How to get rid of urine smell on carpet

The problem of combating the smell of urine on carpets is relevant where there are pets, children or adults who, for health reasons, are unable to control the process of urination.

Moreover, the damage from failures in potty training a child is much less than from minor cat and dog dirty tricks.

The urine of a healthy child has virtually no odor, unlike that of an adult.

Absorbed into the carpet fibers, it leaves a characteristic heavy trace in the air. It is difficult to stay in such a room for a long time, and it is almost impossible to live without experiencing discomfort. Fortunately, there are effective methods for neutralizing unpleasant odors, including from carpets.

This article will look at ways to combat the smell of urine from carpets left by children, adults and pets, or to reduce negative sensations to a minimum.

What should you do first to remove smell from carpet?

When urine gets on the carpet pile, it tends to be quickly absorbed, and the smell eats away and intensifies.

The first thing to do is to localize the stain as soon as possible.
Next, the stain should be carefully blotted with a paper towel or rag.
Then the stain should be filled with a mixture of vinegar and water in a ratio of one to one, and covered with baking soda on top.
Leave the stain for about an hour and vacuum it after drying.

If the carpet pile is dark, so that the covering does not lose color, instead of soda you should use talc, chalk, table salt or potato starch.

IMPORTANT! In order not to damage the carpet, you should not use chlorine-containing products, such as “Whiteness”.

If the smell has not had time to be thoroughly absorbed, then, most likely, emergency measures will be effective, but if the stain has had time to be absorbed, most likely this will not be enough. In order to definitely get rid of the ingrained smell of urine, you first need to understand the nature and characteristics of each of the possible sources of unpleasant stench.

Have you ever removed urine smell from carpet?

Not really

Features of removing odor from urine

child

Three main components give persistence and specificity to the smell of children's urine: unichrome, uric acid and urea. Uric acid crystals give urine a foul odor. Their peculiarity is that when they get wet again, they do not dissolve in water, and only alkaline compounds can defeat them.

Important! Unichrome is responsible for the dark yellow color of the stain, and urea enhances the effect of uric acid, but unlike fetid crystals, it dissolves in water. Of these elements, uric acid is the most difficult to eliminate.

Over time, the crystals penetrate deeper into the pile, and the smell becomes stronger. Therefore, it is very important to remove a child’s urine stain as early as possible, having time to absorb it with several tablets of activated carbon, crushed into powder. Activated carbon absorbs remaining moisture and most of the odor.

If the stain is not fresh, then to remove it it is better to use baking soda powder, covering the stain for 1-2 hours. The area should first be rinsed with warm water and dried with paper towels.

Adult

As a rule, if urine stains from an adult remain on the carpets, then this is either a pensioner or a person with some kind of disease. The urine of such people has a specific unpleasant odor and instantly and deeply eats into the fabric and pile.

If you can deal with the aroma of a child's puddle with literally a couple of tablets of activated carbon, then in the case of an adult, you will most likely have to resort to special means. At a minimum - vinegar and soda.

But there is a high probability that this will not be enough, and the damaged surface will have to be washed in several stages.

Pets

But the first place in the ranking of the most pungent and unpleasant odors of urine is occupied by pets, especially cats. Due to its high ammonia content, cat urine has a persistent, pungent aroma that is very difficult to remove from any surface, but especially from carpet.

Attention! If the puddle on the carpet is the first, then the chance to get rid of the consequences is great, but if this is not done in time, the cat considers the territory marked and the carpet, dear to its heart, will have to be thrown away.

Dog urine does not smell as strong, but the smell is also unpleasant and specific, and stains require immediate removal. A fresh stain can be removed using a cloth soaked in bleach. 15 reliable ways to get rid of the smell of cat urine on the carpet can be found here.

ATTENTION! The stain must absolutely not be rubbed: in this way the stain is not only rubbed deeper into the pile, but also spreads beyond its original boundaries, becoming wider and deeper. It is only effective to blot the stain with a damp cloth, carefully removing urine from the surface of the carpet.

Then the carpet should be dried with a hairdryer or vacuumed, and finally ironed if the product has short pile. The main thing is not to use the iron on a wet spot. In this case, only water evaporates, and ammonia is retained in the fibers of the fabric, continuing to emit a foul aroma.

