How to get rid of dog urine smell in house, on concrete floors, hardwood floors, tiles and yard

Video: How to remove urine and feces odors from concrete.

Are there any effective ways of how to get rid dog urine smell? If you’ve had a pet there is a chance that you have dealt with the strong pungent stench of ammonia that comes with progressive peeing: be it in house or outside in the yard. Learning how to remove dog urine smell can go a long way in saving you embarrassments especially when you decide to put your home up for sale. Below are different ways to neutralize or eliminate dog pee smell from your concrete and hardwood floors, from carpets, tiles and outside in the yard.

While dog peeing is a normal thing that may be easily assumed, it gets even harder to get rid of the stench with time. The longer it takes the harder it gets to remove the smell and urine stains from the walls, tiles, concrete, carpets and furniture. Doesn’t matter how much effort it takes, good news is that you can now remove dog urine smell whether recent or old.

Dog peeing in the yard
Dog pee in the yard not only leaves a bad stench but kills plants too

Get Rid of Dog Urine Smell





How do you get rid of dog urine smell? Getting rid of dog urine smell may sound as easy but it sure a daunting task. This is very common for those who have pups that have not yet been trained on peeing joints around the home. Most adult dogs are already housebroken and trained save for those that are newly adopted and haven’t been properly trained not to pee indoors.

Most experts recommend immediate housetraining. This will save you all the trouble you have to go through getting rid of urine stains and neutralizing dog urine smell. It may be a little hard to take care of dog urine odors if the dog still pees in the house. Making sure that your dog no longer urinates in the house is the first basic step in taking care of this problem; make this a priority.

Note: It is important to note that even with proper training, accidents will happen. This means that once you’ve decided to have a dog pet in your home, the best thing will be to first accept that this may happen and be ready to handle it when it does. Your dog may develop a urinary tract infection or just like elderly people, aging dogs may have bathroom accidents too. The best thing to do will be having the necessary knowledge and tools to clean up occasional messes.

How to Get Rid of the Smell of Dog Urine

The smell of dog urine can be very strong and pungent if left for a while without cleaning. This makes it necessary to remove any traces of urine as soon as they happen. This is especially very important with those dogs that have not yet been thoroughly trained. Dogs are known to mark peeing spots with their smell have a tendency to go back to the same spot to pee again if the traces of urine are not removed. Here is how to get rid of dog pee smell:

Make Sure That Your Dog Doesn’t Pee In the House

It will be hard trying to get rid of dog pee smell when your dog still pees in the house. Make dog training a priority. Take your dog especially pups out more often. Praise your dog and give him treats when he pees where he’s supposed to. This calls for you to be very stern and consistent- scold your dog when he pees where he is not supposed to. This may call for your time and patience but it sure saves you lots of effort needed to get rid of dog urine odor.

When inside the house place your dog on hard floors or in area with uncarpeted floors with absorbent wee pads. Not using absorbent mats can be detrimental to your wooden floors. It may be hard to get rid of dog urine smell on wooden floors that you may have to get it redone.

Dog pee pad
Dog pee pads can help prevent dog urine smell in house

Change the absorbent pad underneath when necessary. If you believe your mat is soaked through, remove it, rinse it and dry it outside to get rid of the urine odors.

Clean Out Dog Urine As Soon As It Happens

  1. Use absorbent material like a paper towel or cloth to blot up as much urine as possible.
  2. Pour plain water on the spot and soak it up with a clean rag until the yellow stain is gone.
  3. Apply an enzyme cleaner or a natural cleaner on the spot and allow it to sit for a while
  4. Blot it out using a clean rag and allow it to dry
  5. You may have to do this 3-4 times to remove the yellow stain and all the odor

How to Get Rid Of Dog Urine Smell on Concrete

While concrete may come out as hard and dry, it is very porous and can soak with urine for quite a while. This may be harmless at first but with the time the smell becomes too much and can be difficult to get rid of. Unlike wooden floors, it may be hard to clean off pet urine from concrete floors.

Remove any litter and dirt that may be lying around. Removing litter on the ground means that you will be able to work without creating a mess once you start cleaning with water and chemicals. Remove any furniture and items that may be destroyed by the cleaning chemicals.

