How to get dog pee out of mattress is one of the first life hack skills you’d probably have to learn as a new dog owner. Whether your dog is a puppy or a senior with bladder issues, incontinence is something every dog owner will deal with, at least, once in their dog’s lifetime.
Dog pee on mattress or any other furniture is bad news for several reasons. For one, it ruins your furniture. Secondly, if you don’t handle it well, the odor can be long (or ever) lasting. Thirdly, if the odor lingers, then your pup will, most likely, go back to the scene of the crime and perpetrate another “criminal act.”
When it comes to getting dog pee out of the mattress or any other furniture, everything rises on how quickly you attend to the matter. Delaying the process only makes things worse for all involved. These are words to live by.
There are many other things to consider when discussing the issue of how to get dog pee out of mattress. We hope you learn one or two things from today’s article.
Before we go into the meat of this article, here’s something to chew on. David Mavillio shows a safe and cheap way to get dog pee out of your mattress without using harsh chemicals that are unsafe for you and your pet.
Table of Contents
Tips For Getting Dog Pee Out Of The Mattress – Method 1
1. React As Quickly As Possible
The chances are higher that the odor will completely disappear if you attend to the accident the moment it happens. Plus, thoroughness is the name of this game, and to win, you must demand more than just “good enough.”
Why?
Your dog has a sense of smell that’s about a hundred times better than yours. So, even a whiff of the lingering smell is enough for your dog to go back to the same spot and pee again.
Hence, the moment you notice that your dog has taken a leak, you must respond immediately before it becomes too late.
In some cases, it might be a little difficult to see the stains. You could work with a pet urine detector in such cases to detect where the urine smell is coming from so you can treat it.
2. Dry The Affected Area
After locating the affected spots, the next step is to dry the area immediately. You can make use of sponges or paper towels. As much as possible dab the area rather than rub. The reason for this is to avoid spreading the urine to other areas of the mattress.
Also, while dabbing, you want to apply as much pressure as possible so that you can soak up as much urine as possible.
3. Treat The Affected Area With A Pet Stain Cleaner
There are a number of ways you can treat the affected area. You can either use commercial pet cleaning products or you can use homemade solutions as well.
As a dog owner, you should own a pet stain cleaning agent. If you don’t, it’s not too late to get one now. Well, if you already have an accident on your hands, then it might be a little late. All the same, get one if you don’t have one already.
For commercial pet cleaning products, all you need to do is to follow the instructions on the bottle and you’ll be good.
If you prefer DIY solutions, then read the next steps.
4. Apply A Vinegar and Baking Soda Solution
This is one of the most effective solutions for getting dog pee out of mattress. You see, dog urine is highly alkaline. Therefore, it makes sense to use an acidic solution to get rid of the stain and the odor.
So, what you do is you dissolve the baking soda in the vinegar and then pour this mixture into a spray bottle. With the solution in the spray bottle, you spray the affected area of the mattress with your vinegar/baking soda solution.
Once you’ve done that, you let the solution sit and dry.
Now, repeat that process throughout the day until the smell has completely disappeared.
5. Apply Hydrogen Peroxide And Soap
Another method is to use a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and regular soap.
In this method, you mix a teaspoon of your regular soap into a cup of hydrogen peroxide. Then stir the solution until you get a perfect mixture.
Unlike with the vinegar and baking soda solution, you use a damp cloth to apply this solution to the affected area of the mattress.
Keep doing this throughout the day until the smell completely desires.
6. Lemon Juice And Water Solution Also Works
This is about the most popular method of all the DIY methods to get dog pee out of mattress. Here, all you’re doing is mixing lemon juice and water.
Lemon is naturally acidic, so it neutralizes the alkaline crystals in the dog urine, leaving behind a more pleasant aroma instead.
But there’s another benefit of using lemon juice and water. Dogs are naturally repelled by the smell of citrus. So, it also serves as a pet repellent for dogs who continue to wet the mattress and other furniture.
So, there are a number of ways this solution can work.
You can first wet the spot with water and then rub the lemon directly onto the spot. Or you can wet the spot with water and then squeeze the juice on the spot before rubbing it in. Finally, you can mix lemon juice and water into a spray bottle and spray the content onto the affected spot.
As usual, you are to repeat this process until you get the desired results.
Tips For Getting Dog Pee Out Of The Mattress – Method 2
1. Sprinkle Baking Soda On The Urine Spot
In the first method, you blotted out the urine by dabbing with paper towels or a sponge. In this method though, you absorb the urine by sprinkling some baking soda on the urine spot.
When you do this, the baking soda should darken over time. When the baking soda darkens, then vacuum it off the mattress. Then keep repeating this process until the baking soda remains white after sprinkling on the urine spot.
2. Soak The Affected Spot In Vinegar
This works for fresh pee and dried pee. For fresh urine, first blot with paper towels, a cotton towel, or sponge. Once you’ve done that and the spot is now dry, soak the whole area in vinegar. In fact, extend the vinegar solution beyond the spot a little. Once thoroughly soaked, blot the vinegar until the spot is dry.
Please, ensure that the vinegar you’re using is the white kind.
3. Apply A Solution Of Hydrogen Peroxide And Baking Soda
After blotting the vinegar dry, then it’s time to apply your cleaning solution. Here’s how to make the cleaning solution.
Mix three tablespoons of baking soda into 8 ounces of hydrogen peroxide and then top it up with a few drops of regular liquid detergent. Pour the resulting concoction into a spray bottle. You could even add a few drops of any essential oil of your choice to give your mattress a pleasant smell.
Spray the urine spot generously with this mixture but make sure you have the entire surface area covered.
