towel in hydrogen peroxide and apply it to the urine stain or directly pour it over the spot you’ve previously blotted. Let it sit for a few minutes, then use kitchen towels to blot it.
Older urine stains can also be removed with hydrogen peroxide. However, you’ll have to repeat the process several times. You’ll notice some mild discoloration, though, and your hardwood floor will need refinishing.
Use an Enzyme Cleaner
Enzyme cleaners are specifically designed to break down urine stains and remove their pungent smells. When you follow the proper instructions, these cleaners are made of natural enzymes so that they can remove biological stains like blood and saliva altogether.
Look for an enzyme cleaner designed to work on wood floors. This way, you can guarantee that there will be no damage and get rid of any odor fast.
Tough and older stains will take more time to be removed entirely. You can also apply some baking soda after you’ve removed the cleaner to absorb any residual odor.
Removing Urine Smell From Tiles
Tiles are more tolerant of cleaning solutions than hardwood floors. This is why they’re usually easier to deal with.
Some homeowners use a mild detergent and a mop to clean dog urine. This won’t only spread the smell but will also ruin your mop.
So, you’ll have to approach your canine’s mess using the same approach – blotting as much as possible. Then, you can try one of the following methods.
Use a Tile Enzyme Cleaner
Tile enzyme cleaners help remove urine stains while refreshing your floors without making your tiles dull or scratchy. Some enzyme cleaners on the market can be used on multiple floors, so make sure the one you pick works for tiles.
Use Vinegar and Baking Soda
Using a lukewarm water and vinegar solution, you can clean any pet stain before the odor becomes more challenging to remove. After letting the solution work for 30 minutes, spray some baking soda on top.
Baking soda reacts with vinegar to further break any stains. At the same time, it’s a natural deodorizer that can be safe for kids and pets.
However, the only problem is that this method takes more time. You might have to repeat it several times to eliminate the odor.
Use a Commercial Deodorizer
A deodorizer will not mask the urine smell, as this will make it worse. It breaks the odor particles that make stains smell intense no matter how much you clean.
Some deodorizers are even safe for topical use, so you can spray your dog or any other pet if they get in touch with the mess. These products are usually safe for most surfaces, but you must check the instructions before use.
However, you’ll have to use a deodorizer after removing the stain because it won’t break it down. It removes the lingering smell, so use it with another DIY or commercial cleaning solution.
Use Lemon Spray
After removing the stain, you can use natural lemon juice to eliminate the bad smell. It won’t break or clean the urine stain itself, but it removes the lingering odor that makes your tile floors stink.
Mix warm water with lemon juice and baking soda to prepare a natural and safe solution for pets and kids. It will leave your tile floors smelling fresh.
Removing Urine Smell From Rugs and Carpets
Rugs and carpets are the most difficult to deal with regarding urine stains. The liquid gets soaked into the fibers of the rug or carpet, becoming more challenging to remove. Once the paint has dried, eliminating the smell will be pretty tricky.
But you don’t have to throw your rugs or carpeting away. You can try the following methods to see which one will work.
Use Vinegar and Baking Soda
Before applying vinegar and baking soda directly to your rug or carpet, do a patch test first. Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes, then rinse it with warm water. If the fibers’ color changes, you’ll have to find another cleaning method.
Vinegar wets the stain, making it easier to remove than old urine spots. When mixed with baking soda, it eliminates the odor and makes your rug or carpet smell as fresh as new.
After you’re done, rinse with water, vacuum all the residual baking soda, and wait until the spot dries. Repeat the process as many times as needed. Diluted hydrogen peroxide can also work but might cause bleaching when used excessively.
Use a Special Enzyme Cleaner
Shop for a high-quality enzyme cleaner made explicitly for rugs and carpets. This way, you can guarantee it won’t cause discoloration or damage to the fabric.
Start with a patch test to see if the cleaner can be directly applied to your carpeting or rug without causing damage. Follow the instructions and repeat as needed.
Use a Wet and Dry Vacuum Cleaner
Combining a wet and dry vacuum cleaner with the right carpet shampoo will help you eliminate the scent efficiently. If you don’t have a damp and dry vacuum cleaner, you can try wetting the spot with some wet kitchen towels.
Best Tips for Removing Dog Urine Smell From Your Floors
The previous cleaning methods are potent, but these tips guarantee faster and more satisfactory results.
Act Quickly
Don’t let the urine spot linger. The sooner you tackle it, the better the result, regardless of the type of flooring. Moreover, the urine smell becomes more pungent the more you wait.
Take Preventative Measures
It’s always better to be safe than sorry. The best way to eliminate dog urine smell is to prevent it from happening in the first place.
Train your dog to avoid wetting your floor, and use a pet deterrent spray to keep your floors clean. You might notice that your senior canine is having more accidents than usual. In this case, using a pee pad will be a good solution.
Blot the Area
This is a rookie mistake; some pet owners wipe the area using a cloth to remove urine before cleaning it.
Don’t do that. This spreads urine and helps soak it in, making it more difficult to remove.
Use kitchen towels or a clean and dry microfiber cloth to blot the area and pick up as much liquid as possible. You don’t want to rub and push the urine further into the flooring.
Choose the Best Cleaning Solution
Luckily, many cleaning solutions are available, whether you’re trying a professional enzyme cleaner or a DIY solution. You might try several cleaning methods until one works.
Try Steam Cleaning
If nothing works, you’ll need to try steam cleaning. Steam cleaners can help tackle older urine stains already in your wood or tile flooring. Combined with a safe cleaner, you can eliminate the smell.
Remember that using a steam cleaner on a carpet or rug can make the odor harder to remove.
Keep Cleaners Out of Reach
While focusing on removing your pet’s mess, you don’t want your curious dog to taste an enzyme cleaner or hydrogen peroxide.
Please ensure all pets are away while cleaning urine stains and removing their smells. This foul smell can attract dogs, so they’ll try to see what is happening.
Use Air Purifiers
While removing urine stains from your floor, you can help remove the foul odor using air purifiers. These use activated charcoal filters to absorb all the bad smells in your household.
Wrap Up
Every pet owner knows how tough urine stains and their odor are. The lingering smell can set into your floor, changing your life into a nightmare unless appropriately tackled.
Several cleaning methods exist, so you have to choose the best one for your floors. Remember that deodorizers aren’t cleaners, so remove and clean the stain before tackling the odor.
