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 possible.
- Keep heat away from the stain until both the stain and the odor are gone.
Urine-soaked clothes keep smelling because the urea in the fabric keeps breaking down while it stays damp, so the odor can return if the item sits wet. Fresh stains are simpler to lift, while a dried-on mark usually needs a soak before the wash. Dry-clean-only pieces should go to a professional promptly, and suede or leather trim needs a specialist.
Pretreat pee stains on pants with an enzyme laundry pretreater before the wash. Deer urine smell in clothes can hang on through a regular cycle, so check for any odor before drying. If it still lingers, an oxygen bleach powder added to the wash is worth a try.
Before you start
What clothes 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
5 items
What you'll need
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- Clean paper towels or a clean clothTo blot up the urine without spreading it. (opens Amazon)
- Color-safe laundry stain removerTo pretreat the stain before washing, and to add to the wash on colors. (opens Amazon)
- Laundry detergentFor the main wash and for any soak. (opens Amazon)
- Laundry odor removerTo clear the smell that lingers after the stain is gone. (opens Amazon)
- Chlorine bleachOnly for white, bleach-safe items, as the final wash. (opens Amazon)
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6 steps
Step by step
Step 1 of 6
Rinse the area with cool water
Hold the fabric under cool running water from the back of the stain, so the water pushes the urine out the way it came in. Keep rinsing until the water runs clear of any yellow tint.
Careful. Hot water can set the stain, so keep the water cool until the urine is gone.
Step 2 of 6
Pretreat with a color-safe remover
Pour the color-safe stain remover straight onto the stain from its cap, or dab it on with a clean towel until the whole spot is covered. Cover the full stain, not just the darkest part, so the remover reaches the fibers underneath.
Careful. Test an inconspicuous area first, and don't leave a liquid pretreatment on longer than the label says, since unstable dyes can change color or fade.
Step 3 of 65 to 10 minutes
Let it sit, then blot
Leave the remover on the stain for 5 to 10 minutes so it can loosen the urine. Then blot the area with a clean, damp towel to lift off the product and any residue.
Step 4 of 6
Wash with your usual detergent
Wash the item with your regular laundry detergent in the cycle the care label allows. If it's a colored item, add the color-safe stain remover along with the detergent.
Careful. Don't mix chlorine bleach with ammonia or any other stain remover; rinse thoroughly between products.
Step 5 of 6
Add an odor remover and check
Pour the laundry odor remover into the fabric softener dispenser or the rinse cycle, using the amount the label gives. Before the item goes anywhere near heat, smell it; if it still smells like urine, repeat the wash cycle and check again.
Careful. Don't put the item in the dryer while any odor remains.
Step 6 of 6
Finish whites with chlorine bleach
If the item is white and bleach-safe, wash it last with detergent and 1/3 cup of chlorine bleach, once everything else has been rinsed out. Colored items skip this step and stay with the color-safe remover.
Careful. Never use chlorine bleach on wool, silk, mohair, leather or spandex, or on non-colorfast items, and never use it at full strength.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for urine on clothes
Look for a color-safe laundry stain remover for pretreating, and a laundry odor remover that goes in the fabric softener dispenser or rinse cycle. Save chlorine bleach for white, bleach-safe items only.
Puracy Laundry Stain Remover
ECOS OXO Brite Stain & Odor Remover Pre-Wash Spray
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 clothes, 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
After blotting, the stain should look lighter and the fabric shouldn't feel sticky or stiff. The real test is smell: once the item smells clean up close, it's ready to be inspected for any faint mark before drying.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your clothes
Rat, mouse, deer, and other animal urine
Animal urine follows the same method as human urine: rinse with cool water, pretreat, let it sit, and wash. A faded stain doesn't mean the odor is gone, because the smell comes from urea breaking down in any moisture. Keep the item out of the dryer until you've smelled it and it's clean.
If the urine soaked into carpet or a mattress rather than clothing, it needs a different approach, so see our Carpet & Rugs guide or our Mattress guide.
Fabric, fleece, and dried fabric
Dried urine on fabric needs a soak before anything else. Brush off any crusted residue, then soak the item in cool water with laundry detergent or an enzyme presoak. Work through the steps again once it's soaked, and don't use the dryer until both the stain and the smell are gone.
