First few minutes
Just happened? Do this first
- Blot up as much as you can with clean paper towels or a cloth.
- Don't rub; rubbing pushes urine deeper into the padding.
- Rinse washable bedding under cool water to flush out what you can.
- Keep heat away from the spot until both the stain and the smell are gone.
Urine on a mattress goes well past the wet patch you can see, because it soaks into the padding and dries there out of reach. Once it dries, the stain and the smell tend to stay, and humidity can bring the odor back. A fresh spot responds far better than a dried one, so act quickly and use as little liquid as you can.
Blot up as much as you can with white cotton cloths before treating anything, since every drop you add goes deeper. If you're cleaning pee out of a memory foam mattress, check its care label before using a pet enzyme stain remover. A urine stain remover for mattresses can help with what's left, but a bedwetting accident usually needs a deeper clean.
Before you start
What mattress can take
Use with care4
- Water
- Oxygen bleach
- Enzyme cleaners
- Acids (vinegar, lemon)
Avoid4
- Hot water
- Soaking
- Chlorine bleach
- Solvents (alcohol, spot removers)
6 items
What you'll need
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- Clean paper towels or a clothTo blot up as much urine as you can before anything else. (opens Amazon)
- Vacuum with upholstery attachment and crevice toolTo pick up loose dirt and reach the trim, seams and quilting.
- Enzyme urine removerEnzyme cleaners are made for biological stains like urine, and this is the step that does the stain work. (opens Amazon)
- Cotton washclothA soft cloth dampened with clean water lifts the cleaner without soaking the mattress.
- Disinfecting mistSanitizes the surface after the stain is rinsed out.
- Clean waterUsed to dampen the washcloth for the rinse.
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6 steps
Step by step
Step 1 of 6
Strip the bedding
Take off the sheets and the mattress pad and set them aside to machine wash. Keep them off the mattress while you work so they don't pick up more of the spill.
Step 2 of 6
Vacuum the whole mattress
Run the upholstery attachment over the top and sides to pick up loose dirt and hair. Switch to the crevice tool for the trim, seams and quilting, where the stain may have run.
Step 3 of 63 minutes
Spray the enzyme remover
Spray enough enzyme urine remover to cover the stain, and no more. Let it stand for the full 3 minutes so the enzymes can work on the urine.
Tip. Work from the outer edge of the stain toward the middle so the spot doesn't spread.
Step 4 of 6
Blot with clean water
Dampen a cotton washcloth with clean water and blot the treated area, pressing gently to lift the cleaner out. Move to a clean section of the cloth each time it picks up color, and keep going until the cloth comes up clean.
Tip. Blot the spot dry with a clean towel after the last pass so the mattress isn't left wet.
Step 5 of 6
Sanitize the surface
Hold the disinfecting mist 6–8 inches from the mattress and spray lightly until the surface is wet, using the same light touch as the enzyme step. This comes after the blotting, so the mist is only sanitizing the surface, not doing the stain work.
Tip. Check the label first; if it lists chlorine bleach, skip this step.
Step 6 of 65 minutes
Keep it wet, then dry
Keep the surface visibly wet for 5 minutes so the mist can sanitize it. Then let the mattress air dry completely before the bedding goes back on.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for urine on mattress
Choose an enzyme urine remover, which is the product type made for urine. Check the label for mattress or fabric use and test it on an inconspicuous spot first.
BISSELL Little Green Portable Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner
OdoBan Odor Eliminator & Disinfectant Concentrate
Utopia Kitchen White Flour Sack Towels
Empty Spray Bottles 16oz/4Pack
How we picked these: each product is made for this type of stain, its maker doesn't warn against using it on mattress, 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
Blot with a cloth that comes away with less moisture and less color each time, and expect the spot to look lighter once it has dried through. Wait until it's fully dry before you judge it, since a damp spot tends to look darker than the surrounding mattress. If the color still hasn't lifted after the cleaning round, the urine has probably set into the padding, and the old-stain method is your next move.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your mattress
Memory foam or pillow-top mattress
Memory foam is the variation that changes most, because excess moisture can break it down. Use as little enzyme spray and water as possible, just enough to cover the spot.
On foam or pillow-top, blot with a cloth that is only lightly damp, and check that the top layer isn't wet through before you move on. If the top stays wet, leave it open to the air until it is dry all the way through.
Bedwetting or a larger accident
After bedwetting or a larger accident, the wet area is usually wider than the spot you can see, so start by blotting up as much as you can with clean paper towels or a cloth. Work across the whole damp area before you treat anything, and don't stop at the edge of the visible mark.
