First few minutes
Just happened? Do this first
- Blot up as much as you can with clean paper towels or a cloth.
- Keep the urine from drying while you gather your supplies.
- Ventilate the room while you clean, and keep kids and pets off the area until it's dry.
Urine in grout is hard to shift because the porous lines soak it up, and the smell keeps coming back as bacteria break down what's left, especially in humid bathrooms. Fresh urine often responds to a warm-water scrub, but a dried stain in cement-based grout holds on far more tightly. Epoxy grout responds better, so check which type you have before reaching for a stronger cleaner.
Work out whether your grout is cement or epoxy before you pick a product, because that decides how hard you can push. For urine smell in grout around the toilet, start with the warm-water scrub, then move to a mild tile and grout cleaner. If the smell still returns after a few tries, the urine may have soaked under the grout, so call a professional.
Before you start
What grout can take
Safe to use4
- Water
- Hot water
- Enzyme cleaners
- Heat, once the stain is out
Use with care5
- Soaking
- Chlorine bleach
- Solvents (alcohol, spot removers)
- Acids (vinegar, lemon)
- Scrubbing and abrasives
6 items
What you'll need
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- Clean paper towels or a clothTo blot up the urine before it dries into the grout. (opens Amazon)
- White nylon scrub pad or soft nylon brushTo scrub the grout without using anything abrasive. (opens Amazon)
- Warm waterFor the first scrub of a fresh stain.
- Mild cleaner made for tile and groutFor a stain or smell that remains after the first scrub. (opens Amazon)
- Mop or wet vacuumTo lift the dirty solution before it dries. (opens Amazon)
- Clean waterTo rinse out every trace of cleaner.
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5 steps
Step by step
Step 1 of 5
Wipe up the urine right away
Lift as much urine as you can with a clean paper towel or cloth, working from the edge of the stain toward the middle so it doesn't spread. Switch to a fresh towel until nothing more comes up.
Careful. Don't rub; rubbing pushes urine deeper into the grout.
Step 2 of 5
Test the cleaner on a hidden spot
Before you use any cleaner, try it on a small, inconspicuous area of grout and let it dry so you can check the result. The color once it's dry is the only way to see what the cleaner really does.
Careful. Skip the test and you won't know whether the cleaner changes the grout's color.
Step 3 of 560 seconds
Scrub with warm water first
Scrub the stain with warm water and a white nylon pad for at least 60 seconds. This is the right first move for a fresh stain, so start here before you reach for a cleaner.
Tip. Use a white nylon pad or soft nylon brush, not an abrasive scrubber.
Step 4 of 5A few minutes
Apply a mild tile and grout cleaner
If the stain or smell is still there, apply a mild cleaner made for tile and grout and let it sit a few minutes. Agitate the grout with a soft nylon brush or pad so the cleaner works into the lines.
Careful. Don't let the cleaning solution dry on the surface.
Step 5 of 5
Lift and rinse everything out
Pick up the dirty solution with a mop or wet vacuum before it dries, then rinse the grout with clean water. Let the area dry completely, because leftover cleaner leaves a sticky film that attracts dirt.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for urine on grout
Look for a mild cleaner made for tile and grout, not a strong alkaline or acid one. If the odor lingers after the steps, an enzyme cleaner made for grout is one of the specialty cleaners available for this job.
Amazon Basics Microfiber Cleaning Cloths
How we picked these: each product is made for this type of stain, its maker doesn't warn against using it on grout, 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 →How to tell it's working
The stain is gone when the grout looks the same color as the grout around it. Check once the area is fully dry, since damp grout can look different from dry grout, and check the smell as well.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your grout
Bathroom grout
Bathroom grout stays damp, and that's what keeps the smell coming back, so drying matters as much as cleaning. Give the grout time to dry fully after the final rinse before you decide the smell is gone.
Check the area again the next morning or after a humid day, since odor can flare up when moisture returns. If it does, go back to the scrub step and repeat it rather than adding stronger products.
Tile grout
Urine that has soaked through the grout lines can also reach the tile edges, so look at both before you start. Aim the cleaner at the grout lines only, and keep it off the tile face.