Reasons for the appearance of “aroma”

Before fixing the problem, let's find out the nature of its occurrence. The deep pile of carpets perfectly absorbs any moisture that gets on it, which becomes a problem for young parents or pet lovers. One puddle, of course, will not become a source of a sharp, repulsive “aroma.” But gradually accumulating, the liquid becomes concentrated and ceases to erode.

Many people believe that it can be eliminated with ordinary warm water. Such cleaning will not have any effect due to the composition of the excrement:

One of the components of the liquid is urea. It is indeed possible to remove it with ordinary running liquid, since urea dissolves quite easily;
the second component is unichrome. This is what gives the waste its yellow tint. It is a little more difficult to remove than urea, but it is possible. To do this, you need to use a regular detergent;
the third component is uric acid. It is this that gives the liquid such an unpleasant “aroma”. Unfortunately, this substance cannot be dissolved in water or alcohol. Therefore, to clean it it is necessary to use alkaline solutions.

Although cleaning with simple detergents will give an effect, it will only be temporary. Therefore, the issue needs to be approached radically.

Cleaning woven carpet at home

The problem of cleaning a woven carpet at home can be solved with the help of products that are found in almost every kitchen, every bathroom or medicine cabinet. The main thing is that the product is based on acid and alkali.

So a woven rug can be washed with laundry soap or soaked in a solution of water with table vinegar or vodka for 15-20 minutes. You can try to remove dried, old stains on light-colored woven rugs using hydrogen peroxide.

Among the professional products suitable for home use are Vanish, Udalix Ultra, and Belizna.

ATTENTION! You should use professional carpet cleaning products, especially “Beliznaya”, strictly according to the instructions, so as not to spoil or lighten the pile.

How to clean carpet with adhesive backing?

When cleaning a carpet with an adhesive backing, the main thing is not to damage the bottom layer by excessive exposure to moisture. A solution of baking soda in a small amount of water is ideal for cleaning such coatings. The solution is applied to the stain and, when dried, absorbs dirt and odors. Then the remaining solution must be removed with a vacuum cleaner.

After cleansing with baking soda, you can use lemon juice. To avoid damaging the coating, apply through a spray bottle and wipe with paper napkins.

Advice! As for household chemicals for carpets with adhesive backing, “Drop Vox” is perfect. The foam is applied to the problem area and, after final drying, is collected with a vacuum cleaner. There is no need to rinse off the product.

What are the types of stains on the carpet?

Types of dirt on carpets are divided into 2 types: dry and wet dirt. To remove dry dirt (sand, dirt entering the apartment from the street), use a vacuum cleaner. To get rid of wet dirt and stains, you need to use household chemicals and various solutions.

In turn, wet mud is divided into 2 types:

dissolves in water;
dissolves only in special solutions.

Some of them are problematic to remove, since dirt is absorbed into the structure of the carpet and stains the fibers of the carpet, for example, stains from various drinks, traces of blood. To clean a carpet, you need various folk or chemical remedies that remove remaining stains from the fibers.

Stains are also divided into ingrained or simple. The difference between them is that simple contaminants are absorbed only into the surface of the rug, while ingrained contaminants penetrate deep into the fibers.

How not to ruin the carpet?

There are several simple rules, following which, you are more likely not to take the carpet to the trash. Even if the urine stain turns out to be difficult to remove:

