First few minutes
Just happened? Do this first
- Blot the spot with white paper towels or a clean cloth.
- Scrape up any solids with a rounded spoon, without pushing them in.
- Strip the bed so moisture does not reach the mattress.
- Rinse the spot in cold water, then start the enzyme presoak.
Pet stains from dog saliva and the oily film a Sphynx cat leaves behind can look like a small mark on a sheet, but the odor is what keeps a pet coming back to that patch of fabric. The real trouble starts when heat gets involved, because heat from a dryer or an iron can bond the mark into cotton or blended fibers and make it harder to lift. Fresh marks usually lift after a cold soak and a normal wash, whereas a mark left to dry on may take several rounds to fade.
Rinse dog saliva stains on sheets with cold water first to move the wet spot out. For sphynx cat oil stains on sheets, work an enzyme laundry pretreater in before the wash. Check the sheet in daylight after washing, since faint marks hide in dim light.
Before you start
What sheets, towels & table linens can take
Safe to use3
- Water
- Soaking
- Enzyme cleaners
Use with care6
- Hot water
- Chlorine bleach
- Oxygen bleach
- Solvents (alcohol, spot removers)
- Acids (vinegar, lemon)
- Scrubbing and abrasives
Avoid1
- Heat, once the stain is out
11 items
What you'll need
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- White paper towelsBlot the stain without spreading it. (opens Amazon)
- Rounded spoonLifts any solid matter without pushing it into the fabric.
- Disposable glovesKeep waste and products off your hands. (opens Amazon)
- Basin or sinkHolds the cold-water rinse and soak. (opens Amazon)
- Enzymatic pet stain-and-odor cleanerBreaks down the saliva and odor during the overnight presoak. (opens Amazon)
- Mild liquid hand dishwashing detergentMakes the spotting mix for oily spots.
- Regular laundry detergentUsed in the final wash. (opens Amazon)
- All-fabric oxygen bleachFor colored sheets only, after a hidden-area test. (opens Amazon)
- Chlorine bleachOptional last step for white, colorfast cotton or linen. (opens Amazon)
- Waterproof mattress protector (opens Amazon)
- Enzyme presoaks (opens Amazon)
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7 steps
Step by step
Step 1 of 7
Lift solids and blot the spot
Put on gloves and, if there is any solid matter, lift it away with a rounded spoon. Press white paper towels into the spot to soak up as much saliva or oil as you can. Work from the edges toward the center so the spot does not spread.
Careful. Rubbing pushes saliva or oil deeper into the weave, so blot only.
Step 2 of 7
Strip the bed and read the label
Take the sheets, pillowcases, blankets and mattress protector off the bed right away, because the spot may have reached all of them. Find the care label and note the fiber content and the hottest wash temperature it allows.
Tip. If the label is missing, treat the sheet as delicate and use cold water only.
Step 3 of 7
Rinse the spot in cold water
Hold the back of the stained area under cold running water, or soak the sheet in a basin of cold water, so the stain pushes out through the front. A cold-water soak is the right first step for unknown or protein-based stains like saliva.
Step 4 of 7
Presoak overnight with enzyme cleaner
Work an enzymatic pet stain-and-odor cleaner into the spot until it soaks through to the back, and follow the product label for amounts. Leave it to work overnight, since enzyme presoaks break down the protein and the odor, then rinse with cold water.
Step 5 of 7
Wash in the hottest label-safe water
Wash the sheets with regular laundry detergent at the hottest temperature the care label allows. For colored sheets, add an all-fabric oxygen bleach along with the detergent, and wash a large stain on its own so it does not spread to other items.
Careful. Oxygen bleach can fade colors that are not colorfast, so test it on a hidden corner first.
Step 6 of 7
Check the stain and smell
Sniff the damp sheet and look at the spot, since both are easiest to judge while the fabric is wet. If either the stain or the smell remains, repeat the enzyme presoak and wash, and only then let the sheet air-dry.
