How to Get a Urine Stain Out of Carpet

To get a urine stain out of carpet, act quickly. Blot with paper towels or a clean white cotton cloth. If you can, suck it out with a shop-vac. Then, whether the stain is new or old, cat urine, dog urine, or pet urine of any kind, do the following:

Make a solution of 1/4 teaspoon liquid dish washing detergent in one cup of warm water. Don't use laundry detergent, automatic dish washing detergent, or dish soap with lanolin or bleach in it. Spray or carefully spread the solution over the area affected.

Extract the solution using a shop-vac, plain white paper towels, or a white cotton cloth. Rinse the area with warm water, extract, the apply the detergent solution again. Repeat as long as there is improvement in the pet stains.

Then apply a solution of two tablespoons ammonia in a cup of water. Rinse, extract, and repeat. Blot or use a shop-vac until most of the moisture is out.

Lightly apply a solution of one cup white vinegar in two cups of water. Rinse and extract.

Dry the carpet completely by putting a layer of white paper towels over the spot and weighing them down with something that wont stain if it gets wet. Change paper towels until the carpet is dry.

Urine Smell in Carpet

You can't always get a urine stain out of carpet, and the smell will let you know if this is the case. Urine varies according to the diet, age and type of pet. Cat urine is one of the worst for leaving a smell in your carpet. A pet store or your vet may be able to sell you an enzyme treatment that chemically breaks down the urine.

For more on enzyme cleaners, see the page: Enzyme Cleaners For Cat Urine Odor

A professional carpet cleaner, with a truck mount hot water extraction unit, may be able to clean deeper than you can. In some cases, you will need to replace the carpet, the pad, and even seal the floorboards to prevent the odor from coming back.

Carpet Damage From Pet Stains

Pet stains on carpet have different effects not only according to the animal, but also depending on the type of carpet. In beige carpet, for example, blue dyes are attacked by pet urine, leaving behind red and yellow dyes. The resulting stains can be red, yellow or orange.

Color can sometimes be restored by treating the area with a solution of two tablespoons ammonia in one cup of water. Rinse afterwards, and extract as much moisture as you can. Even if this doesn't restore the color entirely, it can help to remove the urine smell in the carpet. In all cases, the quicker you discover and remove it, the more likely you are to get a urine stain out of carpet.