Steps to Successfully Get Urine Stains and Smell Out of the Mattress

When you have children or pets, or both, you will inevitably have to deal with a wet mattress at some time or another. Saving this situation can hardly be described as fun, however, it’s not as difficult as some might think. The critical thing to remember is to take action as soon as it happens.

But even if you’ve been out of town when your pet had the accident, you can still clean your mattress successfully later.

So, if you:

• Have a child who is still potty training and just had an accident on your bed;
• Have a dog that even though is potty trained, had an accident on your bed;
• Have an old parent who can no longer control their bladder.

Then read along and learn how to get those unpleasant urine stains (whether old or new) out of the mattress. Mind you, it’s important to point out early on that it would be best to avoid using commercial products when cleaning wee off foam or another type of mattress unless they are specially created for this task.

Now that let’s see what else you can use for successfully lifting the stains and smell…

What makes urine smell so bad?

Have you ever wondered what gives urine that strong and easily recognisable smell? Well, the key lies in the chemical composition of urine. In addition to water, urine also consists of different waste products, a result of protein breakdown. Urea is one of them.

Once these substances interact with bacteria, ammonia and sulfur are released. The two are mainly responsible for the strong and unpleasant smell we associate with urine. The intensity of the odour depends on various factors, such as whether it’s human or pet urine, health, hydration level, diet, etc.

How to get fresh wee stains out of a mattress

It is the best-case scenario if you manage to catch and clean the urine stain early on before the liquid has time to soak deep into the mattress. Hopefully, you will have a chance to act as soon as possible.

What you’ll need for the job:

1. Remove all the bedding and place it in the washing machine.
2. Blot the pee stain on the mattress with a clean towel. Do not scrub – this will only push the urine deeper into the mattress material and make it harder to remove.
3. Fill your spray bottle with equal parts of vinegar and water, and spray over the dirty area. If the smell is particularly strong, you can spray with just white vinegar. 
4. Let the vinegar solution penetrate the mattress for about 10 to 20 minutes.
5. Blot the vinegar solution with a clean towel.
6. Cover the treated area with baking soda and leave overnight. Baking soda absorbs nasty smells and will help a great deal with getting the wee smell out of the mattress.
7. Vacuum the baking soda thoroughly, concentrating on the dents and hard-to-reach areas.
8. Inspect the area. Do you still smell pee? If yes, sprinkle baking soda over the problematic spot and wait another 8 hours.

This method works for regular mattresses, as well as on those made from memory foam.

How to get old urine stains out of the mattress

Eliminating dry urine stains could prove very difficult. However, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try and we have just the recipe to test. The items you will need are very common for every household and chances are you already have most, if not all, of them.

These so-called “home remedies” can be used to clean various items and not just urine from a mattress. But let’s focus on the latter now.

What you’ll need for the job:

1. Mix 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide with 3 tablespoons of baking soda, and add 2 to 3 drops of dish soap. Give the bottle a few swirls and you’re ready to go.
2. Spray the solution over the stain, making sure to cover it evenly.
3. Let the mixture dry off on its own. After the solution has evaporated, you should be able to see some baking soda residue.
4. Vacuum the residue and all should be good.

Depending on how old the stain is, it might not disappear the first time. You will have to repeat this process as many times as needed so that the spot on the mattress is visually removed and no longer smells. Still keep in mind that in some cases, it may not be possible to completely erase the marks, depending on the age of the wee stain and the damage to the fabric.

How to get cat or dog urine out of the mattress

Dog urine is very similar to that of humans, so if Fido makes a mess in your bedroom, clean it as you normally would with some of the recipes we already provided above.

Cats’ wee, on the other hand, is different in that it is very potent. That’s because it contains an amino acid called felinine, which is only found in cat urine. So, cleaning cat pee will require a commercial enzyme product for the best possible results.

What you’ll need for the job:

1. Blot the stain if the pee is still fresh.
2. Lay a tarp or a plastic sheet between the mattress and the box spring.
3. Pour 3 to 4 cups of warm water onto the stain to dilute the wee.
4. Blot the liquid.
5. Apply the enzyme cleaner according to its instructions. Some products need to be sprayed, while others you have to pour.
6. Leave the product on the mattress for as long as the instructions say.
7. Soak up any excess moisture.
8. Sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda on top of the spot and leave it overnight.
9. Vacuum the baking soda.
10. Repeat until there is no nasty urine smell left.

What will happen if you leave urine on a mattress?

Well, given how hard and unpleasant cleaning urine stains can be, it’s not surprising that you may feel tempted to just not deal with the problem. Especially if the urine stains are small. However, that’s not a good idea.

On one hand, you will be exposing yourself and your loved ones to that pungent urine smell that a mattress can develop in less than 24 hours of an accident. And just if you are wondering, that smell will not go away on its own, not without some treatment. Unfortunately, the older the stain gets, the more difficult it would be to remove both the spots and the smell.

On the other hand, urine can create the perfect wet environment for bacteria and mould to grow over time and infest the mattress, as well. These two can pose a serious health threat if left untreated. So, as you can see, it is best to try and clean urine stains as soon as they happen and not let them create further complications.

Can’t fully eliminate those nasty urine stains? Professional mattress cleaning might be just what you need!

If you find it hard to remove the smell of wee after cleaning the stain, then why not hire professional mattress cleaning? We, at Fantastic Services, offer expert mattress cleaning services that will save you the hassle of dealing with this messy chore.

Our solutions are performed by trained professionals who work with industry-grade cleaning products and equipment that will get the job done. You can learn more about how much professional mattress cleaning costs in UK here.

Takeaways

• If you have the chance, always act fast as possible when it comes to dealing with urine stains. Leaving the spot will make it harder to clean afterwards. 
• Don’t rub the stain. Use gentle blotting motions. 
• Unless you are cleaning cat pee, you can easily get away with using items that you already have in your kitchen cabinet.

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Did you manage to clean the wee stains using the information from our post? let us know by commenting!