Stains happen. It is inevitable when you have children. It also happens when you have a pet, but you keep them anyway because you love them. Knowing how to clean up problem areas thoroughly and promptly is vital to keep the house clean and get rid of urine smell that can permeate the house if not addressed quickly.
Whether your problem is on the floor, carpet, the bed, or other furniture, the right tools and steps to get the job done will remove urine smell and stains for good. Follow our expert tips on the best ways to get rid of urine smell and those nasty stains they leave behind.
Getting Rid of Urine Stains and Smells from Carpet and Mattresses
Accidents are unavoidable. Whether it’s a child or a pet, mattresses acquire urine stains and spots from sweat, vomit, and other bodily fluids. No matter when or how the stains occurred, there are ways to remove them.
Removing stains on mattress doesn’t have to be difficult. You simply need to know what caused the stain and have a little time to whip up a home remedy to take care of it. Homemade solutions are easy to mix and are much more cost-effective than commercial cleaners.
How to Remove Stains from Mattresses
If you see the stain while it is still damp, you have a better chance of getting rid of it. Soak up as much of the urine as you can with a sponge or rag or sponge. Use a clean damp cloth to soak the area with water.
For a homemade pet stain remover, spray with vinegar to kill the odor and to kill bacteria that cause odor. Let it air dry, preferably in direct sunlight, which bleaches the area. Even if the stain has dried and set, you can still remove it.
For lingering smells, sprinkle baking soda on the mattress and lightly mist it with vinegar. Scrub into the surface and let it dry. Vacuum up the remains. This homemade mattress deodorizer is highly effective and takes only a little time.
Use a clean wet rag to dampen the area slightly. Sprinkle with Borax, which you can find in the laundry detergent area in the store. Rub in thoroughly. Similar to white vinegar, Borax also kills the odor. Allow the mattress to dry completely, in the sun if possible — vacuum up the excess Borax.
Always completely get rid of excess liquid on a mattress, whether it is a stain or the cleaner you use to keep from getting mildew on a mattress or deep within it. This type of problem is much harder to deal with and can sometimes ruin the mattress beyond repair.
If your stain is on a mattress cover, you can still take care of the problem in the same way as you do for a mattress. Can you wash a foam mattress pad?
Since mold and mildew can develop in the foam, it is not a good idea to put it in the washing machine but you can follow these tips for getting rid of stains and smells in the same way. Plus, it’s easier to bring a mattress pad outside to let the sun do some additional sanitizing.
Pet Urine
Besides vinegar, Borax, and baking soda, it is essential to use safe cleaning products when cleaning spots where your pets have access. Use a mixture of dish soap and hydrogen peroxide to get stains out of carpet or upholstery without leaving residue.
The best product to use to clean pet urine is an enzyme cleaner. When cat urine dries, chemicals break down and produce that ammonia-like smell. Enzyme cleaners break down the chemicals into gases that evaporate.
To get cat urine out of your carpet with an enzyme cleaner, blot all the excess liquid, and liberally apply the enzyme cleaner. Let it sit for twenty minutes or more, covered, so the cat will not mark the area again. Aluminum foil protects the area from disturbance.
Soak up the excess cleaner and let air dry. If the urine stain is old, repeat this process a few times until the area is clean. This process can be used on mattresses and furniture, too.