Correctly determine the type and composition of the carpet that needs cleaning. The most unpretentious ones are synthetic carpets, in particular those made of acrylic or nylon. If the composition contains natural fabrics: wool, linen, cotton, jute, then cleaning must be approached especially delicately. Otherwise, the product will be damaged.
Carpets made of wool, viscose and any adhesive-based products are unlikely to survive intensive wet cleaning: under the influence of moisture, the glue is deformed and the carpet accordingly deteriorates.
Before using a new composition or chemical to remove stains from a carpet, it must be tested on a small, inconspicuous area. And only if after a while it does not appear as stains, stains or damaged pile, the product can be used to clean other areas of the carpet from urine stains.
Under no circumstances should you clean the carpet with a hard brush. Otherwise, there is a chance to rub the dirt and smell even deeper, damaging the pile, dye and structure of the fabric.
After spraying the cleaning composition onto the stain, it is better not to rub it, but simply blot it with a white paper napkin. If the product is effective, the napkin will take on the color of the stain.
When diluting a chemical composition, it is necessary to use clean water and strictly follow the instructions prescribed by the manufacturer. Any deviation can minimize the result of the procedure, or irreversibly damage the carpet.
Before using wet cleaning compounds, the carpet must be cleaned of loose dirt using a vacuum cleaner.
Dry the cleaned carpet in a well-ventilated area, reducing the humidity level if possible.
Sometimes it is immediately clear that cleaning the carpet yourself will be problematic: either the material is quite capricious, or the room is damp and poorly ventilated, or the stain and smell of urine are deeply ingrained and cannot be washed out with usual means. In this case, it is better not to neglect the services of professional dry cleaners. The likelihood that a carpet will come back damaged from dry cleaning is much lower than after home treatments.

Basic methods and recommendations

To date, two cleaning methods have been developed:

Treating the dirty area with rinse-off products.
Wet cleaning method with removal of products using a vacuum cleaner.

Each of them is suitable for a specific type of carpet.

Treating the stain and then rinsing it off

Suitable exclusively for woven products. Helps quickly remove stains without damaging the carpet structure.

Wet cleaning with removal of product using a vacuum cleaner

Designed for adhesive-based carpets.

How to clean a carpet with folk remedies?

Folk remedies for cleaning carpets from the smell of urine involve using products that are found in almost every apartment. They are easy to use and effective, especially if the stain is fresh.

Folk remedies include laundry soap, hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, lemon juice, vinegar and all kinds of chlorinated compounds. The use of each of these means has its own characteristics.

Laundry soap

Laundry soap has long established itself among housewives as a universal, inexpensive and effective stain remover. In the case of urine stains, the alkali actively corrodes the urea and removes it from the pile along with the remaining odor:

A solution of laundry soap is best made in a ratio of 2-3 tablespoons of soap shavings per 1 liter of water. You can add 15 ml of 70 percent vinegar.
Apply the composition to the stain, preferably from a spray bottle.
Leave for 30-40 minutes, possibly 1 hour if the stain is stubborn.
Then moisten a soft brush in the same solution and wipe the treated area.
Rinse with clean water.
Dry and vacuum.

IMPORTANT! This method of removing urine stains is not suitable for viscose, wool or any adhesive-based carpets.

Hydrogen peroxide

Cleaning with hydrogen peroxide is suitable for light-pile carpets.

Hydrogen peroxide should be mixed with dishwasher detergent, preferably Fairy, in a ratio of 2 tablespoons per bottle of peroxide.
Gently apply the foam to the stain with a clothes brush.
Leave for 15 minutes and then rinse with a solution of vinegar and water in a ratio of 3 teaspoons of essence per liter of water.
Dry.

This method will not only help get rid of old marks with fetid odors, but will significantly improve the appearance of the carpet: it will make it brighter and raise the pile.

Baking soda

Using baking soda, you can remove not only fresh, but also stubborn stains. The easiest way is to cover the stain with a thick layer of powder. Wait until the powder turns yellow.

Sweep away the baking soda and apply a new clean coat. Do this until the baking soda in the area of the stain remains white. As a rule, this happens after 2-3 approaches. Wait for the composition to dry and vacuum it.

To remove stubborn urine stains with baking soda, apply a thick mixture of baking soda and a few drops of water. Leave for about half an hour. Vacuum the remains.

REFERENCE! If you add a couple of drops of essential oil to a mixture of baking soda and water, the solution will not only clean the stain from the carpet, but will also mask the smell for a long time, discouraging, for example, a pet from wanting to shit in the wrong place.

You can find 6 traditional recipes on how to clean a carpet with baking soda at home here.

Lemon juice

Lemon juice is considered a natural stain remover due to its ability to corrode stains of any complexity and consistency. And the aroma of lemon can repel and mask the smell of urine. Used undiluted. Simply soak the stain for 2 hours and then rinse with water. After drying, vacuum it.