Step 7 of 7
Finish with chlorine bleach if white
Only white, colorfast cotton or linen whose care label allows it should get chlorine bleach, and only in its own wash after everything else is rinsed out. Use it at the strength the label gives, and rinse the sheet well afterward.
Careful. Skip wool, silk, mohair, leather and spandex, because chlorine damages them.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for pet stains on sheets, towels & table linens
Look for an enzymatic pet stain-and-odor cleaner for the presoak, and a fabric-safe laundry odor remover if the smell lingers after washing.
Nature’s Miracle Dog Stain & Odor Remover, Enzymatic Cleaner, 32 oz
Nature’s Miracle Advanced Dog Stain & Odor Eliminator, Severe Mess
OdoBan Odor Eliminator & Disinfectant Concentrate
Shout Triple-Acting Laundry Stain Remover
How we picked these: each product is made for this type of stain, its maker doesn't warn against using it on sheets, towels & table linens, and its directions fit the steps above.
Finished the steps? How does it look?
Nice work. Let it dry completely and check it again in good light before using any heat. Here is what done looks like:
How to tell it's really gone →A faint mark usually needs one more round, not a stronger product.
If the stain was already dried or set, the method changes.
Old, dried or set-in stains →When to call a professional →How to tell it's working
Good progress shows as less color bleeding into the rinse water and a sheet that smells clean once it's wet. If the mark stays the same shade through two full washes, or the sheet still smells of urine after washing, the stain has set into the fibers and needs a longer presoak rather than more heat.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your sheets, towels & table linens
Sphynx cat oil
Sphynx skin oil leaves a greasy mark that water alone will not lift, so it needs a detergent first. Before the cold rinse, mix 1 teaspoon of mild liquid hand dishwashing detergent into 1 cup of warm water and work it into the oily spot, then rinse.
If the sheet is silk or another delicate fiber, skip the spotting mix and go straight to the cold rinse, because dish soap can damage those fibers. Carry on with the enzyme presoak and wash, and if the oily look remains after washing, repeat the spotting mix before drying.
Colored sheets
Colored sheets need the same cold rinse and enzyme presoak, but the wash step changes. Test the all-fabric oxygen bleach on a hidden corner, and add it only if the color holds.
If the dye bleeds during the test, skip the bleach and use the detergent wash alone, then check the spot as usual. Keep chlorine off colored sheets entirely, even if a shadow of the stain remains.
Pillowcases
Pillowcases get the same treatment as the sheets, but they are easy to forget. Start with the cold rinse and presoak before anything goes in the wash.
Wash a stained pillowcase on its own so the stain does not spread to clean laundry, and check the spot before it joins the rest of the load.
Mattress protector
A mattress protector sits between the sheet and the mattress, so check it for the spot as well as the sheet. Strip it with the sheets and give it the same cold rinse and presoak.
If the protector is thick or has a waterproof layer, check the care label first and use cold water only until you know it can take warmer water.
Old, dried or set-in stains
Old pet stains that have dried are harder to shift, and the first job is finding every spot, since old ones may not be visible. Find them by smell or with a black light in a dark room, then lightly outline them with chalk. Saturate each spot with the enzyme cleaner and cover it with a damp towel to keep it moist for 24 to 48 hours, then wash as usual.
If the stain has been through the dryer, the heat has likely set it more firmly, so expect to repeat the soak more than once. Scrape off any crusted matter first, then go back through the enzyme soak and the wash.
Some marks will lighten without disappearing completely, especially dried oil, and that is a realistic result. If the smell is still there after several rounds, keep the sheet off the bed and consider replacing it rather than piling on stronger products.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on pet stains on sheets, towels & table linens?
Plenty of home remedies circulate for pet stains, but most either cannot go on sheets or only suit other stains. Most of the remedies people try can't go on sheets, so an enzyme cleaner overnight is the surer route.
