First few minutes
Just happened? Do this first
- Blot up as much as possible with clean paper towels or a cloth.
- Rinse washable fabric under cool water to flush out as much urine as you can.
- Act now, because the longer urine sits, the deeper it sets into the fibers.
The smell of old urine comes from bacteria breaking down urea, and that keeps going as long as there's moisture, so odor can come back on humid days or just after you clean. Left untreated, urine salts turn highly alkaline and can bleach carpet dyes, so the sooner you deal with it, the better your odds. Fresh urine is far easier to lift than dried urine, which leaves a stain and a smell that won't clear quickly.
Reach for an enzymatic cleaner for urine first, since it goes after the urea that keeps the smell alive. Home fixes like vinegar or baking soda can help with the odor, but they don't replace that step. If it's mouse pee smell in the bathroom, the same approach applies, and a dried spot may need a second round.
5 items
What you'll need
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- Clean paper towels or a clean clothBlot up urine without spreading it. (opens Amazon)
- Heavy-duty liquid laundry detergentUsed in the cool soak and the warm wash. (opens Amazon)
- Enzyme presoak productFor dried or old stains, which need time to work.
- Household ammoniaOnly for fabric whose color has changed, rinsed out afterward. (opens Amazon)
- Non-chlorine bleachReserved for stubborn stains, and only after a test on a hidden spot. (opens Amazon)
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5 steps
Step by step
Step 1 of 55 minutes
Flush the spot with cool water
Hold the fabric under cool running water, working from the back of the stain so the urine pushes out instead of deeper in. Keep rinsing until the water runs clear.
Tip. Lay a towel under the spot so the rinse water doesn't carry the stain outward.
Careful. Hot water first cooks the protein in urine and can set the stain.
Step 2 of 530 minutes
Soak in cool detergent water
Soak the item in cool water mixed with heavy-duty liquid detergent, enough to cover the stained area. Give it a gentle squeeze now and then so the solution reaches the fibers.
Tip. Work the detergent in with your fingers from both sides of the fabric.
Step 3 of 5
Launder in warm water
Wash the item in warm water, not hot, with heavy-duty liquid detergent, then rinse it fully. Check the stain and the smell before anything else.
Step 4 of 530 minutes
Repeat the soak if anything remains
If the stain or smell is still there, soak the item another half hour in the same cool detergent water, then rewash it. Check again while it is still damp.
Careful. Heat from a dryer makes the stain more permanent, so keep it out of the dryer until it is gone.
Step 5 of 5
Air dry and check in good light
Hang the item to air dry, then check it again in good light before it goes back into use.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for urine
Look for an enzyme cleaner or enzyme presoak, since enzymes are the product type made for protein stains like urine. Use it on the spot itself and follow the label.
OdoBan Odor Eliminator & Disinfectant Concentrate
How we picked these: each product is made for this type of stain, its maker doesn't warn against using it on these surfaces, 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. 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 →Pick what it is on
Urine on every material
Bedding & linens2
Carpet & rugs2
Clothes & laundry1
Floors5
Kitchen & bath5
Furniture & upholstery2
Leather & suede1
Walls1
Skin & hair1
No match. Try the main search for anything else.
How to tell it's working
The item is clean when the spot looks like the rest of the fabric and the smell is gone while it is still damp. If you can still smell urine, don't dry it; repeat the soak and rewash.
What changes for yours
Adjust for where the stain is
Pet and rodent urine
Mouse, rat, bat and pet urine follows the same steps as any urine on washable fabric. Give the cool soak the full 30 minutes, and rewash if a faint smell remains.
For a dried or old spot, use the enzyme presoak and let it work for several hours before rewashing. Expect more than one round, since old stains often need several.
Bathroom floors and fixtures
Bath mats, towels and shower curtains are washable fabric, so they follow the steps above. Hard surfaces like tile and tubs don't go through the washer, so rinse them with cool water and use an enzyme cleaner made for urine.
Keep vinegar off marble, limestone, travertine, granite and cement grout, since those surfaces can't take it. Dry bath mats and towels completely, because damp fabric lets the odor come back.
Room and air odor
If a room smells but you can't see a stain, the urine is most likely in carpet, a rug or upholstery nearby. Check these by smell and touch, starting with the spots closest to where the smell is strongest.
