If you have a dog, then you know what I’m talking about when I refer to that oh so dreaded dog pee!
It can ruin your flooring in no time — including carpet, linoleum, and wood floors. Especially if it’s not cleaned up the right way. Plus, it stinks!
Fortunately, it is possible to remove dog urine from the surfaces inside your home.
You just need to do it the right way in order to preserve your floors.
Here’s how to remove dog urine stains and odors properly…
There are lots of different ways to remove wet urine stains from flooring, and even more ways to remove set-in dog urine stains.
Several are mentioned below.
Choose the one you like best, based on what you already have on hand in your home.
If your dog pees on the carpet…
First, absorb as much of the urine as you can using paper towels or super-absorbent microfiber cloths right away. The quicker it’s removed, there’s less of a chance that the urine will ruin your carpet or settle into the padding or sub-flooring underneath the carpet.
METHOD #1: Pour a full glass of water onto the spot and then blot it up (don’t rub) with paper towels or a microfiber cloth until you no longer see any yellow. Next, have a brush and carpet cleaner on hand and use them on the spot. Then, spray the spot again with carpet cleaner and vacuum if necessary. Finally, spray the area with an enzymatic cleaning solution, like Rocco & Roxie Stain and Odor Eliminator to remove any remaining stain and smell. Source
METHOD #2: Soak up urine with a white towel or paper towels. (Blot, don’t rub.) Start with an area just outside of the stain ring and move inward. Rinse the area with water to dilute the urine. Blot again using clean towels. Optional: Rinse the area with club soda, then blot up. Absorb the remaining liquid with paper towels or a microfiber cloth. (Either stand on the towels or place heavy books over them. Be patient; it may take 6 hours to dry.) Source
If your dog pees on hardwood flooring…
METHOD #1: Place cat litter (the clumping kind is best) directly onto the urine stain. It will immediately soak up all the urine out of the wood. You will even be able to see the litter turn yellow! Source
METHOD #2: After soaking up the liquid urine with paper towels, sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda over the dog urine stain on the hardwood floor. Let it set overnight to absorb all stains and odors. In the morning, vacuum up the baking soda from your floor. Finally, wipe a small amount of hardwood floor cleaner onto the stained area. Source
If your dog pees on cement flooring…
METHOD #1: Soak up the urine with kitty litter. Then, wash the cement floor with detergent and warm water. Source
METHOD #2: After removing the liquid pee stain, sprinkle an enzymatic cleaner on the area to remove the odor — like lime (commonly used on lawns), white vinegar, or another storebought enzyme cleaner. Source
If your dog pees on linoleum flooring…
METHOD #1: Soak up the urine with paper towels and then wash the floor with a detergent and warm water. (I’ve used liquid clothes soap before — because it has a little bit of scent and made the floor smell fresh.) Source
METHOD #2: Use paper towels or a microfiber cloth to soak up the liquid, then combine 1 part vinegar and 1 part water in a bucket. Mix well and mop the area where your dog peed on the linoleum floor. Rinse the mop with clean water and mop the floor with that. Finally, repeat the process by mopping with the vinegar & water solution, followed by another clean rinse. To remove any lingering odors, use an enzymatic cleaner like Nature’s Miracle Stain & Odor Eliminator. Source
If your dog pees on the furniture…
METHOD #1: Act quickly! Allowing the dog urine to dry will make your furniture stink badly… and for a long time. If you’ve caught it early enough and the fabric cover is all that’s been soiled, then remove it immediately so the urine doesn’t make it into your cushions. Next, soak up the urine from the cover with paper towels or a microfiber cloth. Finally, either have the fabric cover dry cleaned or use a gentle detergent with warm water to remove the stain. Source
METHOD #2: Mix equal parts of hydrogen peroxide and vinegar in a bottle. Apply to the soiled areas of your furniture. Cover the stained area with plastic wrap so the cleaning solution will go directly to the stain. After an hour or more, remove the plastic and repeat the entire process if the urine smell still lingers. Source
The Last Step: Neutralize The Odor!
No matter which of the above methods you use to remove dog urine stains, you should always follow-up with an odor neutralizer once you’re done cleaning the spot.
Products like Zero Odor (which bonds with odor molecules changing them into non-smelling molecules), Simple Solution Extreme (a pro-bacteria and enzyme formula), and XO Odor Neutralizer (which binds to odor molecules and neutralizes them naturally) permanently neutralize the odor — so your dog won’t be as likely to return to the same spot to urinate again.
How To Find Pet Stains
Not sure exactly where the pet stains are on the floor?
Sometimes — especially with carpeting — it’s hard to see where the urine stains are.
Many pet owners use an LED UV black light flashlight to locate fresh stains, as well as set-in stains. It works equally well on both.
Keep in mind that LED black light flashlights are so sensitive that they’ll also pick up other stains — including blood, food stains, and even residue from previous cleaners. (If you use enzymatic cleaners — mentioned above — to clean pet stains, there should be no trace of the spot left behind.)
More Advice For Removing Dog Urine Stains & Odors
- How Enzymatic Cleaners Work On Pet Urine Stains
- How To Get Dog Urine Smell Out Of Hardwood Floors
- DIY Recipe For Dog Urine Remover
- Why An Enzyme Cleaner Must Be Used On Pet Urine Stains
- Using Hydrogen Peroxide To Remove Pee Stains From Hardwood
- How To Remove Dog Urine From Carpet
- Dog Cleaning Tips For All Types Of Stains
- How To Get Dog Urine Smell Out Of Hardwood Floors
I like to help Dog Parents find unique ways to do things that will save time & money — so I write about “outside the box” Dog Tips and Dog Hacks that most wouldn’t think of.
I’m a lifelong dog owner — currently have 2 mixed breed Golden Aussies that we found abandoned on the side of the road as puppies. I’ve always trained my own dogs and help friends train theirs, as well. Professionally, I worked at a vet and have several friends who are veterinarians — whom I consult with regularly. (And just because I love animals so much, I also worked at a Zoo for awhile!) I’ve been sharing my best ideas with others by blogging full-time since 1998 (the same year that Google started… and before the days of Facebook and YouTube).
My daily motivation is to help first-time dog owners be better prepared from the first day your new puppy enters your home. I like to help dog owners understand what’s ‘normal’ and what you can expect in terms of living with and training your dog — how to get through the ups & downs of potty training, chewing, teaching commands, getting your dog to listen, and everything else that takes place during that hectic first year!
When I’m not training, walking, grooming, or making homemade treats for my dogs, you will find me at the corner of Good News & Fun Times as publisher of The Fun Times Guide (32 fun & helpful websites). To date, I’ve written over 600 articles for dog owners on this site! Many of them have upwards of 200K shares.
