Hello there! How may I help you? You can’t get the stink out, right? Don’t fret. I’ll tell you how to get rid of the urine smell in your house.
But before we get to it, I’d love to give a few guesses as to why the stench is there in the first place. This way, I can help you better. So, sit tight and enjoy!
Now, you’re in the bathroom, taking a shower, when the urge to pee comes. Oh well, going to the toilet would be a waste of time, and you’d instead do the deed right there on the bathroom floor.
But often, you realize that you’d perceive a lingering smell even after rinsing the whole place when you get out. Annoying, right?
You have a child, children, or pet who hasn’t learned how to pee right; an adult, yourself, or a senior citizen managing incontinence.
I know that cleaning after them or yourself gives stress a whole new outlook! It’s frustrating. But we can’t send our kids packing, sell our pets, or tell Grandpa to clean his mess, can we?
A stranger scenario is when you’re not living with any of the above, and you sure know how to aim right into the toilet, but then you can’t stop perceiving the foul smell around your house.
An excellent explanation is a pest, mold, or plumbing problem. It can also be short-circuiting electric wiring, which releases a fish or urine-like odor when exposed to heat.
There are more reasons you perceive this smell, but as I wrote earlier, I’ll make just a few guesses.
My good friend, this odor can come from anywhere. It might be from the rug, cushion, carpet, clothes, toilet, or musty areas.
It might be a fresh or old, stubborn stench. Overall, I’ll do my best to cover everything. Capiche?
How to Get Rid of Urine Smell in the House?
How to Remove Pee Smell From Individuals, Pets, and Hard Surfaces?
1. Good Hygiene
Once your child, pet, adult, yourself, or an elderly pee in an undesignated place, act quickly! Do not let the pee linger for too long, especially when you witness it happening.
Clean the human or pet with tissue or water, then soak up the pee with a dry towel or paper towel.
Dispose of it properly, because the smell will get out and haunt you if left in the bin—as if you didn’t already know that.
Use your desired cleaning product or detergent to clean the area. That should do it as long as you are prompt and the pee doesn’t get soaked into anything.
You and your loved ones must stay clean and dry. The urine stench is more pungent on the skin, so wipe your loved ones nicely, change their bedding regularly, and never leave them in diapers for too long.
Use gloves when necessary. After every cleaning, wash your hands properly with soap and water.
2. Baking Soda Paste
Mix baking soda with water and stir into a thick paste for unsealed hard surfaces. Apply this paste to the affected floor and let it dry.
Once dried, clean it off with a damp towel or cloth. If the bad smell persists, repeat the process.
You may have to block off the area if it’s a high-traffic zone for kids and pets so they won’t step on it and ruin the whole place.
During a routine cleaning, sprinkle baking soda on the surface and let it sit for up to 30 minutes. This action will help pick up the residual smell. Vacuum or sweep out afterward.
3. Enzyme-based Cleaner
These can be gotten about anywhere, and there are ones for pets and those for human pee. According to science, pet urine has a stronger odor than humans.
So, pet enzyme-based cleaners can be used for both pet and human urine. Follow the instructions on the bottle for how to get rid of the urine smell.
Although these enzyme-based stain removers might differ slightly among brands, they all tell you to dampen the affected area with the enzyme cleaner and allow it to dry.
However, some products will ask you to rub the cleaner into the affected surface until a lather is produced. This lather is then wiped off.
Enzymatic cleaners can also be used for outdoor artificial surfaces.
4. Hire a Professional
For stubborn old stench embedded deep in unsealed surfaces, seek the experts. Make know in detail the problem, how long it’d been there, and everything you’ve done to get the smell off.
How to Get Rid of Urine Smell From Cushions and Mattresses?
1. Blot and Absorb Urine Odor
Soak up as much urine as possible with a thick, dry towel when fresh. Blot mildly to avoid sending the liquid into deeper sections.
It’s best to fold the towel to be refolded and reused. The towel might stink, but it’s not a bad thing. It simply means it absorbed more smell than the couch or mattress.
You can dispose of the towel or wash it thoroughly. To be safe, though, never use your favorite towel.