Blot any spot you find, then treat carpet with an enzyme product as its label directs. Let the area dry fully before you walk on it.
Grass and yards
Grass and turf can't go through the washer, so flush the spot with plenty of cool water as soon as you can, before the urine dries. Water is the first step outdoors just as it is indoors.
For a smell that lingers, use an enzyme cleaner made for urine and follow its label. Keep strong household cleaners out of the area.
Car interior
Fabric seats, floor mats and carpeted mats follow the washing steps above, or the carpet approach for mats that can't be washed. Leather seats need care, so never use rubbing alcohol on leather and test any product on a hidden spot first.
Let the interior dry fully before you close the car, since trapped moisture keeps the odor going. If the smell persists, check under the seats and in the carpet, where the urine has most likely gone.
Old, dried or set-in stains
An old urine stain is harder because the urine has had time to soak deep into fibers and dry. Start with the cool soak, then add an enzyme presoak: mix 1/2 teaspoon enzyme product in 1/2 cup warm water for a small spot, and let it sit at least 30 minutes, or several hours if the stain is aged.
If the item went through the dryer with the stain still there, the heat has likely set it, so expect more work. Scrape off any crusted matter first, then soak again before rewashing.
For a stubborn stain, work liquid detergent in, then wash with 1 cup detergent plus 1 cup non-chlorine bleach with the enzyme presoak. Test the bleach on a hidden spot first, since it's unsafe on wool, silk, leather, and colors that aren't colorfast. If the stain is still there, soak the item for one or two days, stirring now and then, then wash again and air dry, because dried and old stains may need several rounds before they are fully gone.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on urine?
A lot of home remedies get suggested for urine, but many don't belong on fabric or carpet. Below is where each one fits: the ones used in the steps, the one reserved for stubborn stains, and the ones to leave out.
Helps1Skip5
What makes it worse
Mistakes to avoid
Don't mix ammonia with alcohol or bleach
Mixed products can give off hazardous fumes, so never combine ammonia with alcohol or chlorine bleach. If you use ammonia and then another product on the same spot, rinse thoroughly between them.
Don't soak carpet or wash it with laundry detergent
Water soaking through carpet can reach the subfloor, and laundry detergent's brighteners can dye carpet fibers. Blot the spot and treat it with an enzyme product, following its label, instead.
Don't steam-clean urine out of carpet or upholstery
Heat can permanently set both the stain and the odor in man-made fibers. Stick with cool water for every rinse.
Don't use vinegar on stone or cement grout
Vinegar is unsafe on marble, limestone, travertine, granite and cement grout, so keep it off those surfaces. Use an enzyme cleaner made for urine there instead.
When to call a professional
If the smell comes back after the steps and the set-in options, the urine may have reached deeper than the surface, into padding or the subfloor. A professional cleaner is the safe next call at that point.
Questions
What neutralizes or kills urine odor?
The smell goes when the urine is gone from the fabric, so the cool rinse, detergent soak and warm wash come first. If a smell is left after that, add an enzyme presoak, since enzymes are made for protein stains like urine.
Can bleach clean urine, and is it safe?
No, not on fresh urine. Chlorine bleach doesn't remove urine odor, and urine's ammonia compounds can react with it to produce hazardous gases. Non-chlorine bleach is a different product, used only for stubborn stains as described above.
How do I find urine stains with a blacklight or UV light?
Skip the light: check by smell and touch in carpet, rugs and upholstery near the odor. Once you find a spot, treat it with the steps that fit that surface.
Which cleaning products work on urine?
Enzyme products made for protein stains are the type to choose, used as a presoak or as the label directs. Skip strong household cleaners on carpet, and check that any product is safe for the fabric before you use it.
Will an old urine stain come out?
It can, but it takes more work than a fresh spill. Scrape off crusted matter, soak in an enzyme presoak for several hours, and expect several rounds before the stain is fully gone.
Can I put a urine-soaked item in the washer right away?
Not right away: rinse it with cool water and soak it in cool detergent water first, then wash in warm water. For shoes, read the care label before anything else, since the steps only suit items that can take a washer.
Odor guides
Still smells?
Related
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.