Then run the enzyme and blotting steps over the whole treated area, spraying only enough to cover it, and rinse with clean water. Wash the mattress pad with the sheets, and let the mattress dry completely before anything goes back on.
Old, dried or set-in stains
Old urine that has soaked deep into the padding needs more than one round, so don't expect the first pass to clear it. Once the mattress is fully dry, repeat the enzyme and blotting steps with the same light touch, spraying just enough to cover the spot.
Dried urine can still carry a smell that comes back when humidity rises or the mattress gets damp again. That's why each round needs a full dry before you check the result.
If the stain or smell is still there after a couple of rounds, stop adding home treatments. Vinegar is often suggested for stubborn spots, but acid can make protein stains harder to remove, so an upholstery cleaner is the safer next step.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on urine on mattress?
Most home remedies were made for other stains, so only a few belong near urine on a mattress. Here is how each one fits, and why most of them stayed out of the steps.
Skip5Avoid1
What makes it worse
Mistakes to avoid
Don't dry the bedding while the odor remains
Heat from the dryer can set the stain and smell more firmly, so the sheets and pad should wait until the odor is gone. Smell the washed fabric before it goes into the dryer.
Don't steam-clean the mattress
Heat from steam can set urine and its odor into man-made fibers. Keep every step cool and use only the enzyme spray and clean water.
Don't mix the enzyme spray with another cleaner
Mixed products can give off hazardous fumes, so use one product at a time. If you do need a second product, rinse the spot thoroughly with clean water in between.
Don't rub the spot
Rubbing pushes urine deeper into the padding and spreads it past the wet patch. Press a cloth or paper towel onto the stain to lift what you can, working from the edges toward the center.
Don't speed up drying with heat
Heat can set the stain and the odor into the padding, and a hair dryer or heater can drive moisture deeper before it leaves. Let the spot air dry slowly with the windows open.
Don't skip the vacuum
Vacuuming first pulls out loose residue and urine salts from the surface, so the cleaner can reach the urine underneath. A spot that's only wiped tends to look clean and still smell.
When to call a professional
Call an upholstery cleaner if the stain or smell is still there after the old-stain steps, since they can work deeper into the padding than you can at home. Tell them it's urine, how long it's been there, and which cleaners you've already used.
Questions
Will urine stain my mattress permanently?
It can, if it soaks in and dries before you treat it. Urine left to dry leaves a stain and odor that become more noticeable over time, so a fresh spot is far easier to clear. Treat it as soon as you can.
Does old urine need a different treatment?
The same enzyme and blotting steps apply, but old urine usually needs more than one round. Let the mattress dry fully between rounds, and move to an upholstery cleaner if the spot is still there.
Is an enzyme cleaner safe for a mattress?
Yes, as long as you use it lightly. Enzyme cleaners are the product type made for biological stains like urine, and they work alongside the blotting steps. Use only enough to cover the stain and check the label first.
Can I wash the sheets in hot water?
Not first. Rinse the bedding in cool water and soak it in cool water with a heavy-duty liquid detergent, since hot water can set a protein stain before it's cleaned. Only after that should it go through a hot wash.
Can urine reach the foundation under my mattress?
It can, if the urine soaks through the mattress. Check the foundation and let it dry completely before the mattress goes back on, since moisture left behind can encourage mold and mildew.
How long does a mattress take to dry after cleaning pee?
Plan on the spot drying all the way through, with no cool or damp feel left in the padding. Keep the windows open and run a fan across the area if you can. Only put the sheets back on once the mattress is fully dry, because trapped moisture is what lets mold and mildew take hold.
Can I wash the mattress cover after an accident?
Check for a zipper first, since a cover that's sewn shut should stay on the mattress. A cover that's designed to come off can be washed, but removing one that isn't designed for it can void the warranty. Check the care label first, and let the cover dry completely before it goes back on.
Why does the smell come back after I clean it?
The smell can return for a while because bacteria break down the urea in urine, and that keeps going as long as moisture is present. Make sure the spot is completely dry before you judge it, and keep the room well ventilated. If the odor keeps coming back once the spot is dry, the urine has likely soaked deeper than the cleaning reached.
How do I keep urine from soaking into my mattress again?
A mattress cover is the most reliable way to keep urine out of the padding, because it blocks the liquid before it reaches the padding below. Choose one made to stop liquid, and make sure it fits your mattress size before you buy. Having a cover in place before an accident happens saves far more work than cleaning after one.
Odor guides
Still smells?
Urine on other materials
Other stains on mattress
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.