If your pet has accidentally urinated on your carpet, it can not only spoil it but can also lead to a stinky odor in your carpet because it contains ammonia. But the good part is you can get rid of this musty odor. Read the blog to learn how to remove pet urine odor from carpet.
How To Remove Pet Urine Odor From Carpet?
There are various ways to remove that stinky odor: some are homemade solutions and others are store-bought products and chemicals for stubborn odors. Here are a few good options among them.
⇒ For New Urine Stains
If your pet has spoiled your carpet, first, treat the stain immediately to prevent more damage to the carpet and avoid the odor to worsen.
↳ Baking soda
This is a very effective odor-removal option that is well-known for neutralizing stinky odors. To use this, spread a thin layer of baking soda on the damp urine spot on your carpet and let it sit there overnight.
It will absorb all the odor, and you can clean the residue properly in the morning using a vacuum cleaner.
↳ Vinegar solution
Vinegar is another homemade staple for removing acute odors. Because it is acidic, apart from absorbing all the pee odor, it also neutralizes the bacteria in the urine stain.
Make a solution by combining 1 cup of warm water with 1 cup of distilled white (or apple cider) vinegar in a spray bottle. Spread the solution over the spot and let it sit for about 15 minutes. Then you can blot it with clean towels.
Additionally, you can add 2 teaspoons of baking soda to this vinegar solution for better results. Or else you can also prefer to sprinkle the soda separately after the vinegar spray. This will make both the elements react together, further neutralizing the odor better.
⇒ For Dried Urine Stains
↳ Warm water cleaning
If the urine has dried, first you need to rinse it well by repeatedly using wet-dry cleaning using warm or plain water. Use a wet-dry vacuum or clean it with towels. (Avoid using steam cleaning, it can further set the odor in your carpet permanently.) This cleaning itself should vanish most of the odor if it is mild.
↳ Enzymatic cleaners
If the above method doesn’t remove the odor then natural enzymatic cleaners are best for such fresh urine stain odors. They break the urine stain molecules, dissolving the odor away. Follow the instructions provided on the product label for use. Be sure to check they are pet friendly, especially using the protease-based enzymatic cleaners specifically targeted for pet urine.
Also, avoid using strong chemicals like ammonia or vinegar, especially on dried urine spots. Their smell will encourage the pets to repeat this act. (Tip: Use baking soda to eliminate the strong smell of vinegar.)
⇒ Hydrogen Peroxide:
Use a cloth dipped in 3% hydrogen peroxide and place it over the urine spot. Let it be there for about 8 hours and it will absorb all the odor of both wet and dry urine stains.
Alternatively, you can combine diluted hydrogen peroxide (water and 3% hydrogen peroxide mixed at a 4:1 ratio) with a teaspoon of liquid dish soap. Use it as a cleaning spray to get rid of odor effectively.
This chemical can also be mixed with baking soda (3 tbsp of baking soda and 8 ounces of hydrogen peroxide) to treat the odor of fresh stains.
But be sure you test the hydrogen peroxide on a hidden area first. Or else it can lead to discoloration or damage. Also, use a small quantity of it, so it doesn’t harm the pets or the carpet.
⇒ Laundry Detergent
This is not just for cleaning clothing. You can use the hack of combining laundry detergent with some water. This cleaning solution is also an option for your carpet to get rid of pet urine odor.
⇒ Dish Detergent
Use a few drops of dish detergent mixed with 10 ounces of 3% hydrogen peroxide and 3 tbsp of baking soda to clean the urine stain. This will neutralize the odor while the cleaning process itself.
⇒ The Final Touch
As a last step, you can use a store-bought pet odor eliminator spray. This will finally eliminate any remaining odor and freshen up your carpet. You can also use any essential oil mixed while you treat the urine stain to remove odor.
Summing Up
So now you know how to remove pet urine odor from carpet. With these effective hacks, it is not that difficult to get rid of that odor. But it is advisable to test the above cleaning methods on a hidden area of your carpet first.
Make sure you use products that neutralize the odor without harming the pets or the carpet fabric. Also, be cautious while using strong chemicals and treat the odor as soon as possible. And if you are not able to find the urine spot but can smell it, you can use a blacklight to detect it.
Moreover, if these tips do not seem to be working, then you may have to consider opting for professional carpet cleaning and deodorization.