Works1Skip4Avoid1
Chemical safety
Never mix these
Some products in this guide react dangerously with each other. Use them one at a time and rinse with water in between.
Chlorine bleach + Oxygen bleach (OxiClean)
Both makers advise against combining them: OxiClean says not to mix it with chlorine bleach, and Clorox says the two bleaches cancel each other out.
If they mix by accident: Don't use the mixture; ventilate the room and avoid breathing fumes or touching it; call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 for disposal advice or if anyone feels unwell.
What makes it worse
Mistakes to avoid
Don't iron the spot to dry it.
Heat sets saliva and oil into the fibers, and an iron can make the mark permanent. If the sheet is still damp, let it air-dry and check it again.
Don't cover the smell with ammonia.
Ammonia smells like urine, so it can draw a pet back to the same spot. Stick with the enzyme cleaner for odor instead.
Don't wait to start treating it.
Saliva and oil soak deeper the longer they sit, and a damp heap of linen can spread the smell to other items. Blot and start the cold rinse as soon as you can.
Don't rub bar soap into a fresh spot
Soap sets many stains, so a bar rubbed into the fabric can make the mark harder to lift. Use cold water and blot gently, then apply the enzyme presoak as the label directs.
Don't use chlorine bleach on colored sheets
Chlorine bleach can strip dye from colored fabric, and it does nothing for urine odor anyway. Use an oxygen bleach made for colors, and test it on a hidden seam first.
Don't leave a damp sheet balled up
A damp sheet stuffed in a hamper keeps the smell building and can spread the mark onto other laundry. Get it into cold water or the presoak as soon as you can.
When to call a professional
Take a dry-clean-only sheet or a bulky comforter to a dry cleaner promptly rather than waiting, and mention the fiber content. Tell them whether heat has touched the stain, since a dryer or iron can change how it responds.
Questions
Will the smell come back after I wash the sheets?
It can, if the odor is still in the fibers. A pet that can smell its own scent may return to the spot, so keep presoaking and washing until the sheet smells clean. A clean-looking spot does not always mean the odor is gone.
Do I need to wash the mattress protector too?
Yes. Saliva and oil can soak through to a mattress protector, so treat it the same way as the sheets. Strip it with the bedding right away so the moisture does not reach the mattress below.
What if I don't know what my sheets are made of?
Don't guess. Stick to the cold rinse and the enzyme cleaner, and skip any bleach until you know the fiber from the care label.
What if the stain soaked through to the mattress?
Once a stain reaches the mattress, it needs a different approach, because the padding holds moisture for longer. The Mattress guide walks through that job step by step.
How long should the enzyme cleaner sit?
An overnight presoak is allowed for enzyme cleaners, so leaving it on overnight is the usual approach for sheets. For older spots, the set-in section uses a longer soak with a damp towel.
Should I wash white sheets in hot water after a pet accident?
Yes, for white cotton or linen, but only after the cold soak and presoak have lifted the mark. Hot water can set any leftover protein, so the hottest label-safe setting belongs on the final wash rather than the first. Bleach-safe whites can take detergent with chlorine bleach at that temperature.
Can I bleach colored sheets that have pet urine on them?
Not with chlorine bleach unless the care label allows it and the fabric passes a test on a hidden seam, and never on fresh urine. Chlorine can strip dye and does nothing for the smell, so an oxygen-based product made for colors is the safer choice. If the color shifts at all during the test, skip it.
Should I start a pet-stained sheet in cold water before anything else?
Yes, a cold-water soak is the right first step for an unknown or protein-based mark. Keep the water cold rather than warm, because heat can set protein, and wash once the water runs clear. Test colored fabric in a hidden spot before you commit to a longer soak.
Pet Stains on other materials
Other stains on sheets, towels & table linens
Start from the bigger picture
How we know this
Every method, amount and warning here comes from university extension services, industry bodies and product makers. We read them, check every step for unsafe combinations and changed amounts, and write it up so you can follow it.