If you have a new dog, finding puddles of urine on the floor is a common occurrence.
But as typical as it is, if not dealt with promptly can lead to permanent stains and odors coming from your hardwoods.
The best way to clean dog urine from hardwood floors is to soak up the pee as soon as you spot it. Afterward, mop the floors with your regular cleaning solution. If there’s still a urine smell coming from the floor, treat the spot with an odor remover, hydrogen peroxide, or baking soda.
Step by Step: Get Dog Urine out of Wood Floors
Step 1: Wipe up the Mess
If you find a pile of dog urine, soak up the urine with paper towels until there’s no moisture left on the floor. Depending on the size of the puddle, it may take several paper towels or napkins to do this.
Step 2: Clean the Floor
After you’ve removed the urine, mop the area. You can use your regular mop and mopping solution or a vinegar-water mixture. Allow the floor to dry after cleaning.
Step 3: Eliminate Bad Smells Caused By Dog Urine
Wipe down the floor with hydrogen peroxide – Hydrogen peroxide is excellent at removing urine smells. All you need to do is dampen a cloth with peroxide and wipe down the area the odor is coming from.
(Because hydrogen peroxide does lighten some surfaces, you’ll want to spot test before trying this method.)
Sprinkle baking soda where the urine was – Baking soda is great at absorbing odors. For an easy way to remove the urine odors from your hardwoods, sprinkle baking soda and allow it to sit overnight. Vacuum the next day.
Treat the floor with an odor remover – If you don’t like the idea of using home remedies on your floor, no problem. Several commercially made odor removers are safe for hardwood floors. Two options to consider are Simple Solutions Hard Floor Stain and Odor Remover or Nature’s Miracle Urine Destroyer.
How to Deal with Stains Caused from Dog Urine
Quickly cleaning up the dog pee will prevent most stains. However, if the urine has set on the hardwood floors for hours or days without you noticing, it can cause damage.
There are a couple of ways you can remove stains caused by this. The first is hydrogen peroxide. (Peroxide can lighten the color of your floor, so if you’re not okay with that, avoid this method.)
Another way to remove dog urine stains is with a commercially made product produced explicitly for this purpose. You can find these stain removers at any big box store.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you remove old dog urine stains from hardwood floors?
The best way to remove old dog urine stains is to have your floor refinished.
If that’s not in the budget, try soaking a rag in hydrogen peroxide and place it on the stains. Allow the peroxide-soaked rag to sit on the stains for a few hours.
How can I protect my wood floors from dog urine?
The best way to protect your wood floors from dog urine is to ensure your protective finish is still intact. The finishing coat of a floor helps repel moisture, including dog urine.
Other ideas are to use potty-training pads and to clean up any accidents promptly.
The best flooring options for pets include vinyl, tile, natural stone, laminate, and engineered hardwoods.
Does dog pee damage hardwood floors?
If cleaned up quickly, dog pee likely won’t damage your hardwood floors. However, dog urine can seep into your flooring if left to sit, causing discoloration, warping, and a permanent urine smell.
Conclusion
If you’ve brought a new pet into the house and are wondering how to get dog urine out of your wood floors, the process is simple. The most important thing to remember is the quicker you catch these messes, the less likely they are to cause lasting damage to your floors.
