If you have a pet, you know that accidents happen more often than you’d care to admit.
No matter how well-behaved and well-trained the pet is, accidents are bound to happen from time to time.
No one wants to clean urine stains out of carpet, but it is part of being a pet owner, unfortunately.
Occasionally stains go unnoticed for a while, and then you are stuck cleaning up an old stain from your carpet, which is much harder than cleaning up a fresh stain.
To keep your house looking and smelling nice, it is important to know how to get old pet urine stains out of carpet.
Keep reading to find out how.
What You’ll Need
Vinegar
White distilled vinegar is a great tool for cleaning pet stains, as it helps remove the stain and reduce the odor left by the stain.
White vinegar is great for removing all types of stains, not only urine stains.
A great brand to use is Lucy’s Family Owned – Natural Distilled White Vinegar, which gets excellent reviews on Amazon.
Baking Soda
Baking soda can absorb just about anything, and that includes old pet urine in your carpet.
You won’t need much for small stains, but make sure to always have some on hand.
If you’ve run out order your baking soda here.
Water
Water will be used to dilute the vinegar and make a cleaning mixture that works wonders.
Paper Towels
It is always a necessary cleaning tool, paper towels will be used to soak up all of the excess urine and scrub the stain while you are cleaning it.
Protective Gloves
It is very important to protect yourself when cleaning bodily fluids, so make sure to have some protective gloves on hand at all times.
Cleanbear Synthetic Rubber Gloves is a great option as they get awesome reviews on Amazon.
Step By Step Instructions For How To Get Old Pet Urine Stains Out Of Carpet
In this section, we’ll give you the detailed steps you need to remove old pet urine stains out of carpet.
Watch the video above and/or follow the steps below to make your carpet look and smell new again.
#1. Soak Up the Excess Urine
For an old stain, you probably won’t be able to soak up much urine, as it will have been set into the carpet by this point.
However, it is still worth the effort to see if you can pick up any amount of urine on the paper towel before you start cleaning it.
Anything that will make the process easier is always helpful.
For newer stains, you should be able to soak up a good amount of urine with a few paper towels.
#2. Pour Baking Soda On The Stain
For old stains, you will probably need a large amount of baking soda.
Pour a thin layer onto the stain and let it soak up anything that it can.
Let it sit for 5-10 minutes, and then vacuum or sweep up the baking soda.
If the baking soda was able to soak up a good amount of urine from the carpet, repeat this step as many times as necessary to ensure that everything has been soaked up.
Once the baking soda has stopped soaking up any urine, you can move on to the next step.
#3. Mix The Vinegar And Water
In a small bowl or spray bottle, mix one-part vinegar and one part water.
Stir or shake to completely combine the liquids.
Pour another thin layer of baking soda onto the stain and then spray or pour the water and vinegar mixture on top of the baking soda.
Be sure not to soak the carpet.
Just pour enough liquid that it starts reacting with the baking soda.
Leave the mixture and the baking soda to sit on the stain for up to 20 minutes.
#4. Blot The Stain
Once the vinegar, water, and baking soda have had time to work on the stain, begin blotting it up with the paper towels.
Try to avoid scrubbing the stain as this will only work it further into the carpet’s fibers.
After you have successfully blotted up all of the liquid, you can assess to see if all of the stain has been lifted or if any remains.
If there is still some urine left behind, you can repeat the above steps until you achieve your desired results.
When you are finished, rinse the stain with a bit more clean water and dab it up until dry.
If there is still some baking soda left behind, you can simply vacuum up the remnants.
Commonly Asked Questions
Will the above methods work to remove pet urine stains that are fresh, too?
Yes, the methods listed above will work to remove new pet urine stains, too.
Just make sure to soak up any excess liquid before you get started.
It will take a lot less effort to clean up a fresh stain than it does an old stain.
Do these methods work for urine from children or other animals?
Yes, the above methods will work well on human urine or urine that is not from a typical house pet.
Make sure to always wear your protective gloves when working with bodily fluids!
Can I use hydrogen peroxide on my carpet instead of baking soda and vinegar?
Yes, hydrogen peroxide can work to get old pet urine stains out of carpet, but make sure to start with a small amount and slowly use more as you need it.
The recommended method, however, is baking soda and vinegar.
Conclusion
Have you enjoyed learning how to remove old pet urine stains out of carpet?
If it’s been helpful, check out our article on the best dog urine stain and odor removers.
Being a pet owner comes with many rewards and so much love, but it also comes with messes, accidents, and frustration.
Cleaning up pet urine stains from carpet is not an easy task, but it is something that must be done on occasion if you are a pet owner.
Now that you have read this article, you will be able to conquer the next mess that comes your way.
Whether it’s an old or new stain or from a cat or dog, you can be sure that you will be able to get old pet urine stains out of carpet efficiently and leave your house looking and smelling as fresh as ever.