The tile itself has its own care rules, so for the tile face, see our Tile guide. Keep the nylon pad to the grout lines, and rinse the tile clean as you go.
Grout around the toilet
The grout at the base of the toilet takes the most splash, so it often needs more than one pass. Work the nylon pad into the lines right where the floor meets the toilet base, not just across the surface.
Let the area dry fully before you judge the result, since damp grout near the toilet can still smell even when it looks clean. For the bowl and the toilet body itself, see our Toilets guide.
Grout lines and white grout
Unsealed grout is porous, so urine goes deeper and the stain is harder to lift, which makes the test step more important. Test the cleaner on a hidden spot first, because white grout shows every change in color.
Find out whether your grout is cement or epoxy, since cement grout keeps the stain and epoxy can be cleaned back to its original color. That tells you how many repeats to expect before you decide the stain is permanent.
Old, dried or set-in stains
Old urine in cement grout is harder to lift, because the stain has had time to become part of the grout itself. Start by repeating the mild steps, since a second pass often lifts more than the first. For deep or stubborn stains, dampen the grout, let an alkaline cleaner made for tile and grout dwell 3 to 4 minutes, scrub with a white nylon pad for at least 60 seconds, rinse, and repeat if needed.
Dried urine that has set into cement grout is the hardest case, and it may fade without vanishing completely. Epoxy grout is easier, since it can always be cleaned back to its original color, so keep repeating the steps before you give up.
If the stain is still there after several rounds, pressurized steam can remove some stains that resist cleaners, so try it on the grout after everything is rinsed. If it still won't come out, contact the grout maker's technical support instead of reaching for harsher products.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on urine on grout?
You'll see many home remedies suggested for urine, but most were written for fabric or other surfaces. None of them is needed for grout cleanup.
Skip5Avoid1
What makes it worse
Mistakes to avoid
Don't use bleach or ammonia on 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 wouldn't fix the smell anyway.
Don't use vinegar or acid on cement grout
Cement grout is dissolved by acids, so vinegar and other acid solutions can damage it. Strong acid solutions also make grout lose its color or turn powdery or sandy.
Don't use strong cleaners for routine care
Strong alkaline, acidic, abrasive or ammonia-based cleaners can damage grout and greatly reduce how well sealer repels stains. Save anything stronger than the mild cleaner for the set-in options, and check that your grout can take it first.
Don't use oil, wax or general bathroom cleaners
Oil- and wax-based cleaners leave a film in the grout that makes it look dull. General bathroom cleaners also break down sealers, so on sealed grout, stick to the mild cleaner from the steps.
When to call a professional
If the stain survives the set-in options, contact the grout maker's technical support and describe the grout and what you've already tried. Acid cleaning needs extreme care, so leave that to a professional rather than trying it yourself.
Questions
Why does the urine smell come back in grout?
Urine left in the grout keeps breaking down, and that continues while the grout stays damp. So the odor often returns on humid days or after cleaning. Rinse out all the cleaner, let the grout dry fully, and repeat the scrub if the smell comes back.
Can I use vinegar on urine in grout?
Not on cement grout, since acids break it down, and the grout type is often unknown. Use the mild cleaner made for tile and grout from the steps instead. If you're unsure, that's the safe choice.
Is bleach safe to use on urine in grout?
No, skip bleach on grout. It doesn't remove urine odor, so it wouldn't solve the smell even if it were used.
How can I tell if my grout is epoxy or cement?
Check with whoever installed it, or with the product information if you still have it. If you can't tell, treat it as cement grout and keep to the mild cleaner from the steps.
Can steam clean urine out of grout?
Pressurized steam can remove some stains that resist conventional cleaners, so it's worth trying after the cleaner steps and a full rinse. Use it only on the grout, not on carpet or fabric nearby.
Can I clean a fresh urine stain without a cleaner?
Often, yes, for fresh urine. A warm water scrub for at least 60 seconds may be enough, and the mild cleaner is only needed if the stain or smell remains after that.
How soon should I clean up urine on grout?
As soon as you can, since urine soaks in and dries into the grout, and harder stains take more work. Blot it up first, then follow the steps. Dried or older stains need the set-in options.
Urine on other materials
Other stains on grout
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.