Vinegar

Thanks to its persistent, pungent odor, it is an ideal remedy for combating persistent cat marks. It not only eliminates the smell of urine, but also discourages four-legged animals from using the same area on the carpet as a toilet.

Simply spray the essence onto the carpet and let it dry. Next, you can wipe the entire carpet with a weak vinegar solution in the ratio of 1 liter of water to 1 teaspoon of vinegar. Dry.

Vinegar is an indispensable assistant when cleaning the microwave and washing machine, and when washing the refrigerator.

Lemon acid

Not the most effective method, especially in combating animal urine odors. The aroma of lemon can only mask the unpleasant odor until the first airing. Apply undiluted citric acid to the stain and leave for 15-20 minutes. Rinse with water. Citric acid is also useful when cleaning the washing machine and iron from scale.

Cleaning with vodka

Spray vodka through a spray bottle onto the stain. Wash the carpet with a soft brush. Dry and vacuum.

If the carpet has long pile, the stain can be covered with salt. Pour vodka on top. Leave overnight. In the morning, rinse and dry.

The method is not suitable for those who cannot stand the smell of alcohol.

Iodine and potassium permanganate

A mixture of iodine, potassium permanganate and water can not only easily fight stains, but also effectively remove odors, due to the breakdown of uric acid salts into compounds that are soluble in liquid.

For the solution, you need to dilute 2-3 grams in a liter of water. potassium permanganate and 1 teaspoon of iodine.
Thoroughly treat the stain with the resulting mixture.
Rinse and dry.

IMPORTANT! This method is absolutely not suitable for light-pile carpets.

Soda, salt and vinegar

Multi-stage carpet cleaning with these products helps not only to fight off strong odors, but also to effectively combat yellow stains. Salt crystals absorb foul odors along with moisture:

First, the stain should be covered with soda mixed with salt in a one-to-one ratio.
Leave for 40 minutes.
Vacuum.
Then apply a solution of soda with a few drops of vinegar essence.
Wait until completely dry.

A solution based on citrus juices and oils

Citrus juices and essential oils are great for eliminating the smell of urine. They can be added to a solution of soda, vinegar, peroxide or alcohol-containing products. This way, not only the smell of urine is masked, but also the strong aroma of alcohol, for example.

Advice! Lemon juice can be used as an independent natural stain remover. The main thing to remember is that citrus juices can give a yellowish tint to light-colored piles.

Chlorinated compounds

Treating urine stains with chlorinated compounds is one of the most effective methods of odor control. But cleaning carpets with chlorinated compounds requires special care: chlorine vapors not only have a pungent odor, but can also harm the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract.

The pungent smell of bleach repels pets, but to prevent the animal from getting poisoned, the carpet must be thoroughly rinsed with clean water after treatment with a chlorinated compound.

Do you use traditional recipes for cleaning carpets?

Not really

Review of professional products

Despite the popularity of traditional methods of removing urine odor from carpets, the range of modern professional carpet cleaning products allows you to choose the most effective and safe method of combating unpleasant odors.

IMPORTANT! The product to combat urine odor must contain enzymes that break down ammonia.

Urine Off

Cat urine stain remover. Contains bioenzymes. Uric acid crystals are absorbed by a combination of enzymes and bacteria. This makes Urine off particularly effective in combating unpleasant odors. Safe for both adult cats and kittens.

Just for Cats Stain Odor Remover

A product for removing stains and odors left by other animals. It is characterized by an absolutely natural composition. Contains bioenzymes. A specific aroma, not detected by the human sense of smell, prevents the appearance of new cat marks on treated surfaces.

Important! Effective against old stubborn stains. The product can be used not only on carpets, but also on fabrics, hard surfaces, sleeping areas, and pet carriers.

Pet Stain Odor Remover

A safe, effective product for cleaning carpets, upholstered furniture, floors and other surfaces from stains left by pets. Effectively eliminates odors, including urine odor. It is enough to spray the product onto the stain from a distance of 15 cm, wait 5 minutes and gently wipe with a napkin.

Odor Kill Stain Remover

Concentrated product for effective removal of odors, including from carpets. Diluted with water in the ratio of 20 ml of product per 1 liter of water.

