How to Get Rid of Urine Smell

Co-authored by Laura Smith and Jennifer Mueller, JD

Last Updated: November 22, 2022 References Approved

As you've likely noticed, the smell of urine can linger long after the mess has been cleaned up. While it might seem like nothing gets rid of it, it's actually pretty easy to get rid of urine smell. You just need to get something that will break down uric acid—that's what causes the odor. Plain soap and other household cleaners can't completely eliminate uric acid, and as long as it's still around, the smell will still be around as well. Here, we've gathered some great methods you can use to get rid of that awful urine odor wherever it's coming from.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Removing Urine Smell from Mattresses or Furniture

1
Blot the area to absorb as much of the urine as possible. If you come upon fresh urine, use a thick towel to soak up as much of the urine as you can. Blot lightly so that you don't press the liquid deeply into the fabric.^{[1]
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- It helps to fold the towel so you can continually refold it to use a dry side when one side gets damp.
- After you're done, the towel will probably stink, but that's a good thing. It means the thing you've blotted hasn't absorbed the smell—the towel has. After a good wash, the towel should be fine. But just to be safe, maybe don't use your favorite towel.
2
Spray on a fabric odor eliminator for a quick fix. If you don't have time to fully treat the area, a fabric odor eliminator will cover up the smell in a pinch. Keep in mind, though, that these products don't actually solve your problem—they just freshen things up for a short time. You'll still need to go back and clean the area at some point if you truly want to completely eliminate the odor.^{[2]
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3
Clean the spot with a 50/50 mixture of white vinegar and water. Put your mixture in a squirt bottle so you can easily spray it on the surface. The vinegar breaks down the uric acid in the urine and also cleans the stain. Leave the mixture to air dry.^{[3]
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- Diluted vinegar is generally safe for fabrics, but if you're concerned, do a spot test in an inconspicuous area before you apply it to the urine stain.
- You can set a fan to blow on the spot if you want to try to speed up the drying process. Don't use a hairdryer, though—heat can make the odor worse.
4
Sprinkle baking soda on the fabric to absorb the odor. If the spot is dry to the touch, wipe it down with a wet rag first so the baking soda will stick where you want. Use a soft fabric brush or a washcloth to lightly scrub the baking soda into the surface of the fabric.^{[4]
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- Let the baking soda sit for 5-10 hours, then vacuum it up. It works best if it's uncovered, but you might need to move the furniture or cover the spot with a laundry hamper or something similar so no one messes with the spot.
5
Spray the spot with an enzymatic cleaner if the smell lingers. Buy an enzymatic cleaner online or wherever cleaning supplies are sold. Follow the instructions on the product bottle to apply the cleaner. Typically, you'll simply saturate the surface with the cleaner, then rub it in with a towel or washcloth.^{[5]
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- This is the least labor-intensive option, so if this is a regular occurrence, it's better to just invest in a bottle of cleaner and use it first instead of trying other methods.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Cleaning Urine on Floors

1
Wipe wood, tile, and other hard floors with a paper towel and basic floor cleaner. If there's a puddle, use a paper towel to soak it up and get it off the floor. Use whatever floor cleaner you normally use to clean the spot after you've soaked up the puddle.^{[6]
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- As long as you caught it pretty quickly and the liquid didn't soak into the floor, this should be all you need to do.
2
Rub water and baking soda paste into unsealed hard surfaces. Pour a little baking soda into a bowl, then dribble water into the baking soda and stir it well. Keep adding water until you've formed a thick paste. Rub this paste into the surface with a sponge or cloth.^{[7]
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- Wait until the paste has completely dried, then wipe it off with a clean, damp cloth. If there's still some remaining odor, repeat the process.
- You may want to put a box or other container upside down over the spot, especially if it's in a high-traffic area, to keep people from walking on it or pets from messing with it.
3
Spray an enzyme-based cleaner on carpets or rugs. You can buy these cleaners online or wherever cleaning or pet products are sold. Pet urine is much stronger than human urine, so pet products will work just fine for human urine as well.^{[8]
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- Follow the application instructions on the bottle. While specifics differ among brands, they usually tell you to simply saturate the area in the cleaner and let it dry—that's it!
- Some products tell you to rub the cleaner into the surface with a rag to produce a lather, then wipe the excess lather off.
- Enzymatic cleaners also work well to get rid of urine smells outside, particularly on man-made surfaces.
4
Sprinkle baking soda on the area for long-term odor elimination. Sprinkle baking soda on and around the area whenever you're doing your regular cleaning. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes, then vacuum it up.^{[9]
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- The baking soda will help pick up any lingering odor. In carpets or rugs, simply leaving a little baking soda in the fibers can keep the area fresh. Just rub it in well so that it's not immediately visible.
5
Hire a professional cleaner for old or deeply embedded stains. If you've tried everything and still have an odor, a pro will know what to do. When you call the company, give them all the details about the problem, including how long the spot has been there and everything you've done so far to try to get rid of it.^{[10]
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- You might also be able to rent a wet vacuum or carpet cleaner from your local discount or home improvement store. Don't run steam cleaners with hot water if you still have an odor—they'll lock in the odor and make it even more difficult to remove.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Getting Urine Smell out of Clothing and Other Fabrics