2. Odor Eliminator
For a quick fix, or when you don’t have time to remove the stench altogether, spray the fabric odor eliminator on affected surfaces.
However, you should know that this doesn’t eliminate the unpleasant smell. You would have to go back and attempt cleaning when you find the time.
3. 50/50 Mixture of Water and White Vinegar
You can mix this in a spray bottle for easy usage. The vinegar solution breaks down the uric acid in the urine.
It even removes the pee stain. Once applied, allow to air dry. Make sure the vinegar is diluted correctly to avoid bleaching your fabric.
To be safe, use it in a hidden portion of the cushion to test its bleaching potency. For quick drying, set a fan to blow on the area. Avoid using hairdryers, as heat can worsen the odor.
4. Sprinkle Baking Soda
If the affected surface is dry, dampen it with a wet towel so the baking soda can sit on the spot. Scrub in the baking soda using a soft material to hasten its action on the urine.
The baking soda should be left to sit for 5-10 hours before vacuuming off. It is best when left open on the affected spot, but to avoid passersby messing up the whole thing, consider shielding it.
Spray the area with the enzymatic cleaner if you notice a lingering odor.
How Do You Get Rid of Urine Smell From Clothing and Fabric?
1. Read the Cloth Label
Ouch! A child or a pet peed on you. The first thing to do is look at your cloth label to see how to wash it, then wash or dry clean accordingly.
2. Add Baking Soda to the Washing Machine
When you know the requirements for washing your clothes, wash accordingly. Add baking soda to the washing machine alongside your laundry detergent, then clean using the warmest cycle.
You can use bleach for fabrics that accept it, which should do the trick. However, in cases where the stench is not entirely removed, wash again. Do not let it dry before rewashing because the smell gets harder to leave when dry.
3. Use Enzyme-based Detergent
These products break down the uric acid, removing the smell and pee stain. They are available in your regular shops. Look for packs labeled “bio” or “enzymatic.”
Many brands have enzymatic products, so if you’re a one-product person, chances are your preferred brand has enzymatic versions.
4. Soak Cloth in Warm Water Mixed With Enzymatic Product
This procedure is for hand-washable clothing. You should use hand-washed enzymatic products instead of ones used for machines, as the machine detergent might be harsh on the fabric.
5. Air Dry Fabric Outdoors
Sunshine and fresh air go a long way to eliminate the residual smell from the fabric. Indoor drying is not inadequate; however, putting in the dryer is a no-no because heat is not suitable for pee smell. The smell is likely to come back if dryers are used.
How to Get Rid of Urine Smell and Stains From the Bathroom?
1. Wash the Bathroom Floors
In the bathroom, wash the entire bathroom floor with water and detergent. Sometimes, the urine might soak your bathroom curtains.
You must clean the affected area with soap and water, or better yet, remove the entire curtain and wash it.
2. Spray the Toilet With Undiluted White Vinegar
Spray undiluted white vinegar generously over the toilet bowl, lid, and sides. Allow it to stay for 15 minutes to disinfect and break down the uric acid.
You can add baking soda for extra effect. Mixing baking soda with undiluted white vinegar will create a lather that you’ll use to scrub the toilet bowl with a brush.
Clean your bathroom at least once a week for a neat and odorless environment. Once you see fresh urine stains, wipe them off immediately to keep the smell away.
3. Wipe Away the Vinegar Smell With a Clean Cloth
Although the smell of vinegar is better than the stench of urine, some people may still loathe it. If this is the case in your home, wipe away the vinegar several times to remove every trace.
4. Sprinkle Baking Soda
Baking Soda is used to get the dried urine around the toilet seat, sides, and every other sighting in the toilet. Baking soda is mildly abrasive.
When sprinkled all over a damp sponge, it is used to scrub the toilet to remove urine and every other foul smell, leaving a sparkle in your toilet and bathroom as a bonus.
Phew! I think that’s it. Oh, wait! There’s more. For other urine odors such as pests, moldy areas, and faulty electric wiring, you can call an exterminator or fumigate your house to eradicate pests, air-dry musty regions of your home, and last, when you smell fish or a urine-like smell, and you suspect it’s from burning electricity, find the source. Fast!
