It is a situation that nobody wants to be in. Let’s be real and honest. Nobody wants their house, and especially their carpets smelling like urine.
Not only is it unhygienic, but the foul odor can cause serious problems, including stress and anxiety for many people.
So, I cleaned my carpet and now it smells like urine. What can I do? Well, there’s no reason to worry or panic.
You just need to know some basic facts and science to understand why this happens. Once you know why my whole carpet smells like dog pee, you can easily find a remedy for it.
There have been several cases where people have complained about foul smells from their carpets. For certain people, their carpet smells worse after cleaning.
So, why is this?
Why does cleaning your carpet make it smell like urine? If you want to know the answer to these questions, you need to keep reading!
I realize that there are so many people out there who are clueless as to why their carpets smell like urine. This is why I’m writing this guide.
It has all the information you need to know and even more. If you want to avoid your carpet smelling like urine or even fix the issue, you’re going to find this article immensely helpful!
Why Shampooing Your Carpet Is A Bad Idea
If you have pets at home, pee accidents are more common than not. Pets pee inside the house sometimes and there may be a few reasons for that. For instance, they might not be trained, or they might have a medical issue that makes it hard for them to hold it in.
The worst that can happen is that your pet will pee on your carpet.
But here’s the thing. You should never even consider using shampoo on your carpet where your pet peed on. So many people have been asking me, “I shampooed my carpet and now it smells like pee.” Why does this happen? The answer is quite simple.
Whenever you clean your carpet using shampoo, most people tend to use hot water. This is where it all goes wrong. Hot water can easily reactivate the bacteria that give urine its distinctive foul smell.
Sometimes, owners don’t even realize this, but their carpets have been peed on long back and have even dried up.
That means we can use shampoo the carpet now, right?
WRONG!
Sometimes when the urine dries, the smell dissipates. However, just because you can’t smell it anymore doesn’t mean that urine is completely gone. As soon as you add warm water and shampoo onto the carpet, the smell will get re-activated again, making it smell worse than before.
The problem is worse with thicker, high end carpets. The tightly packed fibers make it very easy for dried urine to get stuck between.
(ALSO READ: Why Does My Home Smell Like Cat Pee? || Does D Con Keep Mice From Stinking)
What To Do In Case There’s Pee On Carpet?
Did your pet have a pee accident and make a mess on the carpet? Don’t panic, there are plenty of simple solutions.
In this guide, I’ll tell you about what to do after a pee accident has been made.
Just give these suggestions a try, and you’ll see excellent results!
1. Never Shampoo Your Carpet If It Has Been Peed On
Have you ever wondered why your carpet tends to smell like urine after you shampoo it? There’s a simple answer to this. It’s because there must have been pee on your carpet while you cleaned it with shampoo.
Whether it’s fresh pee or dormant pee, using shampoo and warm water can make the smell even worse and more foul. Why? Carpets have a sponge-like surface underneath that absorbs the pee.
This means that even if you can clean the surface, the inside still has urine in it. And the worst that can happen is that hot water will activate the urea and make the smell far worse.
(ALSO READ: How To Remove Blood Stains For Shoes or Sneakers)
2. Find The Pee Spots
One of the easiest and most effective ways to treat a carpet with a urine smell is to find the pee spots.
How do you do this? There are two ways you can go about this. And no, crawling on all fours and sniffing your carpet is not the answer!
You can get a black light from the store and easily find the pee spots. When you shine a powerful blacklight on the carpet, you can easily spot the pee spot or spots.
A blacklight will be the most effective and powerful tool for you.
Here’s a quick video tutorial to help you:
Don’t want to splurge on a black light? Another way to find pee spots is to roll your carpet.
Once you’ve rolled the carpet and it’s upside down, finding the pee spots is a piece of cake, since the pee would have most like stained the underside of the carpet.
3. Spot Treatments
If you do not want to call a professional carpet cleaner, here is what you can do.
After you find the pee stains on the carpet, it is time to treat it. Don’t worry. Everyday items can help you in this process.
One thing you can do is use paper towels to soak up the pee. Do this as long as it takes to dry the carpet. After this, use cold water to wash and rinse the pee spots.
Here’s another trick. You can even use a carpet cleaner with some additives.
So, what can I put in my carpet cleaner to make it smell good again?
I personally find using baking soda or even dish detergent a good solution to remove the urine smell.
(ALSO READ: Can I use Dish Soap To Get Rid Of Pet Fleas? || House Plants That Smell Like Cat Pee)
Our Readers Also Asked
How Do You Get Urine Smell out Of Carpet After Cleaning?
If you recently cleaned your carpet with shampoo and hot water, you must be battling with the foul odor of urine right now.
But, how long does urine smell last in carpet? It depends on how quickly and effectively you treat it. If you blot and use a vinegar or baking soda solution, the smell will fade away in a matter of a day.
How to Get Urine Smell out Of Carpet with Steam Cleaner?
Fill some warm water in the water section along with some white vinegar, an odor neutralizer, and some mild dish soap liquid.
Now, steam the entire carpet and go over the pee stains more than once if you have to.
Dry the carpet out in the sun for some hours before bringing it back in.
Wrapping Up
Who wants to say I cleaned my carpet and it now smells like urine. No one. If you have a carpet at home that smells like urine, I suggest you give this guide a thorough read.
Everything you need to know about what to do and what not to do is available here. Hopefully, you will find my guide useful and effective in dealing with a carpet that smells like urine.
If you’ve tried everything and nothing has worked for you, give my recommendations a try!