How to Clean Urine Stains & Odors from Carpet

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A step-by-step guide to getting pee out of carpets & fabrics
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Removing urine stains and odors from carpeting can be tricky, but luckily, there are easy ways to remove them. Whether you’re dealing with pet or human urine, you can get rid of stains and odors with a few minutes of time and household items like salt, vinegar, dish soap, or an enzyme cleaner. This article will help you learn how to remove fresh or dried urine from carpets and other fabrics in your home. Plus, we spoke with home and carpet cleaning specialists Haim Shemesh and Kadi Dulude to get their top tips for getting rid of urine stains and smells.

How to Get Urine Out of Carpet

  • Blot a fresh stain with a dry cloth or pour salt on it to absorb the urine. Rinse the area with cold water and blot again.
  • Apply a dish soap and water solution, vinegar and baking soda paste, hydrogen peroxide solution, or enzyme cleaner to a wet or dry stain.
  • Use a rag to blot wet cleaners and allow the area to dry. Use a vacuum to remove the salt or dried baking soda paste. Reapply the cleaner if the stain or smell is still there.
Section 1 of 3:

Cleaning Urine from Carpets

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  1. It's easiest to get rid of a wet urine stain, so always try to soak up the urine as soon as you see it, says Shemesh. [1] If you see the stain and notice it’s still wet, act quickly to soak up as much of it as you can.
    • Another way to absorb urine is to pour an even layer of salt on it. Keep adding more salt until the top layer stays dry.
    • Leave the salt on the stain for about 5-10 minutes, and then vacuum the salt up to remove it from the carpet.
    • The salt works best if the stain is a little wet, so if it has already dried up, add a little water to the stain first.
  2. Pouring cold water onto the stain helps dilute the urine and rinse it out of the carpet fibers. [2] This is especially important if the stain is starting to dry out. Pour cold water onto the urine so that the stain is entirely covered, but your carpet isn’t soaking wet. Then, use a clean microfiber cloth or paper towels to blot any excess water.
    • Always blot stains instead of rubbing them. Rubbing or scrubbing a stain can push it into the carpet fibers, making it harder to remove. [3]
    • If the stain is already dry when you find it, skip the blotting and rinsing steps and go straight to using a cleaner.
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  3. Human urine is less concentrated than animal urine, so a DIY cleaner might be a good choice. These cleaners can also be effective if you discover the stain as soon as it happens and act quickly to clean it up. Mix 0.5 cups (120 ml) of peroxide into 2 cups (470 ml) of cool water for a homemade cleaner that’s tough on stains. However, a hydrogen peroxide solution can cause discoloration. [4]
    • Shemesh recommends sprinkling baking soda on the stain before spraying it with the hydrogen peroxide mixture for more effective odor removal. [5]
    • Use equal parts white vinegar and water or pour a couple of drops of regular dish soap into 1 cup (240 ml) of warm water to make a gentler spray cleaner that’s safe for most surfaces.
    • Another gentle option to remove urine stains and odors is to combine vinegar and baking soda in equal parts to form a paste. Then apply the paste to the stain and allow it to sit for 5 minutes before carefully wiping it up.
    • While homemade cleaners may be effective on human urine stains and odors, pet urine is more concentrated and may need an enzyme-based cleaner.
    Marie Kondo, Cleaning & Organization Expert

    When tackling messes, whether a spill or stain, start by blotting liquids immediately with an absorbent cloth and scraping solids with a dull knife. Avoid rubbing the area, which can further embed the mess. For carpets specifically, lift stains by dabbing vinegar or club soda into the fibers before rinsing the area with cool water and blotting dry.

