Having a pet in your home is undoubtedly a source of joy, but life with the man’s best friend can be complicated at times. For instance, pee sometimes happens regardless of how well trained your pup is and how diligently you observe your potty-break schedule.
Thus, knowing how to get the urine and its smell out of the carpet is a no-brainer if you have a pet. Incorrectly cleaning your dog’s pee from your carpet can lead to foul odors, permanent stains, and repeat accidents.
This post will take you through the best ways to clean pee out of a carpet. But before that, let’s first see why pee smells so bad.
Why does urine smell bad?
Urine is a metabolic waste made up of urea and uric acid, among other things. When the pee sits around for some time, bacteria start to decompose the urea, giving off the unpleasant ammonia smell.
If you have a cat pet, you might have noticed how disgusting its urine smells – worse than a dog or human urine. This is because dog and human pee smells are more diluted than cat pee, so there isn’t much urea for bacteria to decompose.
Why is my pet peeing on the carpet?
Before you clean the pee from your carpet, you should know why your pet is peeing on the carpet. This will help you avoid a repeat of the incident in the future.
If your puppy or kitten is still in the process of potty training, inappropriate urination should be a call for concern. Housetraining takes time and requires you to be patient with your pup or cat.
However, you should seek medical attention if your pet has already passed the potty training process, but urination is becoming an intractable problem. A vet behaviorist or a certified trainer may help diagnose a medical condition and offer the best advice.
Check with the vet to rule out any underlying health problems if your potty-trained pet keeps urinating on your carpet. Urinary tract issues, diabetes, Cushing’s syndrome, and kidney disease may cause bladder inconsistency in your young pup.
Pets suffer from bladder inconsistency and other attributing illnesses as they age. For instance, your dog may have dementia, making it forget its house training, hence urinating on your carpet.
Luckily, if you need to clean cat or dog pee stains from your carpet, it’s not a difficult task if you do it correctly.
How do I clean pee out of a carpet?
Before scrubbing the pee from your carpet, ensure you have all the necessary cleaning supplies, including:
- Paper towel
- Rubber gloves
- Baking soda
- A spray bottle
- Distilled white vinegar
- Dish sponge
- Trans can
Then, you can proceed to clean the pee from your carpet as follows:
Before cleaning:
If you notice that your pet has stained your carpet, don’t panic. Like most other stains, it’s vital to absorb the urine as soon as you see the stain to make it easier to remove.
Here is a step-by-step guide to help you dry the stained area:
- Place paper towels around the fresh stain to blot the stain and remove as much moisture as possible
- If the urine stain is already dry, pour cold water to help rinse it out. Leave the water to sit for about a minute to absorb the urine.
- Absorb as much urine as possible using a clean towel, rag, or paper towel. Don’t rub the stain aggressively; instead, use small strokes and slight pressure.
- Use a shop vac to vacuum up the urine for the best results. Its powerful suction capabilities mean it can dry even the stubborn stains more effectively.
Once the urine is soaked, you can use homemade solutions or store-bought cleaners to clean the pee out of your carpet. Here is how each of these methods works:
The homemade solution to clean pet stains and odor from a carpet
Before considering harsh chemicals to clean pee from your carpet, you should consider homemade solutions. These DIY solutions will save you costs while guaranteeing you safety since they have no chemical compounds.
However, you should test each method before using them to ensure it doesn’t discolor or damage the carpet fibers. You may also use rubber gloves if you’re allergic to any homemade solution.
Here are the homemade solutions to clean pee out of a carpet:
Method #1: White vinegar
White vinegar solution effectively cleans urine and foul smell from a carpet. So, how do you go about it?
