How to Get Dog Pee Out of Carpet Fast and Without Expensive Detergents
As a professional dog trainer, I’ve faced a lot of fun, strange and annoying situations. Some of them more than once. For example, one of the problems all dog owners face is when their lovely puppy starts to leave urine stains on the floor. If you have a laminate, it’s not so scary, but what if your dog goes to the toilet on the carpet? How to get dog pee out of carpet? What do you need to do with the smell?
I always hear that it is almost impossible to completely free the carpet from odors and stains and not to damage it. But it is a wrong opinion. Believe a professional dog trainer with a huge experience (that is me, haha) you can clean it in a variety of ways. I’ve tried a lot of detergents and cleaning methods and learned one secret: really effective methods are simple. Here I want to take you through different ways of how to do it, step-by-step. Hence, you will not repeat my mistakes: your carpet will be left fresh and clean like it was just purchased, and the smell will disappear! Spoiler: you do not need to read spells, conduct shamanistic rites or spend a lot of time and money — as I said, all is simple.
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How to get dog pee stains out of carpet
I know that you really like your lovely pet, but it is normal that you do not like when he pees on your carpet. Fortunately, I know several ways how to get yellow dog pee out of the carpet. Your first step is to define whether your urine stain is wet or dry and, according to it, choose the method.
How to get dried dog pee out of carpet
At first, I decided to elaborate on the case when you need to remove old dog urine stains. It is a little bit harder compared to wet pee.
Method 1: How to get dog pee stains out of the carpet with liquid dishwashing detergent
This method is simple and consists of only 4 steps. Firstly, you need to type water in a small bowl (around 1 cup), and then add half of the teaspoon (about 2.5 ml) of dish soap. Secondly, mix everything until smooth with the help of a spoon. The third step is to put this mixture on a stain. Be sure that you cover all the urine. Then take a paper towel and try to blot the carpet. As our stains are old and dry, you will probably need to repeat the third and fourth steps several times until the urine is gone. In the end, use the vacuum cleaner to dry the carpet.
Method 2: How to get dog pee stains out of the carpet with peroxide, baking soda, and vinegar
Once or twice I’ve been asked: “Britta, I came from work and noticed a big yellow stain exactly on the white carpet. Help! I do not want to throw it out. How to get dog pee stains out of white carpet?” Ok, I think that it is the worst possible case. First of all, it is a white carpet, and secondly, the stains are old and dry. But do not be discouraged. They can also be removed. For this, you need warm water, baking soda, vinegar, and peroxide.
- Mix the vinegar with water in the proportion of 1:1. The amount of solution depends on the size of the spot.
- Take a rag and soak it in the just-made solution. Then, press firmly on the stain but don’t rub the stain!
- Then pour the remaining solution onto the spots.
- Find a scrub brush or, if you do not have it, take a usual toothbrush, and start to actively move it back and forth.
- Dry the carpet with the help of paper towels or vacuum. And it is not the end!
- The next step is to put a thin layer of baking soda directly on the urine stains.
- While soda is being absorbed, take 3% hydrogen peroxide and mix it with 1 teaspoon of dish soap.
- Pour the mixture onto the stain, take a scrub brush or a toothbrush and repeat the fourth step.
- Dry the wet area with paper towels and a vacuum.
How to get fresh dog pee out of carpet
Ok, now you know the methods of how to get dry dog pee out of the carpet. It’s time to find out what are the ways to remove fresh urine. As soon as you notice a fresh spot on the carpet, you need to quickly absorb the urine. For this:
- Take a paper towel.
- Put it on the stain and press strongly to soak up the urine. One tip that will help you to absorb the liquid, is to use additional weight on the top. It can be a book, a pair of shoes or cans of food. If you are afraid of staining your shoes or a book with dog urine, use several layers of paper towels or newspapers.
- Leave it for at least 10 minutes.
- Remove your “weight-towel” construction, and sprinkle a little bit of cold water over the urine stain.
- Spread the enzyme cleaner which you can buy in almost every pet store. If you have no time to go out, you can make it at home. For this, mix orange peels, brown sugar, and cold water. The enzyme cleaner breaks the proteins that create the bad smell and leave spots.
- After that, you need to put a towel and a book or another heavy thing on the spot again and leave it for the night. In the morning all the stains should be gone.