  4. Enzyme-based cleaners that are safe to use on carpets are the most effective way to remove urine stains and odors. They can also be used on most fabrics and are usually safe to use around pets and kids. [6]
    • After rinsing and blotting the stain, saturate it all the way through the carpet backing with the enzyme-based cleaner. [7]
    • Enzyme cleaners break down stains and odors into their organic molecules to completely eliminate them. This makes them the best choice if you’re dealing with a large area, tough stains, stubborn odors, or pet urine.
    • They come in ready-to-use sprays or powders that you can mix with water.
  5. Let the cleaner soak into the stain for 5-10 minutes before blotting it with a clean cloth or paper towel. If you still see or smell urine, leave the cleaner on the stain for longer. use a shop vac to vacuum up as much of the urine and cleaner as possible. This is usually more efficient than soaking up the stain with paper towels because the shop vac can remove more moisture. [8]
    • If you used baking soda and vinegar paste, allow it to dry and then vacuum it up.
    • You can generally leave an enzyme cleaner or vinegar solution to air dry if necessary. Check the instructions for the enzyme cleaner to see what the manufacturer recommends.
  6. If you’ve cleaned the stain and allowed it to completely dry and still smell urine, try saturating the area again with your cleaner. If you’ve used a DIY cleaner for the first cleaning, try an enzyme cleaner or oxygen-activated enzyme cleaner , which is more effective on tough stains. Allow the enzyme cleaner to sit on the stain for the maximum recommended time, which can be up to 24 hours with some cleaners. [9]
    • Check for urine on nearby walls and furniture with a UV black light urine finder .
    • Enzyme cleaners also remove urine stains and odors from furniture, hardwoods, and tile floors. Just wipe up the urine, apply the cleaner, and allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes before wiping it up with a clean cloth.
    • Make sure to wash your hands with soap and water as soon as you're done cleaning up the urine to make sure the lingering odor isn’t coming from you.
    • Dulude recommends placing bowls of white vinegar around the room to help get rid of urine smells in the air. Once that smell goes, it tends to “take” all bad smells with it. [10]
  7. Shemesh says if you have trouble removing the urine stain or odor, call a professional to complete the enzyme cleaning service for you. [11] A pro has the tools and cleaning products to remove most urine stains and odors from your carpet.
    • Professional urine stain and odor removal from carpets can range from $75 for spot cleaning to $1,250 for full-house remediation.. [12]
    • Contact a local carpet cleaner to get an estimate that includes materials and labor.
    • If the urine has soaked into the subfloor, it may not be possible to remove the odor without tearing up the carpet and replacing that section of the floor.
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Section 2 of 3:

Removing Urine from Clothes

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  1. To clean cat , dog or human urine out of your clothes, simply take the stained garment to the sink and run it under cool water for a few minutes. For the best results, it’s important to rinse away as much urine as possible before treating the stain with a cleaner. [13]
    • Don’t use warm or hot water to rinse your garment. Heat can set the odor and stain into the garment, making it much harder to remove.
  2. Blotting is gentle enough—even when you use firm pressure—to prevent setting the stain into the fabric. Scrubbing not only sets organic stains, but it can also damage the fibers. [14]
    • Rinsing and blotting a fresh urine stain gives you the best chance of getting rid of the stain and odor to save your garment.
    • This method also works on towels and microfiber clothes used to clean up urine stains on carpets.
  3. Fill a sink with cool water and add a 1⁄2 cup (120 mL) of oxygen bleach. Make sure to mix the water until the oxygen bleach is completely dissolved. Place the garment into the bleach solution and allow it to soak. Let colored garments soak for 1 hour and white garments up to 4 hours.
    • Presoaking the clothes in oxygen bleach also sanitizes the garment to kill any lingering bacteria from the urine stain. However, you can also use a laundry sanitizer for extra germ-killing power.
    • Don’t use chlorine bleach to clean urine! When the ammonia in urine mixes with bleach, it can create chlorine gas, which can irritate your eyes, lungs, and nose. [15]
  4. Enzyme laundry detergents can break down and eliminate organic stains like urine. It’s also designed to clean stains at a lower temperature than traditional detergent, which helps avoid setting the stain into your clothes. [16]
    • Look for a detergent that lists protease as the active enzyme. It’s effective at breaking down protein-based stains like urine. [17]
    • An enzymatic laundry detergent is much better at knocking out odors than regular detergent. That said, adding ½ cup (118.3 mL) of baking soda to the washer can also help get rid of the urine smell.
  5. Depending on how bad the stain is and whether it dried before you could rinse it out, it may take a few washes to remove. If it still smells like urine, toss it back in with more enzyme laundry detergent for another wash.
    • Don’t dry the garment in the dryer until you’re sure the stain is completely gone. Remember, heat will set the stain.
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Section 3 of 3:

