How to get pee smell out of a room

Caring for an elderly loved one often involves cleaning up urinary incontinence accidents. The AgingCare online Caregiver Forum is filled with people coming together to share valuable information with one another on common elder care challenges. We’ve compiled experienced caregivers’ best tips on how to remove urine odor from elderly clothes and get rid of stubborn incontinence stains.

Removing Incontinence Odors and Stains: Tips for Family Caregivers

“They make products for cleaning urine that contain special enzymes, such as Urine Kleen, or you can use something like Nature’s Miracle that is sold in pet shops.” –vstefans

“Vinegar helps. I soak soiled items in vinegar, take them out while wet, hang them on a clothesline outside and hope for rain. Some things I can leave until nature removes the smell, but some I just keep washing.” –1healthyangel

“I wash soiled items in the hottest water I can, soak them in an oxy-based cleanser and baking soda solution, and rinse with vinegar. It sometimes takes two to three washings, but the urine smells all come out.” –Carlen

“Iodine scrub will neutralize smells in one washing. Use about one tablespoon in the washer. Usually iodine wash (one brand name is Betadine) is in the first aid section of just about any drug store. It’s dark red and the advertised use is to clean wounds.” –pamstegma and sandwich42plus

“I use a baking soda laundry detergent pod, add some grapefruit juice in with it and wash soiled items on a warm cycle. It seems to take the smell out.” –Kenneth08

“In the facility where I work, the staff uses a product called Peri-Wash to control the smell of urine. It works well.” –JackieMiller

“Borax and washing soda: 50/50 mix. Works every time for any kind of nasty odor. I use it on my dad’s bedding every day.” –Katiekate

“When I was washing my mom’s clothes (she was in a long-term care facility), members of the AgingCare Forum recommended 20 Mule Team Borax, which did help.” –freqflyer

“I have found that apple cider vinegar works better than white vinegar on incontinence odor.” –BoovieD

“We use OdoBan with eucalyptus scent. The nursing home by us uses it, too. It works fabulously. You can get the spray one at Walmart and the gallon size at Sam’s Club. It smells wonderful and fresh. I put half a cup in the laundry and we spray it on the furniture and Mom’s mattress. It is a deodorizer and disinfectant.” –Flmother

“Use Morrisons Non-Bio laundry liquid. I mix that with a teacup of baking soda crystals, and then I put white vinegar in the fabric softener drawer. The smells are gone, much to my relief.” –SmellFree

“My adult daughter is a quadriplegic with an indwelling catheter that frequently clogs, so she bypasses. What I have found works is to rinse the urine-soiled clothes, towels and/or linens in cold water and add about a cup of Listerine (arctic mint I find is the best) and some Arm & Hammer liquid laundry soap. Then I put everything through a full wash with a bit of bleach and some more Arm & Hammer. The reason for the cold-water wash/rinse is because bodily fluids don’t do great when washed with hot water. It tends to cook the urine smell and stains right into the fabric, making them extremely hard to get rid of! So, always rinse in cold first! I also never wash her stuff with anything else. I always do all the household clothes, towels and bedding separately.” –Maggspie

Urine from a pee accident can soak deeply into a mattress or slip past the waterproof pad, making the pee odor and stain tough to remove. Read on to see how these household cleaning products can eliminate the smell and residue.

What to Consider Before Cleaning

Pet urine is more concentrated and smellier than human urine. The sooner you get to it, the better. You may need to try several different cleaning products to remove the smell, depending on the age of the stain.

Click Play to Learn How to Get Pee Smell Out of a Mattress

Materials

  • Baking soda
  • Distilled white vinegar
  • Laundry borax
  • Hydrogen peroxide
  • Enzyme-based laundry detergent or stain remover

The Spruce / Leticia Almeida

How to Clean Fresh Pee Stains on a Mattress

  1. Remove All Bedding

    When a pee accident happens, remove all of the bedding as quickly as possible. Toss the sheets, mattress pad, and any affected blankets in the washer.

    The Spruce / Leticia Almeida

  2. Blot the Wet Stain

    Use paper towels or microfiber cloths to blot away as much of the pee as possible. Wear rubber gloves and press hard to help the towels absorb the moisture. Move to a dry towel as the urine is transferred.