Finding Dog Urine Spots

  • Blot any visible urine with paper towels or rags. This helps to remove the excess urine odor and allows the cleaning solutions to work in maximum capacity.
  • Find dog urine with a UV light. It will be much easier cleaning the specific urine spots than the entire concrete floor. These can be bought at any local pet store or online. Simply turn off the lights and hold the UV light close to the floor. Dog urine stain will glow up as a yellow of green mark. Mark this spot with a chalk- this helps when you want to spot clean the floor and you don’t have the time and necessary tools to clean the entire floor. You may however end up with spotty patches on the floor. This makes cleaning the entire floor the better option. If you do not have the UV light, you can try paying extra attention and smell out the urine spots in the room.

How to Remove Dog Urine Smell from Concrete Floors with Enzymatic Cleaner

Commercial enzymatic cleaner for dog urine odor
Enzymatic cleaner for dog urine odor
  • Choose an enzymatic cleaner and pour it on the urine stains on the floor. This helps to break down the strong compounds urine stain and smell compounds that bind strongly on the concrete or cement floors. The enzymatic cleaner reaches to the urine trapped below the surface and breaks down the uric acid in a way that regular cleaners and water cannot. Allow the area to complete soak until the cleaner is completely absorbed.
  • If the concrete is unsealed, allow it to air dry overnight. It will actually allow more time for the enzymatic cleaner to work on the urine odor. However, if the floor is already sealed, wipe out any extra cleaner. Note that sealed floors are way easier to clean. Once the smell is completely gone, consider sealing your concrete floors.
  • You may have to repeat the last two steps until the smell is completely gone. It is important to carefully choose enzymatic cleaners that do not mask the smell. Otherwise the smell will come back in humid weather. Urine penetrates more in humid weather.

Tip: It is not recommended to use steam or hot water to remove dog urine smell out of cement floors as they are known to set the urine and smell making them even more impossible to remove.

Natural Dog Urine Remover

  1. Blot out excess urine with a towel or a rag
  2. Mix water and vinegar in the ration of 3:1
  3. Saturate the dog urine spot with this mixture
  4. Allow to stay up for a little while and blot out the excess
  5. Sprinkle baking soda over the area
  6. Mix ¾ cups of hydrogen peroxide with one teaspoon of dish washing detergent.
  7. Drizzle this solution over the baking soda and work it in with a small bristled brush
  8. Try the solution on a small area to make sure it does not discolor
  9. Allow it to dry then vacuum if necessary
  10. You may have to repeat this several times for the smell to be completely eliminated

Video: How To Remove Cat Urine From Wood Floors

How to Get Rid Of Dog Urine Smell in Yard

Most are the times we train dogs not to eliminate indoors and forget that we should also train on where to pee when outdoors. It is very common to have lawn damage with spots of urine burn and damage on the grass if you have a pet. This is caused by the high concentration of nitrogen compounds and salts on a small part of the grass causing burning and death of the tuft. Dog have a tendency to mark the peeing spots with their smell- they will go back to the same place over and over. Buildup of dog urine in the same spots can cause unpleasant smell.

How to Remove Dog Urine Smell from Yard with Plain Water

Water is one of the simplest forms of treating lawns off dog urine smell and burns. It is natural and does not pose any harm to pets and children playing around in the yard. Saturate the area that has been urinated on with a watering can as soon as the dog pees. This is most effective if done as soon as possible. Using water not only eliminates the smell but also neutralizes the nitrogenous compounds and reduces the burning effect. You can add crushed citrus rinds in the water for a pleasant smell.

How to Eliminate Dog Urine Smell Outside with Baking Soda

Baking soda may come across as one of the cheapest most effective deodorizers that can be effectively used at home to eliminate dog urine smell outdoors. This is however a controversial remedy that has to be used with great caution. According to homeguides.sfgate.com, you cannot neutralize nitrogen salts with baking soda. Baking soda may have a negative photo-toxic effect on the grass.

