How To Remove Pet Stains From Carpet

I learned how to remove pet stains from carpet from an OGT reader named Shauna, who wrote in to tell me about a simple carpet cleaning method that sounded almost too good to be true! Luckily for all of us pet owners, her method turned out to be every bit as effective at removing pet odors and stains as she claimed, and I’m happy to have gotten her blessing to pass this tip on to all of you!

I now consider this pet stain tip to be one of the best stain removal tips in my arsenal, and you only need baking soda and vinegar to do it! Cleaning with baking soda and vinegar can be highly effective in the certain situations, and now I know that tackling pet waste stains is one of them. (To remove blood stains, reach for your hydrogen peroxide instead!)

And this method doesn’t just work on standard pee stains — it even removed the stain and odor of the highly concentrated doe urine we used in the photos throughout this post. (We didn’t have any pet stains sitting around waiting to be addressed, so we had to get creative!)

With as well as this tip worked on a pungent, dark-colored doe urine stain, you should have no trouble using it to get dog pee (or cat pee) out of carpet or upholstery!

How To Remove Pet Stains From Carpet

You’ll need:

• White vinegar
• Baking soda
• Large dish

Directions:

Step 1 – Saturate The Stain With Vinegar

Start by blotting the spot with a towel or thick layer of paper towels to absorb as much of the urine or waste as possible. Next, pour enough white vinegar on the stain to saturate it, but not so much that your carpet is sopping wet.

Step 2 – Sprinkle The Spot With Baking Soda

Next, sprinkle a generous layer of baking soda over the area. You’ll hear it start to fizz, signaling that the baking soda and vinegar reaction is starting to lift the stain and odor out of the fibers of your carpet.

Step 3 – Wait For The Area To Dry

The next step is simple: just wait until the area dries. It may take a day or two for the baking soda to absorb the stain and dry out, so I recommend covering the area with a large dish to prevent anyone from stepping in it (and to remind you to come back to it later!)

Step 4 – Vacuum It Up

Once the spot is completely dry, scoop as much of the hardened baking soda as you can into a dustpan and discard it. Finally, go over the area with your vacuum to pick up any remaining waste and baking soda, and the previously stained area will be looking and smelling fresh and clean!

More Tips For Cleaning Pet Stains

Use An Enzyme Cleaner For Stubborn Pet Odors

If you’re trying to get cat pee and odor out of your rug or carpet fibers and it’s proving difficult to remove, you may have more luck using an enzymatic cleaner or diluted vinegar solution. 

How To Get Old Pet Stains Out Of Carpet

Generally speaking, waiting too long to tackle a stain is one of the biggest stain removal mistakes you can make. But if you just weren’t able to get to a stain promptly, or maybe you inherited a stained carpet, getting out old stains is still possible! Try my carpet stain remover recipe, or my method for getting tough stains out of carpet using ammonia and an iron.  

I’ve also found that Folex, the highest rated stain remover on Amazon, can be extremely effective against old stains of many varieties, including pet urine stains. I’ve also gotten great results with my Ultimate Stain Remover Spray, which works well on old oil stains and organic stains. But the vinegar and baking soda trick is still my go-to pet stain remover, not least because I always have vinegar and baking soda in the house, especially since vinegar never expires — I buy it in gallon jugs!

How To Get Rid Of Pet Stains On Hardwood Floors

Sealed Wood Flooring

I wouldn’t advise using undiluted vinegar on hardwood floors — instead, use a diluted vinegar solution. Add 1 part water and 1 part vinegar to a spray bottle, then use it to wipe down the area. If that doesn’t eliminate the odor entirely, clean the area again using a solution of 1 part hydrogen peroxide to 2 parts cool water.

Don’t attempt to use a steam cleaner, which could set the stain and odor. 

Unsealed Wood Flooring

Removing dog or cat urine from old, unsealed wood flooring will likely require some time and attention. Start by blotting the stain with cold water, then scrub the area with white vinegar and rinse with more cold water. Blot the area with a towel until it feels dry, and avoid leaving the vinegar on the wood for too long.

An enzymatic cleaner may help neutralize the odor, but do be aware that enzymes could damage or discolor unsealed floors. I recommend testing the enzyme cleaner in a small, hidden area first to see how your floor reacts before using it on a larger area. 

If the stain and odor are still present after you’ve taken these measures, the urine may have soaked into the wood, in which case you may have to sand down the area to remove the stain and odor completely. (This is why it’s absolutely worth it to have wood floors professionally sealed!)

Do you have any pet stain tips to share?