How to Get Human Urine Smell Out of Carpet

The thought of human urine stains on your carpet is pretty frightening, right? Still, it’s not so difficult to deal with, and it definitely sounds scarier than it is.

These accidents happen for various reasons, but most often to kids who are potty training. In any case, you shouldn’t panic because both stains and odor won’t stay if you act quickly.

In the article below, you’ll discover some of the most effective home remedies for the misfortunate situation.

Home Remedies

Use a Wet Towel

Wet a towel with some lukewarm water or pour the water directly onto the stain to dilute the urine. This will help to break it apart a bit. 

Use the towel to soak up as much of that water as possible. It’s important you apply pressure and make small strokes. Paper towel can also do, but you might need a lot of it because it can’t soak up as much. Don’t stamp on the area thinking that you’ll apply more pressure with your leg. If some urine gets onto your shoe, you’ll end up carrying it throughout your house.   

This is a useful method if it’s a small and new stain. If it’s large and dried, you might want to opt for a stronger and more effective way to clean it up.

Salt

This is an old method that works very well, but you have to act fast because it works best if the stain is still wet. If it dried, pour a little warm water on it before adding salt.   

Pour a little pile of salt on the area and watch for any moisture that appears on top of it. Add more and more until you notice that the top of the pile is dry. 

Leave it on for at least ten minutes and then just vacuum it. This is one of the most effective ways as it removes both smell and stain.  

Vinegar

Vinegar is a conventional cleaning solution to many different stains around the household. We’re sure you’ve noticed how most articles on the internet recommend vinegar for cleaning all kinds of stains. However, in this case, it can’t do much. 

You should try it if it’s all you have at hand. The product will get some pee out of your carpet, but not all. You’ll notice the smell sticks around, and if there’s smell, the urine is still there, too. 

Try mixing vinegar with some detergent and then try to clean with it. It might be a bit more effective if you were to mix it with other useful stuff such as salt or baking soda.  

Enzyme Cleaner

Enzyme products such as Clorox Urine Remover are by far the best solution for this problem. These go deep into carpets and extract all the human and even pet urine. It’s a good thing to have them around especially if you have pets or children. 

It’s important that the product has the right amount of enzymes and other ingredients needed to battle the crystals and bacteria of urine.  

If you opt for dry enzyme powder, mix it with water and pour it onto the stain. Leave it there for about eight hours. Liquid products don’t need water, but you’d still have to let them sit for a few hours. 

The last step is to vacuum the area. Repeat the process as many times as needed although most of these cleaners will clean the area after the first try. They also eliminate odor, so your carpets are nice and clean again. 

Remember to read the instructions on the back of the package. Though most enzyme cleaners work the same, there might be some differences in the combination of enzymes and other ingredients in the product.  

Step by Step Guide to Removing Urine

All of these methods are relatively quick and don’t require a lot of effort. A simple way to treat the area is to apply some warm water to it at first. 

When you dilute the urine a bit proceed to add detergent, an enzyme cleaner, vinegar or baking soda depending on what you have at home. Pet urine cleaners are also a good idea because there are enzymes in them, too.  

  1. Use a towel to apply pressure to the surface. Rinse out the detergent and check if the area is clean. If the stain has dried before, you’ll probably need to repeat the process a few times. 
  2. Mix white vinegar with some water and baking soda or salt. This will get out the odors and remaining detergent, too. 
  3. Dry the area with a towel or a fan. It’s important to dry it entirely, so leave the window open or even vent the carpet outside.
  4. Don’t forget to wash all your towels as soon as you’re done treating the carpet. However, don’t just throw them in the washing machine because it might smell of pee later on. Instead, soak them in some hot water and detergent and leave for a few hours. 
  5. Rinse them and repeat the process if need be. You can put them in a washing machine when they’re wet but only if you’ll wash it immediately. If not, make sure to dry all your towels first. Make sure also to bleach them if they’re white. 

All these steps apply if you want to remove urine stains from furniture, too.  

Using a Shop Vac

You should first blot the area if it’s still wet using a clean towel. If you like, you can also use a paper towel. Still, it’s essential that you do this as soon as possible before your carpet absorbs more of the urine.

A great way of extracting any urine is by using a shop-vac. This way, you’re almost certain that there’s no urine left in the carpet; only the stain. Shop-vacs are among the most powerful vacuums on the market which makes them suitable for almost every vacuuming job.

In most cases, they’re a bit pricey compared to regular vacuums, but they’re also a bit more efficient and suitable for more thorough cleaning.

To get human urine out of carpet, mix one-quarter teaspoon of liquid dishwashing detergent and a cup of warm water. Make sure it’s a dishwashing detergent, and not laundry or dish detergent because these can contain lanolin or bleach.

Pour the solution in a spray bottle and spray the stain with it. Let it sit for a while before you use a shop vac again to extract the remaining solution from the carpet.

Still, shop-vacs are a bit pricey to buy just for this one stain. You can use one if you already have it, but if not, a regular vacuum might also do.

Using a Traditional Vacuum

As we mentioned, a shop-vac might be the best solution to the problem. However, buying a new shop-vac just to use it this one time is a bit of a stretch, especially if you’re on a budget.

If that’s the case, you can find some top quality vacuums for under $100. These range in features and specifications, but most would do an excellent job of helping remove urine out of the carpet.

Having an affordable vacuum cleaner has many pros and benefits. Not only you can get a vacuum at a fraction of the price of most models, but you can also find some pretty impressive ones for less than $100.

Though it would take you more time to remove human urine from your carpet using a traditional vacuum, the task is still very much possible. Keep in mind that you’ll vacuum liquid, so make sure that the vac of your choice can actually handle that without ending up damaged.

Vacuum cleaners under $100 are relatively easy to use and quite simple. Some have more features than others, but in most cases, they’re pretty basic yet efficient.

A few things to pay attention to are extra accessories. For the price, you might not receive all the attachments and tools you’d get from a more expensive vacuum cleaner.

FAQ

How to Get Rid of The Odor?

There isn’t any specific way to get rid of odor as it only exists if the urine is still there. Once you clean the urine, the smell will also disappear.  

If you want, you can treat your carpet with a scented detergent but only after you’ve made sure that all the urine is gone from your carpet.

Where Can I Buy an Enzyme Cleaner?

There are several places where you could get one, but we’d recommend Amazon as one of the best options. It has a wide selection of enzyme cleaners for different types of carpets and stains.

Plus, you can also choose between smaller bottles of 32oz and canisters up to a gallon depending on how often these accidents happen. 

Final Thoughts

As you can see, treating these stains isn’t as hard and time-consuming as you first thought. It only takes a few steps and several handy tools and products to do it. 

The most important thing is to treat the area immediately after the accident happens. If the stain is old and dry, apply some warm water to it and continue with the steps we went through. 

Some methods are easier while others are more effective. Choose one based on how dry is the urine and the ingredients you have at home.  

Vital thing here is to be quick and patient. If you didn’t get it out the first time, repeat the process before you decide to throw away the entire carpet. Some stains are harder to get out especially if they’ve dried before you noticed where they are. 

These are tried and tested ways of removing human urine from carpets, so we’re sure at least one will help you to fix the issue. 

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I’ve been a dedicated writer for Clean That Floor for approximately 3 years. I’ve written about various topics, mostly focusing on cleaning products, vacuum cleaners, mops, and simple cleaning solutions for homeowners. I enjoy testing tips and tricks on house maintenance, reviewing both the process and results.

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