How to Get Rid of Dog Urine Smell in House

Pets will occasionally slip and get accidents within the house. This could happen on the hardwood floors, your tiles, on the mattress, as well as on the furniture. The carpet is also quite comfortable and dogs will urinate on them. Aged dogs and those still undergoing potty training are most susceptible to getting peeing accidents in the house.

Dog urine contains ammonia and therefore once on any surface within the house it will make the whole house stink. Most of the places where this occurs are likely to get stained. With this in mind, what are the options on how to get rid of dog urine smell in house?

There are different methods which are appropriate for different surfaces. What may work to remove dog urine from carpet may not work on the floor. Below we look at what is most appropriate for different areas within the house.

How to Remove Dog Urine Smell from Hardwood Floors

Hardwood flooring requires special care and maintenance for it to retain its beauty and last long. This type of floor is very delicate and failure to take proper care of it will cause premature aging.

Dog urine stain on hardwood flooring
Dog urine stain on hardwood flooring

It is always recommended that any spills and stains are wiped off immediately to avoid damage. When this is done with dog urine found on hardwood floors, it may eliminate the unwanted liquid but not the accompanying smell. Since the dog can pick up the scent, it is likely that it will keep going to the same spot.

The only way to ensure that the dog stops peeing on the same spot is by getting rid of the pee odor.  Follow the following steps on how to remove dog urine smell from hardwood floors for an odor free house.

  1. In case you are dealing with fresh pee, start off by wiping it off and in case of old stains, use a black light to identify any urine stains on the floor.
  2. To avoid fading and damaging the floor boards, test an enzymatic pet stain cleaner on a part of the floor that is not conspicuous.
  3. Where there is no visible damage, spray the cleaner on the floor and leave it to rest for a few minutes. White vinegar can also be used in place of the cleaner.
  4. Follow this up by cleaning the floor using a subtle detergent and a rag. The same effect can also be achieved by using damp paper towels to clean up the spots.
  5. Ensure you wipe off the cleaned hardwood floor parts dry to avoid water damage.

How to Get Rid Of Dog Urine Smell on Tiles

Tiles come in different types, colors and shapes. They are a common type of flooring and where they don’t cover the whole house there is a high likelihood that they will be found in the washrooms. These are areas where the dog can get to. Most tile types are non-porous and therefore simply wiping off the urine and cleaning the area up will get rid of the smell.

While this may sound great, there is a down side to tiled floors. Almost all tiled floors contain joining parts that are covered with grout. This is a highly porous material and which is likely to soak in pee quite fast. This will end up staining the floor as well as making it stink. The smell and stains are difficult to get rid of but with the right methods it is possible to achieve an odorless floor.

How to Remove Dog Urine Smell from Tile Grout and Porous Tiles

  1. Immediately you notice the pee, soak up all the urine using paper towels. Use fresh towels until none of it is left on the floor.
  2. Mix equal portions of water and distilled white vinegar.
  3. Using this mixture, saturate the tiled area of concern.
  4. Leave this to sit on the area for ten minutes before using a disposable material to wipe off the mixture.
  5. Use some clean water to thoroughly rinse the area.
  6. Dispose materials used to avoid a repeat of the incidence inside the house.

How to Remove Dog Urine Smell from Mattress

We allow our pets to every part of the house and don’t mind sharing a bed and furniture with them. Regret only sets in when there are accidents on these items made of absorbent material. Mattresses and furniture get easily soaked up by the urine. The resulting smell may take ages to go away if not dealt with immediately. Dog pee is not something you want spoiling your stay in the house. This brings us to the question- how do I get rid of dog urine smell? Below is how to get rid of dog urine and its smell from the mattress, furniture and other items.

Vinegar, Baking Soda and Hydrogen Peroxide to Remove Dog Urine Smell from Mattress and furniture

“Does vinegar neutralize dog urine odor?” is common question asked in dog forums. Fortunately, this home remedy goes a long way in getting rid of the awful smell. Below is how to use it with other ingredients mentioned above.