Urine Removal FAQs

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  1. An enzyme-based product is the very best cleaner for any type of urine stain. Other cleaners may be able to clean the stain but leave the odor behind or just mask it with fragrance. Because the enzyme cleaner breaks the urine down into molecules, it completely removes all traces of the stain—and the smell. [18]
    • Dish soap can help clean up a fresh stain, but it’s not as effective as an enzyme cleaner.
  2. OxiClean and other oxidizers like hydrogen peroxide can help remove the stain in the carpet. They also temporarily get rid of the odor because they kill the bacteria causing the smell. However, they don’t completely remove the urine, so the bacteria will regrow and bring the stink with it. [19]
    • Using an enzyme cleaner is usually your best bet for getting rid of urine odor.
  3. Many enzyme cleaners take from 24-48 hours to work. They need time to break down the urine. The more urine there is, the longer the cleaner will take to work. It may also take more than one application to make sure the cleaner reaches all the urine in the carpet. [20]
    • The only sure way to get urine stains and odors out of carpet is to replace it and the subfloor.
    • However, you can get good results by acting quickly and using an enzyme cleaner as directed.
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Expert Q&A

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  • Question
    What takes urine smell out of carpet?
    Haim Shemesh
    Carpet & Rug Cleaning Specialist
    Haim Shemesh is a Carpet and Rug Cleaning Specialist and the Owner of Sunlight Fine Rug Care & Restoration, a business based in New York City. Haim specializes in Oriental, Persian, handmade, and antique rug cleaning and repair. He also conducts rug restoration along with fire damage care. He has over 17 years of experience in the carpet cleaning industry. Sunlight Fine Rug Care & Restoration has been awarded Angie's List Super Service Award in 2017 and 2018. Their clients include Staples, Ace Hotel, Momofuku, Banana Republic, and more.
    Haim Shemesh
    Carpet & Rug Cleaning Specialist
    Expert Answer
    There’s nothing better than getting carpet cleaned professionally. Professional cleaning companies use a deodorizer built into the shampoo that they use, which helps neutralize the smells. Baking soda also has the ability to absorb smell. For example, we put baking soda in the fridge to absorb the smell of food. It can help a little bit.
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      Warnings

      • Avoid using a cleaning material that contains bleach so you don't accidentally bleach your carpet.
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      References

      1. ↑ Haim Shemesh. Carpet & Rug Cleaning Specialist. Expert Interview. 12 May 2020.
      2. ↑ https://www.today.com/home/how-remove-pee-urine-stains-clothing-furniture-t108472
      3. ↑ https://carpet-rug.org/carpet-stains-4-1-1-best-practices-for-removing-stains/
      4. ↑ https://www.nbcnews.com/better/lifestyle/how-get-stains-out-almost-anything-ncna885806
      5. ↑ Haim Shemesh. Carpet & Rug Cleaning Specialist. Expert Interview. 12 May 2020.
      6. ↑ https://www.bhg.com/what-is-an-enzyme-cleaner-7971625
      7. ↑ https://www.nbcnews.com/better/lifestyle/how-get-stains-out-almost-anything-ncna885806
      8. ↑ https://www.today.com/home/how-remove-pee-urine-stains-clothing-furniture-t108472
      9. ↑ https://www.today.com/home/how-remove-pee-urine-stains-clothing-furniture-t108472
      1. ↑ Kadi Dulude. House Cleaning Professional. Expert Interview. 22 September 2019.
      2. ↑ Haim Shemesh. Carpet & Rug Cleaning Specialist. Expert Interview. 12 May 2020.
      3. ↑ https://www.fixr.com/costs/pet-odor-removal-service
      4. ↑ https://www.homemadesimple.com/pet/how-to-get-rid-of-cat-pee-smell-a-guide/
      5. ↑ https://www.homemadesimple.com/pet/how-to-get-rid-of-cat-pee-smell-a-guide/
      6. ↑ https://missouripoisoncenter.org/some-things-just-dont-mix/
      7. ↑ https://thecatsite.com/c/how-to-get-cat-pee-smell-out-of-clothes-and-linens/
      8. ↑ https://www.rover.com/blog/do-enzymatic-cleaners-work/
      9. ↑ https://www.bhg.com/what-is-an-enzyme-cleaner-7971625
      10. ↑ https://cleanfax.com/oxidizers-win-the-urine-odor-battle-not-the-war/
      11. ↑ https://www.bhg.com/what-is-an-enzyme-cleaner-7971625

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