It’s fun to have a pet around. However, it’s not so cute when their accidents in the house leave behind a stench, even when you clean them up.
Accidents can’t be avoided, but what can we do about pet odors and stains? You should remove pet urine from your carpet, of course!
There are several ways to eliminate that unwanted urine smell from your carpet, ranging from DIY pet odor removal kits to heavy-duty floor cleaners. If you understand how pet urine affect your floors, you can prevent these smells.
In this article, we have told the step-by-step guide to clean pet urine from vinyl plank flooring.
How To Clean Pet Urine Stains From Vinyl Plank Flooring: Method 1
Here is the first method you can use to get rid of pet urine stains from vinyl plank flooring.
Things You Need In This Method
- Baking soda
- Rubbing alcohol
- Multiple washcloths
- Abrasive sponge
- Brush
- Long spoon
- Water
- Dishwashing detergent ( make sure it doesn’t contain any bleach )
- Vinegar
- Broom
- Paper towel
- Rubber gloves
Procedure
- Pick up the feces and excess urine using rubber gloves and paper towels. Gloves protect against germs and bacteria.
- Sweep the area with the broom to remove any excess dust or dirt. You have direct access to the stain this way.
- Use the long spoon to mix the dishwashing detergent, a gallon of warm water, and 1 cup of vinegar well in the bucket. Make sure no studs appear in this step.
- After the stain has been soaked in the mixture, gently scrub it with the brush. After that, you can rinse with water. Alternatively, you may choose one of the more aggressive methods below.
- Mix equal parts of water and baking soda to make a paste. Afterward, let it sit for about 15 minutes before applying the paste. Use an abrasive brush to scrub the floor and a dry cloth to wipe it clean. Last but not least, soak a clean cloth in alcohol and scrub the area.
Homemade Solution For Pet Stains: (Very Easy & Effective)
You can use hydrogen peroxide to remove pet stains on vinyl plank floors that are very dark. To begin, cover the affected area with paper towels.
The hydrogen peroxide will stay wet for a more extended period, and you will also have more control over where it goes. Then, spray the towels with hydrogen peroxide.
For the stain to disappear, repeat the process as necessary. Your stain will improve after some days.
Necessary Precautions For Cleaning Vinyl Plank Floors:
To prevent damages and make your vinyl plank floors last as long as possible, follow these precautions:
- Immediately clean your vinyl plank floors after your pets urinate or if you spill liquid on them.
- Vinyl plank floors should never be cleaned with vinegar and bleach as they can produce chlorine gas.
- It’s best to use a chemical cleaner made specifically for vinyl plank floors.
- Steam mops are too harsh for vinyl plank flooring. Vacuuming, sweeping, and dusting your floors regularly is recommended.
- In addition, make sure you read the instructions provided by the manufacturer. Make sure you read it thoroughly and don’t do anything that could void the warranty.
Related Post: How To Dry Water Under Vinyl Plank Flooring?
Method 2
Here is the second method you can use to get rid of pet stains.
- Remove the pet’s urine by blotting or soaking it up: In the first place, make sure the liquid is as clean as possible. Soak up as much liquid from the carpet as possible with paper towels, a cloth, or whatever you have on hand.
- Use an odor neutralizer and carpet cleaner that you prefer: We recommend using your favorite carpet and pet mess cleaner when cleaning carpets and pet mess. No matter what kind of pet mess cleaner you are looking for, you can easily find general cleaners and odor neutralizers at your local grocery or pet store. An enzyme cleaner is the best way to remove pet urine from carpets.
Enzymatic Cleaners for Pet Urine and Stains
To get rid of pet odor from carpet, you need an enzymatic cleaner. If used as soon as possible, it will break down the molecules of pet urine to minimize any odors.
You can purchase an enzymatic cleaner at your local pet store or online. Following those instructions will help you to get rid of pet odors and stains efficiently.
Home Remedy for Pet Odor and Stains
You can also use a home remedy to neutralize those pet odors and remove stains if you’re not interested in using harsh cleansers.
Water, vinegar, and baking soda are the most effective method for cleaning pet stains, including old and new ones.
Mix 50 percent water and 50 percent white vinegar first in a bucket or spray bottle. Then, spray a lot of water over the spot (after soaking up the liquid) and scrub nicely.
Essentially, this lifts the stain and urine, while the vinegar neutralizes the ammonia in the urine, thus negating the smell.
Sprinkle baking soda on the spot while it is still wet after thoroughly cleaning it. As it begins working on lifting the pet stain and urine odor from the carpet, you will see and hear fizzing.
Baking soda can also be applied with your hands or a brush to help it soak into the carpet fibers.
Methods to Remove Old/Stubborn Pet Urine Smell and Stains
In case you are not able to clean urine stains because they become old, so you can follow these methods to remove them:
1- Wet Vacuum or Carpet Cleaner
If you don’t just have a few stubborn spots in your carpet but have pet odors and stains all over, you can deep clean the whole thing.
To get rid of those smelly stains, you can hire professionals to use their machines and advanced carpet cleaners. If you’re more of a do-it-yourselfer, you can rent or buy a carpet cleaner.
It is a bit more expensive, but it can breathe new life into your carpet. Afterward, you can take preventative measures to protect your carpet in the future.
2- Remove and Replace Carpet Padding
Possibly you cannot replace your carpet, or only a central part of your carpet smells bad. Things can get very advanced at this point. The smell stays because the urine leaks into the carpet padding, which then holds the urine smells.
Thus, the carpet padding can be removed and replaced to eliminate the odor. There are carpet pads with a moisture barrier, which means liquids have a more challenging time penetrating.
3- Remove and Replace Your Carpet and Underlayment
Your efforts to eliminate pet odors from your carpet may have been vain because the smell lingered in the carpet padding.
It is important to remember that pet odor sticks around because it has soaked through the carpet and into the padding and subfloor.
To remove pet odors altogether, you should remove the old carpet and padding and install new flooring.
When you decide to rip out that old carpet and replace it with new flooring, choose waterproof and pet-friendly flooring to avoid future odors and stains.
Final Words
After reading the above article, we hope that you should remove your pet urine stains and smell from vinyl plank flooring.
No matter how old these stains are. We have discussed each method using which you can remove fresh stains and old stains and smells.