When you walk through the door, one of the worst smells your home can have is the smell of pet urine. We all know that smell. It smells like your house is dirty and unkempt, which clearly, no one wants. But luckily, there are a few different solutions that can help remove the smell and appearance of the dog urine that has soaked into your beautiful hardwood flooring.
It can take a few hours or even days, depending on the size of the problem, but in the end, it’ll all be worth it. Thankfully, it will also help to sanitize the area and make it healthier for everyone in your home. One thing you need to think about is how your floor will look after you clean it, because some cleaners will actually eat away at the stain on your floor and leave marks on your flooring.
So, what are the best ways to get that icky pet urine smell out of your precious hardwoods? We’re here to dish the scoop!
Does Dog Urine Damage Hardwood Flooring?
Dog urine can cause damage to your hardwood flooring, whether it is sealed or unsealed. If it leaks down into the subfloor, then it can cause even more damage and cause the subfloor to break down, which is never good. It may not impact the structural strength of the actual wooden floor, but it’s still a situation that needs your immediate attention.
Your floor’s structure won’t always get ruined, but you may see black or white rings, depending on the PH levels on the floor, if it is in the sun, and how long the urine has been on the floor. It can be difficult to remove these stains, so the key is patience. Remember that the urine can also attract mildew and mold to start growing, and it could even bring pests, so you want to act quickly.
How To Remove Dog Urine
There are quite a few homemade options to help you remove dog urine. You can use products specially designed to remove pet stains, hydrogen peroxide, vinegar, or baking soda. Most of your steps will be the same regardless of the methods that you use. However, ensure that you ventilate your room as much as possible while attempting to remove dog urine from your floors.
Use a fan and open your windows to eliminate any toxic fumes, floating particles, and odors. Of course, you also want to clean up the dog urine. If the urine soaked into the carpet or the area rugs, spot clean them or even throw them into the washing machine, if possible. You want to have open access to your urine-soaked floors.
Step 1: Apply A Hydrogen Peroxide Blend to The Urine Spots
Your first step is to spray a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution directly over the area with the stain. Test this on a spare piece of hardwood flooring if you have it or on a hidden spot on your floor. Use a clean cloth soaked in hydrogen peroxide, and cover the spot that you sprayed hydrogen peroxide.
Allow the solution to soak into the stain for at least 15 minutes. If the stain or smell is really bad, you may want to allow the stain to soak overnight. Be sure to check the spot occasionally. Once the smell and stain are gone, you can remove the rag. If it doesn’t go away, you may need to repeat the process several times.
Step 2: Clean Your Floor Like You Regularly Would
Your next step is to clean your floor as you normally would, but be careful not to rub your floor. Instead, dab or blot the floor. This will help to soak up any additional peroxide.
Then, you can use a traditional mop and broom to clean everything fully.
Once cleaned, you will still have to ensure your dog doesn’t smell the urine smell and go to the bathroom again in the same spot. Dogs tend to urinate in the same places over and over again, so completely removing the smell is key.
Are There Other Solutions for Dog Urine?
If you don’t want to use a hydrogen peroxide blend for fear of staining or bleaching your flooring, there are some other options to help you remove urine from the flooring.
A Vinegar Solution
Vinegar is a typical household ingredient that most of us have, and it is really helpful for cleaning. White vinegar has a very high acidity level that can help to neutralize the alkaline ammonia to eliminate urine odor. Vinegar will also kill all of the germs in bacteria that can cause you further issues.
To use a vinegar solution, use a 1:1 ratio of white vinegar to water. You can also purchase a vinegar solution, but it is likely much cheaper to make your own.
As you are spraying the solution on the floor, scrub the problem area. Then, rinse the floor immediately using clean water and then dry mop the floor. If you have a wet vacuum, you can use that to remove the moisture and dog urine.
If the vinegar solution’s smell is too much for you, you can add some essential oils into the solution to get a better smell. Grapefruit oil is one of your best options.
Baking Soda Option
If the overwhelming smell of white vinegar is too much for you (and it is for many of us), then you can use a baking soda solution. Thanks to its pH level, it will eliminate the urine odor and neutralize the acid at the same time. To make this solution effective, use about a quarter cup of baking soda and spread it thinly but evenly over the area of your hardwood floor that is soaked in urine. Avoid spreading too much, and allow the baking soda to sit overnight.
When you wake up in the morning, vacuum the area free of all the baking soda. You have to ensure you get it all up.
If you only have a small urine spot, you can use a couple of tablespoons of baking soda mixed with one cup of water in a spray bottle. Then you can spray the urine-stained spot and allow it to sit for at least ten minutes. Blot the spot clean, and dry it with a towel or microfiber cloth.
Enzyme Cleaners
You can also use an enzyme cleaner that takes the proteins of the urine and breaks them down. You can use these cleaners the same way you would hydrogen peroxide. Leave it on for at least 15 minutes before you clean it up.
What If the Spot Is Fresh?
Did you catch your canine friend in the act? The good news is that removing the urine is easier when it is still wet. You first want to grab paper towels and soak up as much of the “free” urine as possible. Be sure not to spread the urine out, but soak the paper towels. If the towels get wet, continue to use fresh ones.
Once you’ve soaked up the free urine, then you can start blotting. Use a damp cloth to clean the area, and then use a dry towel to dry it out.
Even if you don’t smell the urine at this point, you need to abate the smell for your dog. If they continue to smell it, they will keep peeing there.
Sprinkle baking soda over the area and allow it to sit for at least eight hours. Then vacuum it up the next morning, if possible. When you’ve vacuumed it up, use a disinfectant to eliminate all of the bacteria and household germs.
Be Sure to Seal Your Hardwood Flooring
If you have cleaned your hardwood flooring with an abrasive cloth or even something acidic, you may need to seal your hardwood flooring again. Dog urine can also wear the top layer of protection off of the hardwood flooring.
Be sure to completely remove all of the dust and debris from the area, and if you had to sand away staining, use a vacuum to remove it all. Make sure that the surface is leveled. Then, reseal the flooring using polyurethane or another type of sealant.
Dog Urine Be Gone!
It can be frustrating to have your dog pee on your flooring, but the great news is that it isn’t the end of the world. Unless you have waterproof flooring or pet-proof flooring, it can create a lot of problems if not attended to quickly, but luckily, now you know just what to do to eliminate the smell and appearance.
Obviously, the sooner you can get to the stain, the better off it will be. However, stains that have set aren’t impossible to remove, and some people have successfully eliminated stains that have been there for years.
Just be sure that you are always using methods that are safe for your pets, because even though you’re most likely less than thrilled with your furry friend for peeing on your beautiful hardwoods, you still want to protect them. Because in the end, our fur babies are part of the family!
Sources:
How to Get Rid of the Smell of Dog Urine | American Kennel Club
Dog Urine Soaked into Hardwood Floor! How to Remove? | LivingProofMag
How to Clean Unfinished Wood Floors That Have Been Soaked With Dog Urine | Hunker
