How to Remove Urine Smell from Carpet

Co-authored by Susan Stocker

Last Updated: August 10, 2021 References

Accidents happen to everybody, and sometimes a pet or child pees on the carpet. Don’t worry. It’s easy to clean up the urine and get rid of the smell. To treat fresh stains, just blot the urine with paper towels, neutralize the scent with vinegar, and deodorize with baking soda. If the urine has dried onto the carpet for a long time, use a store-bought enzyme-based cleaner to remove the smell.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Treating Fresh Stains

1
Blot the urine with paper towels. Place several layers of paper towel on the affected part of the carpet. Put on disposable gloves, and press the paper towel into the carpet with your hands. This will make sure that the paper towel soaks up more of the urine.^{[1]
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Susan Stocker
Green Cleaning Expert
Expert Interview. 8 November 2019.}
- Use latex-free disposable gloves, such as vinyl or nitrile gloves, if you have an allergy to latex.^{[2]
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2
Create a cleaning solution using white vinegar and water. In a spray bottle, mix together 1 cup (240 ml) of water with 1 cup (240 ml) of white vinegar. Make sure to use plain white vinegar and not white cider vinegar.
- Vinegar neutralizes the ammonia scent of urine.
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3
Spray the vinegar solution over the stained area of the carpet. If not enough of the solution is coming out when you spray it, feel free to take off the spray bottle cap and pour the solution slowly over the carpet. You want the solution to soak all the way through to the lowest fibers of the carpet.^{[3]
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- You may want to open up your windows to ventilate the room while you apply the vinegar solution because vinegar has a strong scent.
4
Let the solution sit for 10 minutes. During this time, the vinegar will neutralize the ammonia scent of the urine. It does so in a way that does not discolor or fade carpet fibers.^{[4]
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- Make sure that nobody steps on the carpet while the vinegar is doing its work.
5
Blot the carpet with paper towels. Place a layer of paper towels over the vinegar-soaked area of the carpet. Wearing disposable gloves, press the paper towel into the carpet to make sure it sops up all the vinegar.^{[5]
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- Don’t worry if a vinegar smell lingers. You will deodorize the smell with baking soda next.
6
Sprinkle baking soda liberally over the carpet. Shake a thin layer of baking soda over the affected area of the carpet. If the urine puddle was quite large, you may need to use several boxes of baking soda. You can shake the baking soda straight out of the box, or you can first put it into a fine-mesh sieve and then shake it.^{[6]
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Expert Source

Susan Stocker
Green Cleaning Expert
Expert Interview. 8 November 2019.}
- If you have a deep shag carpet, sprinkle baking soda onto small sections of the carpet at a time and work it in with your fingers before moving to the next section.
7
Let the baking soda sit at least 4 hours on the carpet. Leave the baking soda as many hours as is practical. Ideally, leave it sitting on the carpet overnight.^{[7]
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- The baking soda will absorb the vinegar scent, as well as any lingering urine odors.
8
Vacuum up the baking soda. Use a regular vacuum cleaner if you have a non-shag carpet, and run it over the entire carpet, making sure to get all of the baking soda. If you have a shag carpet, use the upholstery or brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner.^{[8]
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Expert Source

Susan Stocker
Green Cleaning Expert
Expert Interview. 8 November 2019.}
- Regular vacuum cleaners aren’t good for shag carpets because the long fibers can get stuck inside the cleaner and rip out of the rug.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Deodorizing Dried Stains

1
Purchase an enzyme-based cleaner. These cleaners are readily available online and in stores. They are usually spray-on products that contain enzymes that break down the uric acid in urine and the bacteria that grow around the stain.^{[9]
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- Some dry-cleaning shops and pet shops also sell enzyme-based cleaners.
2
Shine a UV light over the stain to find it. If the urine has been dried into the carpet for a long time, it may be hard to see all the tiny dribbles around the edges. A UV light will illuminate the entire stain so that you can easily see it.^{[10]
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- You can purchase a small UV light at a home repair store or online.
3
Apply the enzyme-based cleaner to the stain. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the back of the cleaner bottle. Typically, you'll have to saturate the stain with the enzyme-based cleaner and let it sit for about 1 hour.^{[11]
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- Wipe up any residual liquid with a damp microfiber cloth.
4
Repeat applications until the odor is gone. If the stain has been dried onto your carpet for a really long time, it may take repeated applications of the cleaner to get rid of the lingering stain and scent. But don’t worry—with enough applications, the enzyme cleaner will do its job.^{[12]
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- Once you’ve finished, pat the carpet with a damp microfiber cloth to remove any trace of the cleaner.

Expert Q&A

Question

How do you remove odor from a carpet?

Susan Stocker
Green Cleaning Expert
Susan Stocker runs and owns Susan’s Green Cleaning, the #1 Green Cleaning Company in Seattle. She is well known in the region for outstanding customer service protocols — winning the 2017 Better Business Torch Award for Ethics & Integrity —and her energetic support of green cleaning practices.

Susan Stocker

Green Cleaning Expert

Expert Answer

After you've cleaned the carpet thoroughly, sprinkle baking soda over the carpet fibers that are retaining the odor. Let the baking soda sit for a least one hour before vacuuming it up. Repeat this process as many times as necessary to soak up any lingering odors in your carpet.