You can’t have a pet without having pet pee on your floor at some point! In fact, this is a very common occurrence when house training dogs and cats because it takes a while for them to learn what and where an appropriate indoor toilet is for them! In homes with a pet door or even a backyard where your pets can go outside to relieve themselves, peeing in the house is not much of a worry since they quickly become accustomed to going out to do their business. In apartments, on the other hand, having a litter box for your pets to pee and poop in is important because you may not always be able to take them outside in time. Cats, of course, are generally trained to use the litter box as their toilet regardless so it will have to be cleaned out routinely.
The major problem with a pet peeing in the house is that once they do it, the lingering odour encourages them to do it again, making that area their ‘spot’. What’s worse, the more they urinate in the same place, the stronger the smell gets. When pee odour in your home reaches this foul stage, the smell can really get around! Nevertheless, you can get rid of pee odour from carpet and tile floors by following the tips below. Read on!
Avoid Cleaning with Ammonia
A lot of people make this mistake because household ammonia is often used to clean surfaces and neutralise odours in the house. What they don’t realise is that even though urine contains a small amount of ammonia, the concentrated smell it emits is rather strong. Therefore, using ammonia in an attempt to clean and remove pee odour from your floor will only worsen the smell. In fact, a stronger ammonia smell can also attract your pets to the area and encourage them to urinate there.
Other household products like hydrogen peroxide, vinegar, and baking soda are also commonly used to clean pet pee, however, they are not very effective in removing the urine smell on your carpet or tile floor. Instead, they are secondary treatments that can be applied to fully neutralise pet pee odour after using an appropriate and effective method like the one below.
Pre-Treatment to Remove Pee Odour from Floor
The reason why many cleaning solutions do not get rid of pet pee smell from carpets and floor tiles is that most cleaning products including strong-fragranced detergents which merely cover up the smell as opposed to tackling it. This means that when the fragrance dies out, the pet pee odour returns, and sometimes with a vengeance! These temporary solutions may suffice if you’re in a hurry to hide the sudden smell of pet pee when visitors are going to be arriving soon, but eventually, you will have to deal with the real problem.
For both tile floors and carpeting, pre-treating with an enzyme-based cleaning product is advised to get rid of pee odour in your home before using any other cleaning solution to deodorise the area. The way this works is that enzymes attack bacteria and ammonia in urine to kill the smell rather than cover it up temporarily. In fact, these cleaning products are also recommended for removing carpet stains, especially if they are protein-based as enzymes eat away at them.
Follow the steps below to neutralise urine smell on carpets and tile floor with an enzyme-based cleaning product:
For a fresh pee puddle, soak up as much moisture from the floor using paper towels.
Apply the enzyme cleaner over the affected area; saturate completely for recurring or strong pee odour.
Using paper towels, blot the area and allow it to dry.
Observe the odour once it dries and repeat if necessary.
(For carpeting) If you have a carpet extractor, this is very effective as it will saturate the pee stain and suck up the dirty water, helping to remove traces of urine that may be causing the smell.
NOTE: This pre-treatment is advised for wet (with pee) or dry flooring.
Deodorise After Ridding Your Floor of Pet Pee Odour
Before you apply another cleaning solution to your carpet or tile floor to give it a pleasant smell, check for a lingering odour of pee. If a mild smell persists, mix equal parts of cold (or room temperature) water and distilled white vinegar; saturate the area with the solution and allow it at least 20 minutes of sitting time. Some of the cleaning solution may evaporate during this time but that’s okay. At the end of 20 minutes, apply more of the water-vinegar solution and soak it up using paper towels for carpet and a mop for floor tiles. This will help to neutralise the pee odour smell once and for all before you apply a scented cleaning product.
CARPETING:
To deodorise a carpet to forget that you ever had a bad case of pet pee odour on your floor, follow the steps below:
Allow the carpet to dry completely after using a pre-treatment or the vinegar solution on it.
Apply a carpet cleaning product or make your own solution by mixing 1 tablespoon of liquid laundry detergent in 2 cups of warm water.
Use a clean towel or a soft-bristled brush to work the cleaning solution into the carpet for a deep clean. Avoid rubbing or brushing in a harsh manner as this may damage the carpet fibres and/or weave.
Soak up some of the dampness with paper towels or a dry towel.
Dampen a sponge with water and wipe over the area to remove the solution. Rinse and repeat until all traces of soapiness are removed.
FLOOR TILES:
Cleaning and deodorising floor tiles are easier and quicker because carpeting requires special care to avoid damage. Here’s how to make your tile floor smell great again after it has been smelling of pet urine for a while:
Dilute a floor cleaning product as per the instructions on the label of the bottle or make your own solution by mixing 1 part liquid dish soap in 5 parts water. Stir well to create suds.
Sprinkle or spray the floor cleaner over the intended area; be generous with the solution.
Use a handheld brush to scrub the tiles, allowing the solution to lather or foam a bit. This may take a bit of elbow grease.
Leave the solution on the floor for about 5 minutes before wiping it up with paper towels. Skip this step if the floor has dried up already.
Use a wet mop or damp towel to rinse off the cleaning solution thoroughly. Check if the floor is slippery and repeat the rinse off if needed to avoid mishaps.
Rest assured that these tips are tried and tested solutions to get rid of pet pee odour from carpet and tile floors, however, the best thing you can do for your home and pets is to house train them at an early age. Also, it helps to wipe up pee immediately and neutralise the odour with white vinegar to prevent your pets from peeing in the same spot again.
- Teenage Bedroom Cleaning Checklist - 02/01/2024
- Is Hard Water Affecting Your Home & Health? - 09/10/2021
- How to Clean 6 Essential Baking Tools - 09/01/2021