  1. In case you are seeking how to remove dog urine smell while the pee is still fresh and item of concern is still wet, use a sponge or paper towels to blot up the liquid first. Applying pressure will help in absorbing much of the moisture.
  2. In a mixing bowl, add water and vinegar in equal amounts.
  3. Make a solution that is reasonable for the area affected and have it soaked in the mixture. Use paper towels to dry up the area once more.
  4. When no more moisture can be sucked up, sprinkle some baking soda on the area.
  5. To make the process even more effective, you can also make use of three percent hydrogen peroxide mixed with dish washing detergent. Spray this mixture on the area with baking soda and use a scrubbing brush to work it in. For the mattress you can use your hands if the brush is too harsh on it.

When carrying out any procedure on how to remove dog urine smell from furniture, it is best to do it outside as opposed to having it done in house. This will help to prevent spreading the odor to other parts and items within the house.

How to Remove Dog Urine Smell from Carpet

Dogs can easily pick urine odor causing repeat accidents
Dogs can easily pick urine odor on carpets causing repeat accidents

When a dog has peed on the carpet, it leaves behind a trail of ammonia scent which can make it return to the point over and over again unless the urine smell is gotten rid of. Before setting in to getting rid of dog urine smell in carpet, it is important that you identify the soiled areas. Identifying the soiled spots helps to eliminate all scent traces and thus avoid further accidents.

The best time to clean up urine is when the carpet is still wet. This is because waiting for the urine to dry will increase the growth of bacteria and also stain your carpet. One of the methods on how to remove dog urine in carpet is to place a layer of tissues on the wet area and press on them so that most of the pee is absorbed. Once you remove the urine, the urine smell is reduced and eliminating the traces becomes easy.

How to Get Rid of Dog Pee Smell on Carpet Using Cornstarch

Cornstarch is a natural odor absorbing agent. It is available in powder form and is a great remedy for getting rid of dog urine smell from carpets. Below is how to go about it.

  1. Get enough corn starch to cover up the entire soiled surface.
  2. Apply this directly on the stain and let it sit for at least 30 minutes.
  3. Once this time lapses, rinse the area with some water.
  4. Use some paper towels or a cloth towel pressed firmly on the area to absorb any water.

How to get Rid of Dog Urine Odor in Carpet Using Vinegar Cleaning Solution

Vinegar is great at getting rid of both set in and new urine stains as well as the odor. The smell from urine comes from the ammonia present in it. Vinegar helps to neutralize this without having any negative effect on the carpeting fiber.

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  1. Mix vinegar with an equal amount of water to make a solution enough to use on the soiled part.
  2. On the stained spots, slowly pour the vinegar solution well enough to reach the fibers on the lower side.
  3. Allow the carpet to soak in this solution for at least ten minutes before layering paper towels to help in absorption of the solution.
  4. When the carpet is almost dry, sprinkle some baking soda on the affected spot and allow it to settle in and absorb the order further. Vacuum the affected part for an odorless carpet.

Use commercial Pet Urine Odor Removers on Carpet

In case the home remedies fail to work, you can settle for commercial products. These are suited for your carpet material with some specifically made for synthetic fibers and others for natural fibers. Follow the manufacturer instructions for the product to work in the best way and to effectively get rid of the stain and dog pee smell.

Hire a Carpet Cleaning Services

At times, the dog urine odor could be too long standing and no amount of home cleansing may work. Where it gets to this, the only option you may have on how to get rid of dog urine odor in carpet is to hire professional carpet cleaners to work on it. Since these are experts and well equipped with appropriate machines and chemicals, they will know how best to get the bad smell out of carpet.

Tips on How to Get Rid of Dog Urine Smell

While pet accidents are hard to avoid, dog urine odor is unappealing. Below are tips that will help you live peacefully without the inconveniences that come with the terrible smell.

  • Always clean up urine as soon as the dog has peed. In case you have a wet vacuum cleaner, make use of it.
  • When wiping off dog pee, avoid using your regular mop to avoid spreading the odor to other parts of the house. Instead, use disposable material.
  • Avoid cleansing products that contain ammonia as its smell is close to that of dog urine. When dogs pick it up, they might keep peeing within the house.
  • Some cleaning products meant to get rid of urine stains have bleaching agents which may change the color of flooring surfaces. Use them wisely.

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