Unpleasant smells in the home are often difficult to get rid of, but getting rid of urine smell can sometimes be a real challenge. There is no denying that the smell of urine in a home can be off-putting to residents and guests. This makes its elimination essential, using some effective remedies and cleaning methods with simple steps. To deal with this important matter, below you will find practical tips and cleaning methods that you can try yourself at home.
What factors to consider before removing urine smell?
If you have pets or struggle with incontinence, it can be difficult to remove urine stains and odors from clothing, bedding, and toilet bowls. There are the usual cleaning products you can buy in the store, but they don't always help. Acknowledging this pungent, nose-piercing smell is the first step to defeating it. Although this is an unsavory topic, it should be addressed and something done about it. In addition, it has become a priority for many people, gnarlyGet rid of odors in the home. For example, the bathroom should be a kind of sanctuary where you can comfortably brush your teeth topless, sing shamelessly in the shower and not have to smell an unpleasant hint of the smell of urine.
First, you should make sure your toilet is clean, although there are certain areas that are easy to miss. When routinely cleaning the bathroom, you often forget the caps on the toilet seat, as well as the area above and below the cistern, as well as the bidet attachment and the toilet seat cover. And what about the areas that are next to the toilet bowl? Sometimes children and men miss their goals when they have to go small. Additionally, bath mats, towels, stools, trash cans, extra rolls of toilet paper, baskets for toiletries, shelves, toilet brushes are also delicate items to consider. Here are some measures to take against it.
Get rid of stubborn odors in the bathroom or toilet
So you've been cleaning hard and the bathroom still smells like urine, but where could that be coming from? Plumbing is often also a possible culprit for persistent urine smell. This could get stuck in the seal of the toilet bowl, which can wear out after a few years and should be replaced. In this case, you may want to hire a professional or a really handy friend to do the job. Otherwise, you can take the following steps:
- First, scrub the toilet bowl inside and out, from top to bottom. You can either use a store-bought cleaner or just some dish soap and warm water. An old toothbrush works well as a cleaning tool to get into the nooks and crannies when you really need to. Be sure to follow the instructions on the label of the ready-to-use cleaner or wipe the toilet with a clean, wet rag to remove any soap residue.
- Then remove the toilet seat completely to get the hinges really clean.
- Use toilet cleaner on the inside of the bowl and treat all areas. Make sure everything goes under the lip around the edge of the bowl. Baking soda is suitable as a home remedy or bleaching agent. However, be careful with your eyes when using bleach and be sure to open bathroom windows, as well as turn on a fan for maximum ventilation if possible when cleaning with strong detergents.
- Complete the cleaning process by disinfecting your throne. Again, you can use home remedies like vinegar and baking soda to keep surfaces germ-free against bacteria if you want to remove urine smell.
Clean the area around the toilet bowl
It is not uncommon to find splashes of urine even outside the toilet bowl, as they can end up anywhere. Therefore, clean all objects that are in close proximity to your toilet, such as shelves, stools, trash cans, etc. Wash bath mats or bathroom rugs and also wipe the walls around the toilet. The floor is usually the culprit and should be properly cleaned of accumulated stains and odors.
- First, tidy up everything on the floor, remove the trash can, bath mats, and items left on the floor, such as cotton swabs.
- Sweep the floor surface or run a rag over it to capture and wipe away loose dirt, hair, and dust. Repeat this step if necessary to get a truly odor-free and clean surface.
- It may also be necessary to get on your hands and knees and place a wet, soapy rag on any gaps between your floor and the toilet. Be sure to wipe off any soap residue at the end with a clean, damp cleaning cloth.
- If the source of the urine smell is your drain, that should also be an easy fix. Again, remove anything stuck in the drain catcher, even if it's a large, wet, coarse clump of hair.
- Flush the drain with almost boiling water and dish soap. Distilled white vinegar can also be used as an effective odor neutralizer. However, you can also use a ready-made drain cleaning product here, although be sure to follow the instructions on the label to prevent any mishaps.
- You can yoursKeep your bathroom or toilet smelling fresh, by following the above steps regularly and deep cleaning the rooms weekly or monthly.
- Flush almost boiling water down the drain once a week to prevent odor buildup.
How to remove urine smell from home textiles and clothing
Regardless of whether it is human or cat urine, no one wants to smell urine in the living room. So, it is useful to know how to get such lingering odors out of carpets, mattresses and upholstered furniture. Urine is acidic and the longer it stays on fabrics, the more damage it can cause. This causes the odor-causing molecules to bind to the fibers. You will probably find that the most difficult urine smell to remove is when it comes from cats.
Additionally, a quick clean is always best and offers the greatest chance of removing all urine smell from carpets and other absorbent home textiles. While there are many commercial odor removal products on the market, the following methods use materials you probably already have on hand and contain fewer chemicals. As cleaning supplies, you can use the following cleaning supplies and home remedies, depending on what you need to clean:
- Kitchen paper or paper towels
- Distilled white vinegar
- Dishwashing detergent
- spray bottle
- Baking soda
- Hydrogen peroxide, 3%
- Vacuum cleaner
- Rubber gloves
- Waschmittel
- Hygienic rinser
How to get urine smell out of carpets
- If the carpet is still wet, blot up any urine with paper towels or paper towels as quickly as possible. You should wear rubber gloves and press fresh towels into the fibers with your weight until you no longer detect any moisture. However, do not use colored cloths or rags unless you are sure they are colorfast so that they do not stain the carpet.