Reference! Apply to the stain and then wipe with a dry cloth or vacuum. It has a natural composition that is safe for animals and children. Has a pleasant vanilla aroma.

Dezosan

An effective means of removing any animal odors from any surfaces, including carpets. Available in containers of 500 and 1000 ml. Dissolves in water. Before use, test on an inconspicuous area of the carpet.

ZooSan

The “ZooSan” detergent has proven itself as an effective stain remover. It is used in premises where animals are kept. Used for cleaning floors, enclosures, carriers, cages, and upholstered furniture.

The manufacturer allows the product to be used also for carpets, but numerous customer reviews indicate that Zoosan is not suitable for cleaning delicate carpets.

Bio-GM

Odor remover from JSC “Mozhkhim”. It perfectly removes unpleasant odors, including the smell of ammonia. It has a completely natural composition. Harmless to people, plants and animals.

Advice! After shaking before use, apply the product to the stain. Wipe with a dry cloth. Using special packaging you can spray indoors. Odors are removed on average in half an hour.

Zoovorsin

Concentrated product for removing stains and odors from animal activity from fabrics, carpets, upholstered furniture, and carriers. The action of Zoovorsin has a dry cleaning effect. In order to cope with stains and odors of animal urine, it only takes a few minutes.

Apply using a spray bottle and a soft brush or sponge. Leave for 5 minutes and then clean with a dry cloth or vacuum cleaner. Pre-test on an inconspicuous area of the carpet to avoid dye fading. Available in the form of a 500 ml spray bottle.

Udalix

Udalix offers a wide range of cleaning products for all kinds of surfaces, including carpets. The Udalix Ultra product in the line is perfect for cleaning carpets. Release form: 100 g packet of powder. or a round jar with a volume of 500 g. The consumption is economical: one 100-gram sachet is enough for 30 sq.m.

Reference! Particularly effective in cleaning carpets and rugs with short or medium pile. Hypoallergenic. Effectively copes with both urine stains and unpleasant odors.

Cinderella

Russian inexpensive product for cleaning carpets and upholstery. Available in two forms: spray and shampoo.

Spray the spray onto the stain and wipe with a soft cloth.
Dilute the shampoo with clean water at the rate of 60 ml. products for 4 liters of water.
Beat the foam and apply to the carpet.
Vacuum.

Before use, be sure to test the product on an inconspicuous area.

Cleansan

“San Clean” is a concentrated cleaner for cleaning carpets, upholstery and car interiors.

Before use, the product should be tested on an inconspicuous area.
Then vacuum the surface to be cleaned and apply San Clean Universal 2000 to the surface of the stain using a soft sponge.
Leave for 5 minutes.
Then wipe thoroughly with a damp sponge.

The concentrate can be diluted in water in a ratio of 1:2, where one is the product, 2 is water. Beat the foam and apply to the carpet in a circular motion. Leave overnight. Vacuum in the morning.

Important! The product is effective in combating stains and odors from all kinds of contaminants, including urine.

Cleaning Tips

To ensure that the fight against stains and urine odor on carpets is as effective and safe as possible, you should not neglect some tips.

It is necessary to begin the fight against the stain immediately after its discovery. To do this, blot the contaminated area with a paper napkin, cover it with baking soda, or use one of the professional cleaning products.
Do not rub the stain diligently with a hard brush - this will rub the uric acid crystals deep into the pile, and it will become more difficult to remove the smell.
Do not soak the stain with water. If possible, when cleaning a carpet, you should use as little water as possible: not all carpets tolerate wet cleaning. Plus, water can spread the stain over a larger surface.
If there is dry debris on the carpet in addition to the stain, it must be collected using a vacuum cleaner or broom, having first assessed the size of the puddle.
Any new chemical composition, and ideally even laundry soap, must first be tested on a small, inconspicuous area of the carpet in order to predict the consequences for the dye and the structure of the pile. This is especially true for chlorine-containing and any professional carpet cleaning products.
When choosing a method for removing urine stains from a carpet, you should first of all focus on the material, the length of the pile, and the color of the product. An incorrectly chosen cleaning method can cause irreparable damage to the carpet, leaving stains or bald spots on it.
To make carpet cleaning from urine stains as effective as possible, it is better to use several methods in combination, using both folk remedies and professional ones.
Most likely, if there is an adult or pet urine stain on the carpet, cleaning will have to be carried out in several stages. Baby urine stains come out almost immediately. In infants, urine has no odor.
Carpet cleaning using toxic chemicals is best done when children and pets are away from the room. After cleaning, rinse the carpet thoroughly.
It is better to dry the cleaned carpet in a well-ventilated area, preferably with open windows. Humidity levels should be controlled whenever possible.