- Pour about one tablespoon of white vinegar on the stained area
- Cover it using a damp towel and leave it for sometime
- Remove the already dried white vinegar and rinse the area with cool water
- Dry the stain using a clean towel
Method #2: Baking soda
This method is used to remove the stinky smell from your carpet. Below are step-by-step instructions to use this product:
- Spread about ¼ cup or less of baking soda on the affected area
- Leave it to sit overnight to soak up the urine odors
- Then, vacuum your carpet thoroughly
- Repeat the process until the area feels clean to the touch
Method #3: Liquid dishwashing detergent
Dishwashing detergent is ideal for cleaning the stain and removing the foul dog or cat urine smell. Here is how you use this product to clean the mess left by your furry friend:
- Combine about ¼ teaspoon of a liquid dishwashing detergent (not dish soap) with 1-2 cups of warm water (not hot water).
- Spray the stained area and repeat the application if needed
- Area dry the spot
Method #4: Ammonia
Rinse the affected area using about two tablespoons of ammonia and 1 cup water. Repeat the process as needed and towel dry when finished.
Method #5: Hydrogen peroxide
Combine about four tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide, two tablespoons of warm water, and a few drops of dish soap in a spray bottle. Then, spray the stained area and leave it to sit for about 10 minutes.
Repeat the process as needed, rinse it, and towel dry it.
Method #6: Vacuum the area with a cleaner
Dish detergent, hydrogen peroxide, or soda ash methods are a surefire to eliminate dog urine stains and smells. After practicing the best-fit method for you, vacuum or clean out the area with your cleaner.
Tip
If your pet keeps peeing on the same spot on the carpet, the chances are that you haven’t entirely removed the smell from the previous incidents. Your dog or cat will urinate in an area where they can smell their urine.
Use store-bought cleaners to clean pet urine stains and odor
If you want quicker results, you may use store-bought cleaners to clean the pee and its smell. Ensure you pick a safe brand for you, your children, and your pets.
You can buy enzymatic cleaners and pet odor neutralizers from pet stores to clean your carpet. Specifically, the enzyme cleaners break down urine molecules more effectively while eliminating strong odors and stains.
Here are some of the best urine carpet stain removers on the market:
Rocco and Roxie Supply Stain and Odor Remover
This is one of the best cleaning products for eliminating pet urine stains from carpets. This cleaner has natural bacteria that feed on the ammonia crystals found in pee, breaking down the stain and odors.
It’s relatively expensive than most pee stain removers, but it’s worth it. You can buy it online or from a local store.
Resolve Urine Destroyer Spray Stain and Odor Remover
This is for pet owners who are on a budget. It neutralizes the disgusting urine smell on contact. It breaks down odor molecules, preventing your pet from remarking the area.
It’s best for cat or dog owners dealing with stubborn odors. You can buy this stain and odor remover here or from your local store.
TriNova Natural Pet Stain and Odor remover
This is made solely of organic and natural ingredients, ideal for pet parents who want all-natural stain and odor remover products. It contains a blend of natural enzymes that break down and disintegrate urine molecules in your carpet.
Nature’s Miracle Urine Destroyer with Accushot Sprayer
Nature’s Miracle Urine Destroyer should be your go-to product if the standard spray bottles aren’t working. It has an extendable wand known as an Accushot Sprayer that enables you to aim and spray the urine stains accurately.
This product covers the stained area tremendously and doesn’t damage the area rugs you use it on. It’s highly recommended for pet owners who live in houses with unpleasant smells due to pet pee.
Bonus information: Dealing with old urine stains.
It may be challenging to fight old urine stains – and sometimes even hard to locate them. You may use a UV urine finder like the Black Light UV Flashlight 100 LED or UV Flashlight Pet Urine Detector.
After finding the stains, you may remove them using oxygen-activated enzyme cleaner to remove the stains and destroy the smell.
The bottom line
Pet urine stains are common problems associated with having a pet – especially when your pet is potty training. The good news is that you can easily clean the pee and its foul smell with the right products.
This article provides the best methods and products to clean pee from your carpet. If everything fails, contact a professional carpet cleaner from your local area.
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