- Then pour 1 cup of distilled white vinegar, 1 cup of water, and 2 teaspoons of dishwashing detergent into a spray bottle to make a cleaning solution. Label the mixture and have it ready for next time.
- Now spray the urine affected area with the vinegar solution until carpet feels moist enough.
- After that, start at the outer edges of the stain and work toward the center to prevent the stain from spreading. Use a clean cleaning cloth or carpet brush to work the vinegar solution deeper into the carpet fibers. Make gentle circular movements, using a clean area of the cloth at a time when you see that discoloration has transferred to the cloth.
- First, blot the cleaning solution with a dry cloth or paper towel.
- Next, fill a second spray bottle with clean water and spray the cleaned area thoroughly to rinse away the residue.
- Then blot with dry cloths until no more moisture can be seen and allow the area to air dry.
- Finally, use the vacuum cleaner to lift the fibers.
Can hydrogen peroxide remove a persistent urine smell?
If the urine stain is old or the smell remains, a solution containing hydrogen peroxide works well on a light-colored carpet. However, never use the stuff on dark carpets, as hydrogen peroxide is a mild bleach that can cause discoloration.
- First, in a spray bottle, mix 3 tablespoons of baking soda, 1 cup of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide, and two drops of dish soap. However, you should remix this combination each time you use it, as hydrogen peroxide breaks down quickly and loses its effectiveness when exposed to light.
- After that, shake the cleaning solution and spray the stain on the carpet.
- Let the stuff soak for about 30 minutes before blotting, rinsing, and air drying the carpet.
Getting urine stains and smells out of mattresses
- For fresh urine stains, even on a mattress, first blot the area with paper towels to absorb as much of it as possible.
- Then mix 1/2 teaspoon of heavy-duty laundry detergent with 1 cup of warm water.
- Dip a soft-bristled brush into the mixture and gently scrub the mattress from the outside of the stain toward the center.
- Afterwards, blot the area with a dry cloth to absorb any excess moisture.
- Now sprinkle a slightly thicker layer of baking soda onto the damp, cleaned stain. Allow the mattress to air dry for several hours.
- Once dry, use the upholstery attachment of a vacuum cleaner to remove the baking soda.
Get rid of persistent odors
Even in the case of a urine-stained mattress, older urine stains require more thorough cleaning, which can take up to 12 hours of drying time. Depending on the age of the stain and the biological components of the urine, you may need to use more than one cleaning method. However, you can also repeat the steps above to remove any persistent urine smell. Use one cleaner at a time until you notice the smell of urine is gone. Otherwise, you can try the following cleaning method:
- Make a paste of 1 cup baking soda and 1 tablespoon water and spread it over the urine stain. Use a soft-bristled brush to work the paste into the mattress fibers. Mix more as needed and allow the paste to air dry for at least four hours to allow it to absorb the urine odor molecules before vacuuming it up.
- Also, spray dirty areas on the mattress generously with pure distilled white vinegar. The vinegar smell is strong at first, but goes away as the mattress dries. To speed up the drying process, you can use circulating air.
- Urine stains can also be treated with 3 percent hydrogen peroxide. However, keep in mind that the mild bleach may discolor the mattress cover. In this case, too, let the mattress air dry.
How to remove the smell of urine from upholstered furniture
Removing urine odors from sofas and other upholstered furniture is a little trickier because there are many types of materials. If the upholstery can be cleaned with a wet solution, looking for a W or WS on the care label, you should proceed with homemade solutions. If the care label only recommends S (solvent) or
For fresh urine stains on sofas with a W or WS care label, you can follow the same steps as for a mattress. However, if the stains are older, you may want to test vinegar or hydrogen peroxide cleaning solutions on a hidden area first. This ensures that they do not discolor the upholstery. Also, always use the power of fresh air to speed up drying.
Remove the smell of urine from clothing
It is also very important to take the care label into account when it comes to clothing. For example, if the garment is only suitable for dry cleaning, you should consider this accordingly. Let them know the origin of the stain so they can take appropriate action. Otherwise, you can take the following steps for noraml washable clothing:
- If you cannot wash the garment immediately or the urine stains have dried, do a pre-soak bath by filling a sink or tub with enough water to cover the fabric.
- Then add one cup of baking soda per quart of water and let the fabric soak until you have time for a complete clean.
- Then, when washing, use the hottest water temperature recommended for the fabric. Add 1 cup baking soda and heavy-duty enzyme-based laundry detergent to the water. To disinfect the fabric, you can use hygienic cleaner, which is suitable for both white and forcolorful clothes that stink, it is safe to use. Chlorine bleach can also be used to disinfect white 100% cotton fabrics, following the instructions on the product label.
Now subject the clothing to a sniff test. If they still smell like urine, you should not put the clothes in a hot dryer. Heat can make the process more difficult if you want to remove the smell of urine from clothing. The safest option is to let everything air dry and then smell it again to make sure the smell is gone. However, if this is not the case, you can repeat the soaking and washing steps. Just be sure to use a high-quality detergent that contains enough enzymes to break the bonds of odor molecules from the fabric. Line drying outside can also help.