Fleece holds odor in its soft loft, so give it a longer rinse before the wash.
Pants, jeans, underwear, and polyester
Jeans and pants hold urine in the thick seat and crotch, so pretreat the spot on both sides and let the remover reach through the layers. Underwear is small and sits close to the skin, so wash it on its own or with light items so the odor remover can rinse out fully.
Polyester holds odor longer than cotton, so give it the full wash cycle and check the smell before anything goes in the dryer.
Kids' clothes and cloth diapers
Treat kids' clothes and cloth diapers the same day, because the smell sets in faster once they've dried. Rinse them with cool water, pretreat, and wash them separately from other clothes so the odor doesn't transfer.
Cloth diapers follow the same rule as any washable item, with no dryer while any odor remains. If they are white and bleach-safe, the final bleach wash applies; colored diapers stay with the color-safe remover.
Old, dried or set-in stains
Old urine has had more time to soak into the fibers, so one normal wash often won't clear it. Start with a cold-water soak in laundry detergent, or leave an enzyme presoak on overnight, then rinse and wash again.
If the urine has dried, brush off any crusted residue before you soak it again. Dried stains can take several rounds, so repeat the pretreat and wash until the smell is gone, and keep the item out of the dryer each time.
If the odor comes back after the dryer, the heat has set it, so soak and wash again before trying anything else. On colors, an all-fabric oxygen bleach is the gentler option than chlorine, but test a hidden area first. Some old odors won't fully leave, so a professional dry cleaner is the next step.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on urine on clothes?
Many home fixes are suggested for urine, but most don't reach the odor or aren't safe on clothing. Most fixes miss the odor or can harm clothing, so stick with a color-safe laundry stain remover and an odor remover.
Helps1Skip5
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.
Chlorine bleach + Fabric softener
Clorox says not to mix bleach with other household chemicals, and no maker says the two can be combined.
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 rub the stain
Rubbing pushes the urine deeper into the fibers and spreads it across a wider area. Blot and pretreat instead, and let the remover do the work.
Don't use bleach on fresh urine
Urine contains ammonia compounds, and mixing them with chlorine bleach can give off hazardous gases. Bleach also doesn't remove urine odor, so it only comes in at the end, after the urine is completely gone.
Don't let the stain sit
Urine keeps soaking into the fibers and drying into the odor the longer it waits. Treat it as soon as you can, even if you're not ready to wash the whole load.
Don't iron a stained garment
Ironing gives the stain the same heat that the dryer does, which can lock it in. Keep the iron off until the stain and smell are gone.
When to call a professional
Take dry-clean-only items to a professional dry cleaner as soon as you can, and tell them the fiber content and the stain. Washable items with a large stain, a bulky shape or fragile fabric are also worth a dry cleaner's time. Suede, leather and fur trim need a cleaner who specializes in them.
Questions
Does urine stain clothes or underwear?
Yes. Urine soaks into the fibers and dries into a visible stain and a smell that gets stronger over time. The quicker you rinse and pretreat it, the less chance it leaves a mark.
How do I prevent urine stains on pants and underwear?
You can't stop every accident, but you can stop the stain from setting. Rinse the item as soon as you can, and wash it that day rather than letting it sit. Never put urine-soaked pants or underwear in the dryer.
Can I get urine smell out of clothes without washing?
Not fully. Without a wash, the urine stays in the fibers, and the smell comes back as the fabric dries and gets damp. Rinse it under cool water, let it air dry away from heat, and wash it as soon as you can.
What product removes urine smell from laundry?
A laundry odor remover added to the fabric softener dispenser or rinse cycle handles the smell that lingers after washing. Use a color-safe laundry stain remover to pretreat the stain itself, and save chlorine bleach for white, bleach-safe items at the end.
Does vinegar get pee smell out of clothes?
Not really. Vinegar doesn't work on protein stains like urine, and it can weaken cotton and rayon. A detergent wash and an odor remover do this job, and baking soda and borax aren't needed either.
Why does the smell come back after washing?
The smell comes from bacteria breaking down urea, which keeps going while the fabric is damp. If it returns after washing, the item probably wasn't fully clean or was dried before the smell was gone. Wash it again and check by smell before drying.
Urine on other materials
Other stains on clothes
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.