Whether it's your child or your pet, nighttime accidents are bound to happen. With children, they may be at the stage between needing diapers, and sleeping through the night for the first time. Accidents are inevitable, but what you can do is know how to get pee out of a mattress.
Similarly, pets that are yet to be housetrained may think your bed is the prime spot to relieve themselves. Pet urine can be removed the same way, but will need some extra steps to ensure that Fido doesn't turn your bed into his personal bathroom!
In this article, we'll present the step-by-step process in removing fresh urine from a mattress, as well as lifting any urine stain, and removing the pee smell. Parents, and fur parents: take note of these steps for your future reference!
What You’ll Need
You'll need a couple of tools to start cleaning. If you're housetraining your pet, or teaching your child to sleep through the night without any accidents, we recommend you create a "Bedwetting Kit" for a grab and go, immediate cleaning. Here's what you need:
For the Cleaning Solution:
- Distilled white vinegar
- Dish soap
- Baking soda
- Essential oil (optional)
- Spray bottle
Other Items:
- Dry towel or paper towels
- Vacuum cleaner
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Steam Cleaner
- Pet Odor Spray
How to Get Rid of Urine Out of a Mattress
Step 1: Remove Bedding
Walk into the room prepared: bring a laundry basket with you for the soiled bedding, and strip the mattress of its blanket, mattress protector, and pillows as needed. Take the bedding to the washing machine, and immediately soak the fabrics to avoid staining.
Step 2: Baking Soda
Sprinkle baking soda all over the damp area. Baking soda will absorb excess moisture, deodorize, and prevent the urine from seeping deeper into the mattress. Let the baking soda stay on the surface for at least an hour. For a deeper clean, dissolve baking soda in hot water first before spraying onto the surface of the mattress.
Step 3: Vacuum the Baking Soda Residue
Once the baking soda has absorbed the urine, vacuum up the baking soda residue using the upholstery attachment of your vacuum cleaner. Alternatively, you can use the wet function to suck up any remaining moisture.
Step 4: Spray with Cleaning Solution
Mix together 1 cup of white vinegar, 1 cup of water, and a few drops of liquid detergent or dish soap in a spray bottle. Shake well to incorporate the ingredients. Add essential oils if preferred, as vinegar may have an unpleasant smell while wet. Liberally spray the mixture around the entire affected area.
Step 5: Blot with Towels
Clean urine stains by blotting them out with a towel. Keep blotting to remove the moisture, and avoid wiping as wiping may spread the stains into other areas. You may need more than one towel for this step.
Step 6: Repeat If Necessary
Repeat the process if necessary. Keep spraying the vinegar solution, and blotting out the excess urine until the mattress is clean. Keep a laundry basket with you for spent towels. You may opt to use the wet vacuum to remove the urine as well.
Step 7: Air Dry Mattress and Replace Bedding
Let the mattress completely air dry, and replace the bedding once dried. Cover damp areas with baking soda, or use a fan to help dry the mattress quicker. Check
Helpful Tip: Make sure you wash your vacuum between uses to prevent the spread of germs from using the same vacuum you used to remove excess liquid, on your freshly-cleaned mattress!
How to Remove Pee Stains from the Mattress
If you notice mattress stains from the accident, don't fret! Easily remove these stains using three tried and true methods: blotting, bleaching, or deep cleaning!
Method #1: Blotting Out Pee Stains
Like cleaning out fresh stains, you can clean old stains with the same vinegar solution. Keep a bottle of the vinegar solution with you for convenience. Apply the solution onto the stain, and use a towel to blot it out until you can no longer notice the stain on your mattress.
Method #2: Bleach Out Stains with Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is both a mild bleaching agent, and a disinfectant. Use the liquid pure to quickly bleach away the stain, and disinfect your mattress at the same time. Do not use this method on a memory foam mattress, as the solution may cause the foam to disintegrate.
Method #3: Deep Cleaning the Mattress
A professional deep clean should get rid of any and all stains, as well as deodorize, sanitize, and refresh your mattress. Consider going for deep cleaning services if the stain is too stubborn and large to treat at home. Have a trusted cleaning professional in your contacts for sudden appointments.
How to Remove Pee Smell from the Mattress
There are two simple ways to remove that odor from your mattress: deodorize with baking soda, or go the steam cleaning way! Baking soda is the quick fix for when you don't have time to steam clean, while steam cleaning provides sterilization and a deeper clean than baking soda!
Method #1: Deodorize with Baking Soda
Fill a spray bottle with warm water, and give your mattress a spritz just until the surface is slightly damp. Sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda all over the mattress, and let the powder sit for at least an hour. The stronger the odor, the longer you should let it sit. Vacuum up the excess, and repeat as needed.
Method #2: Steam Cleaning Method
Go over the entire mattress using a steam cleaner. Let the steam seep deep into the mattress pad, and go over the surface multiple times. The smell should dissipate with the heat, while the steam sterilizes the surface of the mattress.
How to Get Pet Pee Out of a Mattress
The main difference between getting rid of pet versus human urine is how well you remove the lingering odors. Dogs typically choose to relieve themselves in a spot where they can sense dog pee, and their sense of smell is 40x greater than ours. You may need to use an enzyme cleaner or a pet spray to remove urine stains from your mattress.
Your Bonus Step: Neutralizing Odors
Remove pet stains from your mattress using a pet odor cleaning solution that you can purchase commercially. These sprays often have strong ingredients to completely remove the urine smell from any surface, ensuring that your pet won't make a habit of bedwetting.
Simply spray a liberal amount of the solution around the area where your pet has relieved itself. Blot the area until just damp, and let the solution dry to remove the urine odor. Even your dog will no longer sense the urine smell from your mattress!
Make Cleaning Hassle-free
Deep cleaning is still the best method for removing all traces of urine from a mattress. At Luce SG, we understand that parents already have their hands full. Let us do the cleaning for you so you can focus on other things that matter. Our trusted cleaning experts can help you keep a fresh, pristine home without the hassle — happiness guaranteed!
Check out our blog for more articles like this, and learn the right way to clean every part of your home.
