If you have pets or infants at home, you’re no stranger to urine odor. But when that infamous pee smell starts emanating from your carpet, you need to take action quickly, otherwise, the urine scent may be with your carpet forever.
In this blog post, we outline a proven, step-by-step process you can use to get the offensive smell of pee out of any carpet. There’s a lot to cover so let’s begin!
Key Takeaways
First, determine which products you’ll need to get rid of the smell. Next, blot the urine spot till you’ve removed as much as you can.
Afterward, apply the carpet cleaner you chose. Once the cleaner has had enough time to break down the urine stain and smell, rinse the carpet thoroughly outdoors before letting it dry for 12-24 hours.
How to Get Old Urine Smell Out of Carpet
Step One: Gather Your Materials
You can use a range of cleaning products to get the urine smell out of the carpet. That said, some products are more effective than others, so choose wisely. Here’s a list of commonly used carpet cleaning products:
- Carpet Shampoo
- Baking soda
- Distilled white vinegar and water
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Dish detergent
Note: Make sure the cleaning solution you choose is safe for the kind of carpet you have. Stronger, chemical-based cleaners may get rid of the odor at the expense of damaging the carpet fibers.
Step Two: Blot the Urine Stain
Blotting the fresh urine stain is one of the most important parts of the process. If you handle this step properly, there’s a good chance you’ll get the odors and stains out completely.
Grab a clean cloth or some paper towels to soak up the urine. Yes, this can be tedious, especially if the stain is large, but it’s essential to get out as much urine as you can.
We recommend using paper towels because they can be thrown away once the urine has soaked in. With a cloth, you’ll have to rinse frequently, elongating the overall process.
And whatever you do, DON’T SCRUB the stain. It may be tempting, but scrubbing may damage the carpet and make the stain so it’s harder to remove.
After a few minutes of blotting, you should notice a reduction in the lingering smell.
Step Three: Apply Your Carpet Cleaning Solution
Once you’ve blotted out as much of the urine as possible, it’s time to apply the cleaning solution you chose.
Some solutions, like a vinegar and baking soda mix, should be poured directly on the stain. Others, like dish soap, should be dabbed on a clean cloth and gently rubbed in.
It’s best to dilute cleaning products that have a strong smell, like vinegar, otherwise, you may end up replacing the urine smell with another overwhelming smell.
Of course, the cleaning solution will need some time to break down the urine. Stronger products, like hydrogen peroxide and enzyme cleaner, work faster than home remedies.
In any case, let the cleaner sit for at least 20 minutes. Once it has, check to see if the urine smell is still noticeable. If it is, you may have to repeat the process.
Step Four: Rinse the Carpet
If you find that the cleaner has been successful at removing the pee smell, it’s time to thoroughly rinse off the carpet. This should be done outside.
Rinse the carpet until you no longer see sudsy water dripping off. It’s best to use cold water, as warm water could shrink the fibers.
Also, don’t blast the carpet with a powerful stream of water. Some people do this because they think it helps with removing the stain, but it just subjects the rug fibers to unnecessary danger.
Step Five: Let It Dry Naturally
Once the carpet has been thoroughly rinsed, let it dry for several hours. How long it takes a carpet to dry is based on a variety of factors, including its size, the material, and conditions outdoors.
A wet carpet will dry quicker if it’s hung. If you lay it flat, you run the risk of allowing mold to grow underneath.
Also, make sure your carpet doesn’t get a lot of direct sunlight, otherwise it may fade.
Finally, don’t expedite the drying process with a heat gun or hair dryer; these appliances damage most carpet fibers, especially delicate ones.
Once your carpet is dry through and through, whack it a few times with a carpet beater. This way you remove any dirt, dust, etc. that attached to the fibers while the carpet was drying.
Now you should have a spotless, fresh-smelling carpet!
Tips for Getting the Smell of Urine Out of Carpet
Use a Black Light to Identify Stains
If your carpet smells like pet urine, but you can’t pinpoint where the smell is coming from, purchase a black light wand. This inexpensive tool will reveal stains that are undetectable to the naked eye. It may even highlight damage you didn’t know was there!
Remove the Stain ASAP
To get the pee smell out of the carpet, you need to act fast. The longer the urine has to sit, the harder it’ll be to remove.
Hire Professional Carpet Cleaners
If your attempts to remove urine from the carpet haven’t yielded the results you want, consider hiring professional carpet cleaners. Their tools, experience, and know-how will allow them to get stains and smells out quickly and efficiently.
Final Thoughts
Getting the pee smell out of the carpet isn’t hard, so long as you don’t give the stain time to set.
First, select a cleaning product that’ll safely and efficiently get stains and odors out of your product. Next, blot the soiled area to remove as much urine as possible.
Once you’re through with blotting, apply your cleaning solution; this will combat the stain and the odor. Eventually, the urine smell should give way to the smell of a clean carpet.
Finally, give your carpet a good rinse before letting it dry outside for about 24 hours.
