Unfortunately, there isn’t a “pretty way” to talk about this, but how to get rid of urine smell is something every Mom needs to know and have in her little bag of tricks.
Once you start potty training your little one, they start challenging you to try and keep the absorbent surfaces of your home looking (and smelling!) like they weren’t used as a toilet…just now…and for the last three days.
The top 3 trouble spots I always get messages about are carpets, sofas, and the ever dreaded mattress. So we’ll focus on those three since they seem to cause the most trouble!
White vinegar will be your secret weapon here, in different amounts depending on the surface you’re cleaning, but vinegar is the way to go with all three spots! Many people are worried about the smell, but I promise you once it dries, you wont even know it was there!
How to Get Rid of Urine Smell From Carpets, Sofas, and Mattresses
When your little one has an “accident”, and they will, try to soak it up as soon as possible. Use a thick and absorbent towel and really put some muscle behind it! The more you can soak up right from the start, the less chance you will have stains/smells to tackle later on!
Carpets
Once you have blotted up as much as you possibly can (or if you have found it once it was already dried) mix in a spray bottle a cleaning solution of 3 parts warm water to 1 part white vinegar. Spray until the area is saturated and blot it up with a clean towel after about 10 minutes. The sprinkle with baking soda, and cover with a mixture of 3/4 cup peroxide and 1 tsp dish soap, and massage it in as well as you can with your fingers so you get in all the little spaces.
I wont lie, this will be one of the grossest things you will ever have to do, but trust me, it’ll be better than having to smell urine every time you try and relax in your living room!
Let the mixture completely dry (will probably take overnight) and then vacuum it the next day. If there is still any remaining smell, I have just repeated the vinegar mixture, followed by just baking soda, and vacuumed…does the trick every time!
Sofa
Obviously this will change based on the covering that is on your particular sofa. But if you’re dealing with a regular upholstery (not leather or anything funky!), this has done the trick for us.
As before, make sure you blot up as much as you can with an absorbent towel. Then mix up a solution of 50/50 water and white vinegar (1/2 cup each) and 1/4 cup dish soap until frothy (best is to just use a hand mixer). Then use a bristled brush (old toothbrush works well) to spread it on the areas and really scrub it in.
Wipe away the foam with a damp cloth, and let dry.
Mattress
Getting urine out of a mattress can be tough since they are so large and absorbent, but there are some tricks to give us Mamas some hope!
If you’re lucky enough that it is on a small crib mattress, simply blot it up and clean with a 50/50 mixture of water and white vinegar. Then place the mattress out in the sun to dry (the sun apparently helps neutralize the odor).
If you are dealing with a full size mattress, it really is crucial that you soak up as much as possible while it is still wet!
Once you’ve done that, completely saturate the area in a 50/50 water and white vinegar solution so it can soak right through, and leave until completely dry. Then flip the mattress over and do the same on the other side.
While this may leave you sleeping on the couch for the night, it will ensure that the mattress is getting cleaned right through, and prevent the smells from lingering.
Keep these urine cleaning tricks handy since you never know when disaster may strike, but I hope you never need them!
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This post was written by Julia:
Julia is all about rocking “Mom life” in every way! She has a husband of 7 years, is mom to a spirited 3 year old daughter, and lives in Niagara Region, ON, Canada. Check her out on RockItLikeAMom.com for lots of easy recipes, DIY projects, parenting articles, and up front Mom talk!
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Maria J. Minton says
Thansk Julia, it is not easy to clean these things, especially in rainy days, but you make things simple
Laura @ Memory Foam says
I didn’t know such a familiar ingredient like vinegar is so helpful. Thanks for your instructions!
Carol @ Sleep Products says
a friend mentioned how to get the nasty out of my sons bed. I wouldn’t recommend it for a larger bed w/o help but it worked wonders for a twin! Apparently my kiddo literally filled his bed with urine. He was ashamed to say something to me and as a busy working mom (12 hr days 6 days a week) I didn’t notice. he’s older so he makes his own bed. I do have a “spill proof” cover I paid a pretty penny for on there. I came home from work and the smell was everywhere. I almost tossed the mattress it was that bad. After a sit down and heart to heart I pulled the mattress outside in the desert sun and following my Buddy’s direction. I mixed a tbspn of dawn and filled a spray bottle with water. Got the hardest hit areas then took a scrub brush to it. I then set my hose to the hardest setting and let it have it. I was shocked to see even the most set in stain gone and it smelled amazing!!!! I let it set outside all day in the area that received the most sun for the longest atop a wire racks I had for counter organization so it wasn’t sitting in dirt and by bedtime it was warm and completely dry! Still smells amazing!
Alida says
Thanks for chiming in! I love the idea of setting a mattress (or really anything!) outside in the sun all day, since the sun can help clean and “bleach” it for us!
Kelsey says
Does this really work to get the SMELL out? My 4 year olds had crawled into our bed all last week, and apparently decided that that week they both needed to wet OUR bed, 4/7 nights! I always use a mixture of laundry soap, water, and stain remover and SCRUB.. but this is no good this time. Especally on a rainy and mughy day like today, it smells!! This vinegar mixture really knocks it out??