- Use a vacuum cleaner to dry the carpet.
Also, there are other solutions that you can try. They work for both old and fresh urine spots:
- Buy a special dog pee remover at the pet store. They contain enzymes that I mentioned before and help to break the proteins and remove spots. My advice is to look at the products designed especially for dogs, not for all animals.
- Call a dry cleaning company if all the methods do not help you remove urine stains. They will have a special machine and facilities to clean your carpet.
- Also, you can rent yourself a carpet-cleaning machine. It will be a little bit cheaper than hiring a cleaning company.
If you are afraid of buying a commercial urine remover, because it can contain chemical ingredients and look for ways of how to get dog pee stain out of carpet naturally, you can buy the stain-fighting products that are labeled “all-natural”, “green” or something like that.
How to get dog pee smell out of carpets
All animal owners probably know that removing the urine spots from the carpets is just a part of the deal. Urine leaves not only stains but also a smell that is very hard to get rid of. How to get dog pee smell out of carpets? Firstly, you need to understand that dog urine odor is relatively a long-lasting one, and your carpet can stay smelly for a long time even if you remove all the spots. But don’t panic! Britta is here with you!
There are several ways of how to get dried dog pee smell out of the carpet. I tried to describe all of them in the steps below. Be ready for hard work: getting dog urine smell out of carpets can be much harder than just to clean the floor from the spots.
Method 1: How to get dog pee smell out of the carpet with vinegar and baking soda
We have already used this combination to remove the urine stains both dry and wet. Also, these products can help you to get rid of the smell as well. I have already used it multiple times and can assure you that this method works. Follow the instruction:
- Add white vinegar to a warm bottle in a proportion of 1:1.
- Then, shake it good to dilute the vinegar.
- Take a spray bottle and pour the liquid. If you are going to use the bottle that previously contained another liquid, do not add your mixture before making sure you wash it well.
- Bring the bottle to the carpet in the distance of 8-12 cm and spray it on the urine spots. Let it soak in for 15 minutes.
- Take a sponge or rag and press firmly onto the strain to remove the remaining vinegar. One tip: do not try to clean the rag after using, urine has a very strong smell, so it will be better to throw it out.
- Also, do not move a sponge or rag back and forth — just press so it could soak up the excess liquid.
- After that, put a thin layer of baking soda on the strain. It works well when you need to deodorize something. Leave it for several minutes.
- When the carpet is dry, take a vacuum and remove the remaining soda.
A lot of people are worried about baking soda and vinegar damaging their carpet, for example, by changing its color. There are different carpet materials, so it can very well happen. Therefore, I advise you to test the mixture on a small and inconspicuous area of the carpet.
Method 2: How to get dog pee smell out of the carpet with a hydrogen peroxide paste, baking soda, and dishwashing detergent
If method 1 didn’t work for you, you can repeat it or use another one. Method 2 is as simple as previous, and all the needed ingredients you probably have at home, but it takes a little bit longer. It is worth to mention, that hydrogen peroxide works well on the light carpet but if you want to use it on the dark one, I really recommend you to test the mixture on a small area. Follow the instructions below:
- Mix one and a half tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide, one teaspoon of dishwashing soap, and two teaspoons of baking soda. Stir it together until smooth. A ready mixture should remind you of a thick paste which should be bubbling as all ingredients are reacting with one another.
- Apply the paste on the urine spot and leave it for one hour. You can use a spoon to help yourself to spread the paste onto the carpet. To lift the smell from the pad underneath, you can press the paste a little bit. After that, leave the carpet up to one hour but no less than 30 minutes.
- Take an old cloth or a rag, and wet it with the warmest water. Push it down strongly and remove the exceed paste from the carpet.
- Once you’ve done all the previous steps, put the paper towel over the wet urine strain and press it down to absorb the liquid. After that, dry the carpet completely with the help of a vacuum.
