I moved into my sister’s home to help her. She’s not been able to clean her carpet for a long time and it really smells bad. What is the best way to remove dog urine from carpet and floors?
Silvia P., Great Falls, MT
Let’s see if I can help you clean up your sister’s home as quick and easy as possible. The best carpet cleaner for pet stains and odors is to use an enzyme cleaner. This product breaks down the urine to get rid of the smell, not just the stain. You have several choices for cleaning and deodorizing the carpet.
When you cover the spots with an enzyme cleaner, use plenty of it for the best way to get dog pee smell out of the carpet. Let it work for at least twenty minutes before you blot the spot really well and let it air dry. You may have to repeat these steps on old stains that have soaked into the carpet and the pad beneath it.
If you don’t have enzyme cleaner on hand, you can use natural products like vinegar, baking soda, dish detergent, and hydrogen peroxide on pet urine stains. They are very powerful ingredients in various DIY carpet stain remover and cleaner recipes.
A mix of hydrogen peroxide and dish soap can erase a spot on the carpet. Meanwhile, products like baking soda and vinegar will get rid of the odor and create a natural dog repellent, at least for a little while. Test a small unseen carpet area with your chosen cleaner first to ensure it does not discolor the material.
To illustrate what I mean, see these detailed tips for how to mix your own homemade carpet cleaner to remove dog urine from carpet.
Before I wrap up, there are a few things you should know. One is that heat from a steam cleaner may set a urine stain. Two, soap leaves a residue on a carpet that may attract dirt more quickly, so be sure to wipe it away cleanly. And three, always remove urine and feces from a wood floor as quickly as possible to avoid permanent damage.
For any other regular floor cleaning, you can use any of our homemade floor cleaner recipes.
I hope that you’re able to clean up your sister’s floors in a jiffy now.
Joan