Remove dog urine from fabric by using an enzymatic stain remover or baking soda in a washing machine or through spot-cleaning by hand.
Fabrics Prone to Urine Stains
Dog urine can find its way on to many household surfaces and fabrics, due either to accidents, incontinence or even excitable urination. Couch cushions, bedding, clothing, dog pillows and even low-hanging drapes can all get stained and require cleaning treatment.
Tips
If you smell a urine deposit, but can’t yet see it, use a black light in a darkened room to identify the spot.
Machine Washable Fabrics
Fabrics that are machine washable, such as clothing, towels and sheets, can be cleaned in a normal wash cycle using cold water and products such as regular laundry detergent spiked with a cup of baking soda or commercially produced enzymatic cleaning solutions. Pretreat set-in stains and let the items soak before running the wash cycle. You may have to repeat the process several times.
Tips
Visually inspect and smell washed items before putting them in the dryer. If there’s still a stain or a lingering odor, the dryer will set it in deeper.
Hand Washable Fabrics
Upholstery fabric and delicate items like embroidered pillows or handwoven floor rugs may require spot cleaning by hand.
- Mix a solution of enzyme cleaner/stain remover per manufacturer's guidelines.
- Test an inconspicuous area to determine if it is colorfast.
- Use a clean white cloth to dampen the stain with the liquid solution, and a thick pad of white paper towels to blot away the fluid.
- Repeat the process until the stain no longer exists and your blotting towel shows no trace of residual urine.
- Air dry fabric.
Dry-Clean Fabrics
Materials such as wool and silk likely will require dry-cleaning to remove urine stains. Call your dry cleaner in advance to ask if they specialize in pet stain removal, or can recommend someone who does. Get a price quote before going through with the cleaning. Some items may be more cost-effective to replace than to dry clean.
Future Stain Prevention
Cleaning up the occasional urine stain is par for the course of pet ownership, but if your dog is regularly eliminating in inappropriate spots, it’s time to see your vet. Your pup may have a bladder or kidney condition or some other health or behavioral issue that needs to be addressed. If stains are occurring because your dog isn’t housebroken, make this important training a priority.
Writer Bio
Lisa McQuerrey has been a business writer since 1987. In 1994, she launched a full-service marketing and communications firm. McQuerrey's work has garnered awards from the U.S. Small Business Administration, the International Association of Business Communicators and the Associated Press. She is also the author of several nonfiction trade publications, and, in 2012, had her first young-adult novel published by Glass Page Books.