• 06
  • Dec
urine removal

Urine Removal: How to Care for a Home with Pets

We’re all fans of our furry friends and animal companions, but sometimes what they leave for us can be much less lovable.

Urine removal is an unattractive process, but it can be made simple.

Evaluate your situation and follow the correct series of steps below to successfully remove that smelly stain.

Carpet Stain Urine Removal—New Stains

Step 1: Absorb the urine

Start the urine removal process by trying to absorb the mess first. Use wet towels or paper towels for the absorption.

Layer and top the towels with weight. This will quickly absorb fresh messes.

Next, dampen the towels with cold water. Make sure the towel is wet enough but not dripping.

Place the towels over the stain to cover it completely. Top the towels with some kind of weight again (such as a book or cans of food).

The moisture in the towels will help soak up the urine, so leave the weight-topped towel in place for at least 10 minutes.

Step 2: Re-wet the spot

Next, lift the towel and re-wet the mess with water. Use a small amount of cold water, and pour it over the spot.

To keep the water from spreading the urine, even further, begin by pouring the cold water outside the perimeter of the spot.

Then slowly move, pouring toward the center.

Leave the water for about a minute, to allow it to work through the stain.

Step 3: Spray enzyme cleaner on the area

To break down the stain to its basic elements and eliminate the compounds that create smells and stains, spray an enzyme cleaner over the area.

Use a non-toxic enzymatic cleaner for such stains, such as Pet Stain & Odor Miracle or Nature’s Miracle Urine Destroyer Stain and Residue Eliminator.

In addition to removing the smell and breaking down the proteins left over from the urine, the enzymatic cleaner will also help to keep your pet from urinating in the same spot again.

Step 4: Use an additional towel to absorb the cleaner

Once you’ve soaked the spot with the cleaner, apply a fresh towel to absorb what remains.

Follow the same procedure as with the first step by fully covering the stain and topping the towel with weight.

This will absorb and cleanse the area.

Allow the towel to sit overnight.

When you lift it in the morning, the stain and smell should both be gone!

Step 5: Consider steam-cleaning the stained carpet

If the enzymatic cleaner didn’t work to your desired results, try steam-cleaning the carpet.

For this, you can either rent a steam cleaner or hire a professional to take care of the job for you.

If you decide to have a professional take over, make sure to ask if they have something to add to their solution specific for urine removal.

Since stains are much easier to remove when they’re recent, make a decision on which to choose quickly.

Carpet Stain Urine Removal—Old Stains

Step 1: Locate old stains

The first step for old removing old urine stains is to find the stains.

Although you might have a general idea of where old stains are from the odor, you can explore areas with various methods to make sure you are attacking the stain spot on.

Begin using a sweeping motion over the carpet, gradually moving farther away from the smelly spot.

The urine stain you’re looking for should become visible by its color. Usually, the stains are yellow or greenish in color.

To be more thorough, consider using ultraviolet light to find stains.

Purchase a portable UV or fluorescent black light.

Work your way around a room, shining the light on the carpet to search.

Another method to find old urine stains is to search at night or in complete darkness.

Step 2: Mark every stain spot

Once you’ve located a stain, mark the spot. This will help you prevent forgetting where each stain is.

Use a roll of blue painter tape and slap a strip down when you find what you’re looking for.

Then, once you’ve found all the spots to clean, go back with your cleaning materials and work your way through the marked spots.

Step 3: Try an enzymatic cleaner

To begin to remove the stain, wet the area with cool distilled water.

Pour a small amount around the perimeter of the stain and then move your way in towards the center.

Once the area is wet, spray an enzymatic cleaner on the spot. Allow this to sit overnight.

Step 4: Lay wet paper or cloth towels over the spot

After leaving the spot covered with the cleaner overnight, lay wet paper or cloth towels over the spot.

Make sure to wet the towels with cool water.

Then, place a heavy object on top of the towels and leave this overnight.

In the morning, remove the weights and towels and assess whether or not the stain removal is satisfactory or if you need to take more extreme measures.

Step 5: Consider steam-cleaning

If you’re not satisfied with the results from the previous steps, rent a steam cleaner, or have it professionally steamed.

A steamer can produce heat that’s hot enough to sanitize the carpet.

Step 6: As a last resort, try detergent or oxidation

If the urine removal still isn’t working for you, ask the representatives at the steamer rental center what they recommend.

Try to use as little detergent or oxidation as necessary.

Paint and Wood Urine Damage

If the varnish or paint on your furniture, walls, baseboard or floor has reacted to the acid in the urine, they will become discolored.

To fix this, you may need to remove and replace the layer of varnish or paint on the damaged surface.

If you decide to replace the varnish or paint, make sure you use a product that is safe for pets.

Prevent Future Incidents

To prevent future accidents after you have cleaned the area, make it unattractive and/or unavailable to your pet.

Additionally, make the bathroom area more attractive.

Keep in mind that as long as your pet can smell their own scent, they’ll continue to return to that area.

If your pet continues to have accidents, have them checked out by a vet just to rule out medical causes for the incidents.

What are your experiences with your pets having accidents and your own urine removal process? Tell us what your personal tips are in the comments!

Joey Johnston administrator