Method 3: How to get dog pee smell out of the carpet with only club soda
I do not get tired of repeating that soda is a really great tool if you want to get out the bad odor. Moreover, you can buy soda at any grocery store. First of all, put the product on the carpet with the urine spots. Do not be afraid when it bubbles and soaks! After that, leave it for about 15 minutes. As a result, soda is easily absorbed into your carpet and removes all the smells. Then, take a rag and press it down on the area with the spots to absorb out the remaining soda. If the rag gets wet, wring it, and repeat the last step. But do not move back and forth, only press down, otherwise, the smell will go back into the carpet. After you finish, dry the carpet with the help of vacuum or paper towels and spray an air freshener. It is necessary, because when soda removes the smell, it may have an even stronger odor.
FAQ on how to get dog pee out of carpet: home remedy recipes
In this section, I want to dwell on the most spread questions that I’ve been always asked. I hope that you will find all the answers to this unpleasant topic, but if not, you are welcome to ask your question in the comments section.
How to clean wood floor, dog pee deep in the cracks?
To tell the truth, cleaning the wood floor is much easier than handling carpet stains. But the main rule here is to discover the puddle as soon as possible. Hence, there are fewer chances of having the bad smell or heavily laundered stains issue. The first step is to soak up the urine with the paper towels, but not just them! Once you remove the fresh pee, put the mixture of vinegar and water (the recipe you can find above). Leave it for several minutes, and then sprinkle baking soda. It allows you to remove the bad odor. After that, do not touch the area for at least an hour, it is much better to leave it overnight. Finally, clean the floor with water or vacuum and spray the air freshener.
Why dogs pee on the carpet
First of all, peeing on the carpet is common for dogs. Why? Let’s analyze this question. There are two reasons: the carpet is an absorbent, as a result, the puppy’s paws do not get wet. And the second reason is that it is outside of his crate, den or playpen area. If you are watching your pet, you will notice that the dog holds his pee until the last moment and pees only outside. The secret is that pets do not like to pee where they sleep or eat. Secondly, much depend on potty training in childhood. In fact, if your dog continues to pee on the carpet for a long time, it is much better to ask for help from a professional animal trainer.
Should you punish your dog for peeing in the house?
There are a lot of questions about the topic of how to discipline a dog for peeing in the house. Should you punish the pet or not? What method is the most effective? My answer is: “You definitely shouldn’t punish the dog”. I know it is hard, especially when he keeps to pee indoors again and again. But you need to try. Let’s look at the situation from the dog’s perspective. Suppose that your pet leaves the urine spots on the floor, and you always yell at him. Yes, you understand why you are shouting, but the dog doesn’t, especially if you find a puddle after a while. He just thinks that he mustn’t do it in front of you. And next time the pet will look for a more secluded place. Therefore, I always say that punishment is not an effective way to teach the animal.
How can I train my puppy quickly?
I think that the most important thing for successful house training is to take your dog outside more often. And when the dog pees outside, reward him. It may seem very easy at first, but the problem is that you need to do it several times a day for three weeks. As a result, the dog will get used to peeing outside only. Just don’t forget to reward the puppy as soon as pooping or peeing is finished.
Is there a spray to stop dogs from peeing on the carpet?
While you train your dog to urinate outdoors, you can also spray special repellents on the carpets at home. We all know that dogs are very sensitive to smells, therefore, such commercial repellents can be enough to prevent the pet from peeing on the carpet. You can buy it in a pet shop or make one at home with lemon juice, vinegar or alcohol.
Final thoughts
So now you know how to get dog pee smell out of carpets and clean the floor even from old spots. All methods are simple and cheap. For this, in most cases, all you need is just a bottle of vinegar, baking soda, peroxide, liquid dishwashing detergent, and paper towels. Please note, it is very important to remove the smell because dogs are like little criminals that always return to the crime scene if they can still smell their odor in this area. Which of the described methods works best for you?
Also, now you know that the punishment is not an effective way to wean the dog off peeing at home. It is much better to go outside more often and reward the animal after peeing as soon as possible. Training a dog with treats, not tricks! How did you teach your dog to urinate outside? Share your tips and findings below in the comments. Also, feel free to ask me questions. Maybe I have something missed or you have information to share.
Britta Thygesen
A passionate dog owner and a full-time certified dog trainer. Aspires to make Doggolab a go-to place for all the doggo info. Shares personal experience and professional knowledge.
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Hi Britta! One of my friends has shared your blog with me today and I like your blog so much. Because you have resolved my biggest problem with dog pee. Keep sharing!
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