Tips On How To Remove Dog Urine Smells From Carpets

Alex Mcil author
Alex Mcil

Most people love their dogs. However, with the work involved in caring for our pets, cleaning pee stains from carpets or the floor of your house is likely the least fun.

As a pet owner, you’re likely accustom to the ordor of your dog’s urine. Unfortunately, your guests likely won’t be, making the smell overwhelming and possibly offensive.

It’s also worth noting, these accidents accumulate over time and can severely decrease the value of your property if the time ever comes to selling. Simply put, the smell will put off buyers, regardless how nice and clean the home looks and feels.

Dog stains on carpets and bad doors

Note: These tips on removing pee smells from carpets also apply to other animals other than dogs.

What To Do If The Urine Stain Dried?

The dry dog pee has already taken a hold on the carpet. We want to reverse to process and try and get it back to when the urine was wet. This might seem counter productive because we will also activate the urine smell by doing this. However, there is a reason to the madness.

Here are the ingredients for your cleaning solution and equipment needed to get the job done:

  • White vinegar
  • Spray bottle
  • Baking soda
  • Old white cloth

Step 1: Fill spray bottle up with white vinegar

A spray bottle helps distribute the vinegar solution more evenly over the dog’s mess. It also helps generate finer particles of vinegar to get under the urine which ultimately lifts it while killing bacteria.

Spray the vinegar over the spot until it gets pretty wet, yet, at the same time don’t soak it (hence why we use a spray and don’t pour the vinegar).

Let the vinegar do it’s thing for about 15 to 20 mins!

Note: As stated, this step will reactivate the smell of urine, but don’t be alarmed, this is expected.

Step 2: Pad with a white cloth

Once the vinegar has been given a good 15-20 minutes to soak, grab a white cloth and add pressure by pushing downwards (don’t rub) on the surface you’ve sprayed.

By padding downwards (putting weight into it), you’re absorbing the vinegar / urine mixture and ultimately removing it from the carpet.

Keep applying pressure with dry areas of the cloth to maximize absorption. When you see the cloth no longer getting wet, you’ve then absorbed as much as possible using a cloth.

To take it step further, use paper towels, discarded newspapers or a sponge to further suck up any left over moisture. The idea here is to remove the moisture as much as possible, but do not be worried if you can’t get it all out. That’s where the next step comes into play.

Note: Do not use a colored cloth, as you risk staining your carpet by transferring the cloth color onto the carpet.

Step 3: Baking soda for further drying & neutralising of order

The cloth can absorb only so much. Next we want to sprinkle good old baking soda over the surface where the vinegar was (essentially over the urine section).

You want to sprinkle enough of it until you have one layer that covers up the carpet.

Next, using the same white cloth, rub the baking soda into the carpet so that it goes under the carpet fibers and reaches any remaining vinegar / urine mixture.

The baking soda will start to turn into a type of crust as it absorbs the remaining mixture. This absorption acts as an odor remover and neutralizes the smell.

Step 4: Vacuum your carpet

Now that the baking soda has done its job, it is time to remove it from the carpet.

The simplest method is by vacuuming the baking soda. In fact, you might as well vacuum the whole carpet while you are at it.

What I like to also do, is take the carpet outside and beat it from the back to remove any excess baking soda and then give it one final over with the vacuum cleaner.

Alternatively, If you are strapped for time, simply use a brush to lift as much of the baking soda as possible.

The bristles from the bush will get under the fibres and lift up any baking soda trapped underneath. Finally give the area a once over with the vacuum cleaner.

Final Thoughts

Pet odors can be overwhelming, and can put first time buyers of your home if the smell is prominent.

However, this is not only about the value of your house, but also about having visitors.

The more your pet urinates, the harder it gets to remove the stain and smell. Removing pet stains and neutralizing the odor is not that hard, but it is always best to deal with the accident sooner, rather than later.

Otherwise it becomes a challenging task to keep your home feeling and smelling fresh! And let’s be honest, it’s not the most hygienic for your health.


Frequently Asked Questions
✓ How do you get dried dog pee out of carpet?

Step 1: Spray vinegar over the dried urine & wait 15-20 minutes for it to settle.
Step 2: Dab with a white colored rag until it no longer can absorb the mixture (do not rub)
Step 3: Sprinkle baking soda over the area and with the same rag, rub it in to absorb the remaining moisture (this also helps neutralize the odor).
Step 4: Vacuum up the the contents.

✓ What neutralizes the smell of dog urine?

Baking soda & vinegar helps neutralize the smell of pooch urine.
Baking soda absorbs moisture and ultimately locks in the smell. While vinegar, which is an acid, helps physically neutralize the ammonia (which is an alkaline) in urine.

✓ I shampooed my carpet, why does it have such a strong smell of dog urine?

It's common for your carpet to have urine in it, but after time no longer smells (or you get accustomed to it).
However, while shampooing it, you're more than likely using hot water. It's this hot water that reactivates the bacteria and urea that give urine it’s foul odor.