Accidents can easily happen when you have an older dog or a young puppy. But, with the proper action taken to clean up any dog urine, the home can stay relatively fresh and clean. Here are a few steps to remove the odor of dog urine from carpets:
Act quickly
The first step is to act quickly and try to blot up the dog urine as soon as possible. Try to blot the carpet whilst still wet to eliminate the majority of urine straightaway. Acting quickly will make sure the smell causing bacteria is removed, which means there is only a need to clean up the wet stain left behind. The blotting action is best done with several sheets of kitchen roll. Continue to blot the carpet until most of the moisture is removed and starts to feel quite dry.
Odor removal
After the blotting treatment has been applied, it is time to give the carpet a clean to remove the odor. There are a variety of options to tackle the odor, which can range from the commercial products to the homemade remedies.
A simple homemade remedy is a 50/50 mixture of water and white vinegar. Spray the mixture over the entire area of the stain and use a clean, lint-free cloth to gently work the solution into the carpet. It is possible to prevent the carpet getting too wet by blotting up the excess moisture every so often. Even though the vinegar will have a strong smell, it will soon start to fade, and makes a very effective option to neutralize ammonia.
Once the carpet has been cleaned as much as possible and blotted to soak up any moisture, you want to take a tub of ordinary baking soda and sprinkle that liberally over the stain. The baking soda needs to be worked into the carpet fibers using an old toothbrush or your fingertips while wearing rubber gloves. Don’t skimp on the baking soda; make sure to leave the carpet looking entirely white.
Vacuum the carpet
Give the carpet and baking soda time to fully dry before using the vacuum to give the floor a final clean. Use a pet hair remover or other attachment that can help break up any areas of baking soda that have turned hard and stuck to the carpet. If there are any signs the carpet still has a slight smell of urine it will be necessary to repeat the process.