    The Spruce / Leticia Almeida

  3. Treat the Stain

    Mix one-half teaspoon of an enzyme-based stain remover or heavy-duty laundry detergent with one cup of warm water. Dip a soft-bristled scrub brush in the solution and lightly scrub the stained area of the mattress. Work from the outside edges of the stain toward the center to prevent it from getting larger.

    Blot the area with a dry towel to absorb the moisture.

    The Spruce / Leticia Almeida

  4. Treat the Pee Smell

    While the area is still damp, sprinkle the freshly cleaned spot with a generous layer of baking soda. Allow the baking soda to air-dry completely. This may take several hours. When the powder is dry, use the upholstery attachment of a vacuum or a handheld vacuum to get rid of the powder.

    The Spruce / Leticia Almeida

How to Get an Old Pee Smell out of a Mattress

If urine stains are not caught right away, the pee smell can seep deeper into the mattress fibers and continue to smell. Try these methods, starting with the mildest and getting more aggressive, to remove the smell.

If possible, choose a breezy, dry day to clean the mattress. This will help it dry more quickly. A thorough cleaning can take up to 12 hours for the mattress to dry.

  1. Use a Baking Soda Paste

    Mix one cup of baking soda with a tablespoon of water to make a paste. Spread the paste liberally over the areas that smell like pee. Use a soft-bristled brush to work the paste into the mattress surface. Allow the paste to dry completely. It is best to leave the paste on the mattress for at least four hours, so the pee smell can be neutralized.

    When the paste is dry, vacuum it away.

    Tip

    To freshen the entire mattress, sprinkle the rest of the surface with dry baking soda. It will help absorb body odors and oils and when you vacuum it away, you'll be capturing dust and dust mites, as well.

    The Spruce / Leticia Almeida

  2. Use Distilled White Vinegar

    Distilled white vinegar is a mild acid that helps neutralize the components in urine. Pour some distilled white vinegar in a spray bottle and liberally spray the areas that have a pee smell. Allow the mattress to air-dry. The vinegar smell will be strong at first but will dissipate as it dries.

    You can speed the drying time by using circulating fans to move air across the mattress.

    The Spruce / Leticia Almeida

  3. Use Hydrogen Peroxide

    Hydrogen peroxide is a mild disinfectant and oxygen-based bleach. It is sold in concentrations of three to 10 percent at most drug stores. The three percent solution works best for removing pee odor without damaging the surface of the mattress.

    Place some hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle and liberally coat the pee-stained area. Be sure to use it promptly after filling the bottle because hydrogen peroxide reverts to water after it is exposed to light. Allow the mattress to air-dry.

    Warning

    Hydrogen peroxide is a mild bleach and can discolor a printed or colored mattress cover. If that is a concern, dilute the solution with an equal amount of water before using it.

    The Spruce / Leticia Almeida

  4. Use a Borax Paste

    Borax, found in the laundry product aisle, is an alkaline mineral salt that helps to neutralize acid stains like urine. While natural, it is toxic to humans. Always wear rubber gloves and eye protection when using it, and be sure that the mattress is well-vacuumed before anyone uses it again.

    Mix one cup of borax with one tablespoon of water or enough to make a thin paste. Spread it over the pee stain and work it in lightly with a soft-bristled brush. Allow the paste to dry completely and vacuum away the residue.

    The Spruce / Leticia Almeida

  5. Steam Clean the Mattress

    If the spot treatments have not gotten rid of the pee smell, try steam cleaning the entire mattress. This is not difficult but will require at least 12 hours for cleaning and drying the mattress.

     jopstock / Getty Images

What kills the smell of human urine?

Make a solution of baking soda, peroxide and any dish detergent. The combination of the three is often powerful enough to drive away strong urine smells. The solutions is eight fluid ounces of peroxide, three tablespoons of baking soda, and a few drops of dish detergent.

Why does my room smell like urine?

If your house smells like urine, and you've taught your young sons to aim into the toilet, not around it, you might have a pest problem, a plumbing problem, or a mold problem. Malfunctioning electrical wires might also cause a urine-like odor.

Will the smell of pee go away?

A bad smell in the urine often goes away on its own, especially when dehydration or something in the diet causes it. A person does not need to see a doctor if they can identify a harmless cause of their smelly urine, such as asparagus. Other causes need medical treatment.

How long does urine smell last?

How long does dog pee smell last? Left untreated, urine takes up to five years to off-gas on it's own. The longer dog pee or cat urine sits in a carpet the worse the problem becomes.