1
Check the item's care label to see if it's machine washable. The care label will also give a water temperature. If you need to wash several items, compare the water temperatures—you'll want to wash them at the warmest temperature recommended that won't harm any of your items.^{[11]
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Federal Trade Commission
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- If the item says "dry clean only," don't take any chances—take it to your local dry cleaner as soon as possible for your best chance at removing the stain and odor. Make sure you tell them the source of the stain so they can treat it properly.
2
Add baking soda to the machine and wash as usual. Put only the urine-soiled items in the machine along with a whole box of baking soda and your regular detergent. Run the machine on the warmest possible cycle for the items you're washing.^{[12]
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The Humane Society of the United States
National organization devoted to the promotion of animal welfare
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- You can also use a bleach detergent if it's safe for the fabrics you're washing.^{[13]
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- When the cycle's over, check to see if the smell's still there. If it is, run the items through the wash again. It'll be much harder to get the odor out if you let them dry.
3
Use an enzyme-based detergent if the baking soda doesn't work. Enzyme-based products break down the uric acid in the urine to permanently eliminate the odor Enzymatic laundry detergent is available wherever regular laundry detergent is sold—your best bet is to look for ones that have "bio" or "enzymatic" in the name.^{[14]
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- Many major laundry detergent brands have enzymatic products. If you're partial to a particular brand, chances are they also make an enzymatic version you can use to get rid of urine smell.
4
Soak hand-washable items in warm water with an enzymatic laundry product. For this, it's better to use a product specifically designed for hand-washing rather than a machine detergent. Machine detergents might be too harsh and could damage the fabric.^{[15]
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- You can also use this soak to pretreat items that you're going to wash in the machine.^{[16]
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5
Air dry your items outdoors if possible. Fresh air and sunshine will really help get that odor out of the fabric. Hang your items on a line so they'll blow in the breeze.^{[17]
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Trustworthy Source
The Humane Society of the United States
National organization devoted to the promotion of animal welfare
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- Even if it's not possible to hang your laundry outside, it's still better to air dry them inside than to put them in the dryer. Heat isn't great for urine and might cause the smell to come back even if you think it's gone.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Eliminating Urine Smells in the Bathroom

1
Spray your toilet down with undiluted white vinegar. Pour some white vinegar into a spray bottle and spray it generously all over your toilet, including the sides, under the bowl, and all over the lid. Let it sit for about 15 minutes to disinfect your toilet and break down any urine that's spilled out.^{[18]
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- You can also pour vinegar in the toilet bowl and follow up with a little baking soda. The mixture will instantly foam up and you can use the foam to scrub the inside of the bowl with your toilet brush.
- Cleaning your toilet at least once a week will keep your bathroom clean and fresh and help control odor.^{[19]
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  Research source} If you see urine on or around the toilet, wipe it up immediately to help keep the urine smell at bay between toilet cleanings.
2
Wipe the vinegar off with a clean rag or paper towel. If you or someone else in your home is sensitive to the smell of vinegar, you might want to do this more than once until the smell is gone. Still, vinegar smell is better than urine smell, right?^{[20]
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3
Sprinkle baking soda on a damp sponge and scrub around your toilet. Baking soda is slightly abrasive, so it'll help get any dried-on urine that's accumulated on or around your toilet. Baking soda also helps neutralize any odors.^{[21]
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- Using baking soda to scrub your bathroom floor helps get rid of any urine that might've dripped there. As a bonus, the floor will be sparkling clean.

Expert Q&A

Question

What removes urine from furniture?

Laura Smith
House Cleaning Specialist
Laura Smith is a House Cleaning Specialist and the Owner of All Star Cleaning Services. With over 16 years of experience, her team specializes in providing natural and eco-friendly house cleaning services. All Star Cleaning Services has earned the Association of Residential Cleaning Services International’s (ARCSI) Seal of Approval and maintained an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.

Laura Smith

House Cleaning Specialist

Expert Answer

If cleaning with some enzymatic cleaners didn't work, I'd suggest a carpet cleaning through a truck mounted extraction system. It's definitely going to be more effective than anything that you can do yourself at home.
Question

Does vinegar kill urine odor?

Kadi Dulude
House Cleaning Professional
Kadi Dulude is a House Cleaning Professional and the Owner of Wizard of Homes, a New York City-based cleaning company. Kadi has over 10 years of experience and manages a team of over 90 registered cleaning professionals. Her cleaning advice has been featured in Architectural Digest and New York Magazine.

Kadi Dulude

House Cleaning Professional

Expert Answer

Yes, vinegar works well against the urine odor. Leave bowls of vinegar around the room, and wash all possible surfaces with pure white vinegar. It will smell strongly while you are cleaning, but once the vinegar smell goes, it also tends to "take" all bad smells with it.
Question

Can I just use baking soda and a vacuum?

Community Answer

Yes, although you may need to repeat the method a few times to fully get rid of the smell.

Warnings

Enzymes are natural proteins that become ineffective over time. If you have an enzyme-based cleaner, check the expiration date on the bottle before you use it to make sure it'll still work well.^{[24]
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