5 Tried-and-True Methods to Get Rid of Urine Smells at Home
Accidents happen. The two-word motto is popular amongst parents and caregivers worldwide because it is a universal experience. As a mother of three myself, I know that while those accidents can range from spilled milk to skinned knees, sometimes they can be a bit more unpleasant and include bathroom-related missteps, such as urinary incontinence.
When not addressed quickly and thoroughly, these accidents can leave behind an unpleasant reminder, like an eye-watering smell that can be hard to eliminate. Fortunately, there are a few tried-and-true methods for getting rid of the smell of urine used by parents and professional cleaners alike. Keep reading to learn how to get rid of urine smell.
Tackle urine messes as soon as you discover them.
One of the best ways to get rid of the smell of urine is to clean up any accidents as soon as they happen. “The key to tackling these messes effectively is acting fast,” explains Taylor Riley, founder of Boom Facility Service Advisors and co-owner of Impact Cleaning Professionals.
But as anyone who has been in this situation before knows, that’s not always possible. Between overnight incontinence, and the emotional needs of the person who had the accident — a potty-training child may be so upset by their accident that they need some consoling and cleaning up themselves — sometimes these messes can sit for a bit before they’re addressed.
“The most important step is to blot up as much of the urine as possible right away using paper towels,” Riley says. “This prevents the liquid from penetrating deeper into carpets, furniture, or grout. The longer urine has to set, the harder it becomes to remove both the stain and the lingering odor.”
Paper towels are a great choice because you can throw them away when you’re done, immediately removing one of the sources of the urine smell from your house. Of course, you may need a lot of them — especially if you’re dealing with incontinence from an adult or older child whose messes are bigger than a young child — which can get expensive.
If you’re opting to use old rags or towels instead, my go-to trick for quickly getting rid of the smell of urine while I clean is to rinse them as I go, tossing them in the tub while I grab fresh ones to keep cleaning up.
Use the right cleaning products.
Riley says his go-to products for cleaning urine messes all have one thing in common: enzymes. “These cleaners work by breaking down the proteins in urine that cause odor and stains,” he explains. “Unlike standard cleaners that may mask the smell temporarily, enzymes target and neutralize the source of the odor.”
“Products like Nature’s Miracle Urine Destroyer Plus are particularly effective because they not only clean the surface, but also prevent the smell from returning,” Riley continues. If you’re using one of these products, you’ll want to follow the manufacturer’s directions for the best results.
You may also want to try a product specifically designed for your unique problem. For example, if your urine smells are isolated to around the toilet — typically a common complaint from parents of young boys who are still working on their aim — you may want to purchase a tile and grout cleaner specifically designed for cleaning those kinds of messes.
Create a DIY cleaning solution.
If you’re racing against the clock to clean up an accident and don’t have time to run to the store, some popular DIY methods involve ingredients you likely already have in your home.
Before having kids, I used a combination of baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and vinegar to deal with my aging cat’s litter box accidents. Because it worked so well for my cat, I continued to use it when I became a first-time mom and needed a quick way to clean those overnight diaper leaks on the mattress.
First, blot up the mess like Riley describes above. Then, cover the area with a dusting of baking soda, letting it sit until the powder clumps up (a sign that it’s absorbing the extra liquid beneath it), which typically takes about 10 to 20 minutes.
Next, add vinegar to the baking soda. You can either pour it directly onto the powder, or you can use a spray bottle to avoid soaking the fabric further. This was my preferred method, as I didn’t want so much vinegar seeping into the mattress that I’d still be able to smell it after it dried.
The vinegar and baking soda will react with one another, creating a fizzy mess. After a few minutes, the fizzing will slow down and you can begin blotting this up as well, swapping out your rag for a fresh one once it becomes saturated so you’re not spreading the mess.
If the smell was gone but the stain was not I would always follow up with a layer of hydrogen peroxide, applying it to the mix after the last step, dousing the fabric, and then using another collection of clean rags to sop it up.
Call in the pros for old or stubborn urine stains and smells.
As I said, sometimes you don’t discover the urine until hours after it’s happened, or in cases when you’re dealing with someone who may be embarrassed and hiding their accidents, days.
Those stains and odors can be especially hard to get rid of, as they’ve had time to seep deep into the surface, beyond where Riley says standard cleaning methods can reach. “In cases where the urine has soaked too deeply, or if the smell persists after cleaning, it may be necessary to call in a professional cleaner or even replace the affected materials.”
Prevent accidents from happening in the first place.
Parents and caregivers know the importance of limiting water before bedtime or having children make that one last potty break before they go to sleep, but sometimes those behavioral changes aren’t enough.
If you’re in a position where you know you’ll be dealing with frequent accidents, barrier methods are a great way to help keep urine from seeping into soft surfaces, eliminating those deep-down odors. From mattress protectors to disposable bed liners like Chux Pads, putting an added layer between your surfaces can help drastically reduce the amount of urine that gets into the fibers, preventing the smell from taking hold in the first place.
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