Chemical compositions

You can remove the foul odor from the carpet using modern industrial means. They act faster and more effectively than traditional recipes. The only disadvantage of chemicals is the ability to cause an allergic reaction. Young children are especially susceptible to this, so be sure to read the instructions before purchasing a chemical composition.

Many industrial solutions not only eradicate the source of stench - uric acid crystals, but also additionally kill pathogenic microflora.

When to turn to professionals?

Despite the wide selection of effective products for cleaning carpets from the smell of urine, there are situations in which it is better not to delay contacting a professional dry cleaner.

If the carpet is made of delicate natural material, or if it is quite difficult to determine the type and composition of the material yourself. Mistakes during home carpet cleaning much more often lead to irreversible consequences than during professional dry cleaning.
If the stain is very old and deeply ingrained, you can try your luck and choose a home cleaning product. But it is better, after assessing the situation, to immediately take the product to the dry cleaner. Professional cleaners will be able to help where even the most effective household chemicals are powerless.
If there are allergy sufferers, asthmatics, or people with chronic skin or respiratory diseases in the house, especially in the acute stage, it is better to entrust carpet cleaning to professionals.
The same goes for small children and delicate breed pets. Poisoning and burns from substances that cannot be avoided when cleaning a carpet are best predicted in advance.
If it seems that the carpet is hopelessly damaged by experiments with folk or household chemicals, you should not rush to take it to the trash. There is always a chance that a professional dry cleaner will be able to revive your favorite item, ridding it of stains and the smell of urine.

Precautionary measures

Baking soda is a harmless and environmentally friendly material, but after using it, the rug needs to be thoroughly dried so that not a single area remains wet. Carelessness will lead to the development of microorganisms in the pile. The product will acquire an unpleasant odor, mold will appear on it and can be thrown away. In addition, mold spores, once in the respiratory tract, can cause various diseases.

Dry soda is a powder, so it should be used with caution if family members have allergies or asthmatics. In healthy people, getting the powder into the respiratory tract will only provoke a cough, but there is nothing good about that either.

As for vinegar, it is better to work with it in rubber gloves, otherwise you can burn your delicate skin. When using sprays, you need to make sure that the drug does not get into your eyes, mouth and nose.

Preventive measures

Simple prevention will help you avoid radical and not always effective measures to remove urine odor from the carpet.

You should carefully monitor the condition of the carpet. Carry out dry and, if possible, wet cleaning regularly.
You can add a couple of drops of essential oils to the composition for wet cleaning of carpets: they will give the carpet a pleasant aroma and will be an excellent preventative against regular toileting of pets. In addition, pets are repelled by the smells of alcohol and bleach.
Do not neglect preventive dry cleaning services: fabric fibers and villi, even after the most effective cleaning, retain compounds that only professional cleaners can remove. To prevent these compounds from accumulating, creating favorable conditions for the proliferation of parasites and increasing unpleasant odors, carpets should be dry cleaned at least once a year.
Carpets should be aired more often. In order for the coating to retain its presentable appearance for as long as possible, despite any contamination, including uric acid, you should carefully consider storage conditions: temperature, humidity.
If possible, keep pets out of carpeted rooms.

Unfortunately, even the cleanest animals can accidentally ruin their favorite carpet. But if suddenly trouble could not be avoided, there is always the opportunity to choose exactly the method of dealing with the smell of urine that will meet all the needs and capabilities of the owner of the carpet.

Dry cleaning

Another option for professional washing is to use dry cleaning services. The downside of such an event is the hassle and high price; the litter must be brought to specialists, and then the clean product must be picked up. However, such washing will help eliminate any marks, stains, stench; the effectiveness of professional chemicals cannot be compared with home methods.