Once the spot is completely dried, vacuum up the residue and you should be good to go.
Don’t be afraid to repeat this process if it doesn’t give you the desired results after the first try.
4. Use An Enzymatic Pet Cleaner
After doing this, you might want to use an enzymatic cleaner to neutralize the odor completely. We’ve already explained why this is super important.
Your homemade will most likely work without the pet cleaner. Nonetheless, there’s always that off chance. So, better to err on the side of caution and apply the pet cleaner all the same.
In the video below, Thompson explains the method above and you can watch him do it. He also explains how, sometimes, a dog peeing on your bed might not be vindictive but rather because they are sad. For those wondering how they can stop this bad behavior, Thompson answers that briefly too.
Tips For Getting Dog Pee Out Of The Mattress – Method 3
1. Dry Up The Urine Spot Using Paper Towels Or A Sponge
We already showed you how to do this.
2. Apply A Solution Of Vinegar And Water
Mix equal parts of vinegar and water into a jug or any container of your choice. Pour this mixture onto the urine spot on the mattress and then blot using paper towels. You can also use your wet/dry vacuum to take up the excess moisture.
3. Sprinkle Baking Soda
You want to be generous about this. Sprinkle enough baking soda on the spot after blotting the vinegar solution.
4. Apply A Hydrogen Peroxide And Soap Solution
After this, mix about a quarter cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide with one teaspoon of liquid detergent. Then pour this mixture over the sprinkling od baking soda on the mattress. You can also spray this solution using a spray bottle rather than pour.
Next, using a scrubbing brush or your hands, work the hydrogen peroxide solution into the baking soda and allow to sit for about 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, blot with a paper towel or you can also use a wet/dry vacuum as we did in the other step.
After this, wait for your mattress to dry completely. Ideally, you should put your mattress out in the sun. however, this isn’t always possible. So, you might have to resort to using a heater, a fan, or even a hairdryer.
Once the mattress is completely dry, then vacuum off the excess baking soda. You could even use a hard brush to loosen up the baking soda residue if need be.
How To Get Old, Dried Dog Pee Out Of Mattress
1. Soak In Vinegar
First, soak in vinegar and allow to sit for a few minutes. This allows the urine to rehydrate so you can easily draw it out of the mattress while blotting.
This doesn’t take out the stain, it just softens the urine for the next steps.
Ensure that you don’t limit the application of the vinegar to the spot alone. Spread the vinegar further to the surrounding areas as urine not only soaks down, it soaks and spreads out as well.
2. Apply Hydrogen Peroxide, Baking Soda, And Detergent Mixture
Create this mixture by mixing 8 ounces of Hydrogen peroxide with 3 tablespoons of baking soda, half a teaspoon of liquid detergent and a few drops of essential oil (if you want). Mix this in a spray bottle by swishing gently. Please, do not shake. Swish or stir with a spoon. Also, do not dilute with water.
Apply the mixture by spraying generous only the affected area and its surroundings and leaving to soak for about 5 – 10 minutes. If the stain is particularly stubborn, leave to sit for up to 20 minutes but no longer as the cleaning agents lose their efficacy after then.
After this, blot the area with paper towels till it’s dry. If the urine smell still hasn’t lifted, keep repeating the process.
Remember, blot. Do not wipe or rub or scrub.
3. Apply An Enzymatic Pet Cleaner
This method is important because dogs have a very sharp sense of smell. You must eliminate all chances of lingering odors.
4. Sprinkle The Affected Area With Baking Soda
The next step is to sprinkle the affected area with baking soda to help absorb odors from the mattress and the air as well.
As usual, you want to ensure you sprinkle the baking soda even outside the amrgins of the urine stain.
When this dries, vacuum off the excess baking soda powder.
5. Allow The Mattress Dry
Once that is done, leave the mattress is dry. Ensure there are no covers or sheets on the mattress so that the moisture can dissipate. If you don’t, you might trap the moisture within the fibers of the mattress. This might then lead to the growth of microorganisms such as molds and mildew.
If the occupant of the mattress has to be temporarily displaced, then so be it. Usually, it would take the mattress about 4 to 6 hours to dry completely. Just make sure the mattress dries completely.
After Getting Dog Pee Out Of The Mattress
Getting dog pee out of your mattress is only half the battle. The truth is that your dog has a bad behavior that you must correct immediately before it becomes a problem.
The first method of correction is to train your dog. If he’s still a pup, it’s going to be much more effective. (If you need some help with that, click here to read our article on dog potty training).
Ed Frawley hosts this Q and A session for dog owners. In this episode, a particular dog owner has an issue with her 9-month old Cavalier who won’t stop peeing in her bed. Hear Ed Frawley’s advice. He even tells a funny story of his own experience!
If training doesn’t seem to be working (which is hardly ever the case), then you can resort to some dog repellents. There are many commercial options in pet stores online and offline.
If you prefer homemade solutions, Cayenne peppers work. Just scatter a few of them on the spot where your dog urinates. Don’t worry it hardly causes any damage just a minor irritation on your dog’s skin.
Another route you can go is ammonia-based solutions. Dogs are naturally repelled by the smell and would hardly go back to that spot once such mixtures are applied. Whether you’d be able to cope with the smell yourself is another matter entirely. This is the reason most dog owners just go for commercial dog repellents.
Something else dog owners might want to consider is getting a waterproof mattress pad. Whether or not accidents are your worry, with a waterproof mattress pad, your mattress will look, feel, and smell fresh for longer.
Plus, if you ever need to claim your warranty, a soiled mattress will, most likely, void this but many people don’t have this information. So, that’s another reason to get a waterproof mattress pad.
