Help! My Dog Pees on the Hardwood Floor

Cleaning dog urine from hardwood floors is a challenging task because it can penetrate the wood. This problem can become much more serious if your dog pees on the hardwood floor, habitually. If that’s the case, it’s time to get involved and fix this issue permanently to keep your home clean and fresh. Read on to know about the possible methods of cleaning your dog’s pee from hardwood floors.

What Can I Do If My Dog Pees on the Hardwood Floor?

The difficulty of removing the dog urine stain is directly proportional to the age of the stain. This means that it becomes more and more difficult to remove the stain as it becomes old (and dries out). Consequently, the process of removing dog pee from the hardwood floor can be divided into two categories.

Removing New Dog Urine Stains

Fresh urine stains should be detected (and cleaned) as soon as possible. Timing is extremely critical for minimizing the adverse effects of dog pee. Once you have found new dog urine stains, you can use the following method to remove them.

Wipe the Area

Put on the gloves before you interact with the pee to safeguard against bacteria and germs. Now, grab a generous amount of paper towels and put them over the urinated area. Wipe towards the center of the urine area (from the outside) to avoid spreading the urine to an unaffected area.

Once the urine is blotted up, use a wet paper towel over the affected area. Lastly, dry up the area with a fresh dry towel.

Eliminate the Odor

A dog’s sense of smell is much heightened than that of humans. Even if you are unable to smell the odor, your pet may find the spot and pee there again. Therefore, you need to ensure that the odor of the dog urine is eliminated, completely.

To do this, sprinkle some naturally-deodorized baking soda over the affected area (when it is damp). Then, let the soda sit there for several hours (or preferably overnight). After that, use a vacuum to clean the hardwood floor. Make sure that you use a soft brush to preserve the floor from scratching.

Once the area is clean, opt for an enzyme-based hardwood floor cleaner. Read the label carefully to ensure that the cleaner is free from bleach or ammonia. This will save the hardwood floor from discoloring or any other damage when the stain remover is used.

Disinfect the Area

After cleaning up the floor, use a natural disinfectant to cleanse the area. This will remove the harmful germs and bacteria from the floor to make it safe for your family.

Removing Old Dog Urine Stains

Old stains of dog urine are incredibly damaging for hardwood floors. They can discolor the wood and result in the caustic smell of ammonia. Many homemade remedies can quickly fix the damage of these stains. One of the most popular of these methods is explained below.

Make the Vinegar Solution

The first step of removing old urine stains is to ensure that the affected area is dry. After that, prepare a mixture comprising of ½ cup of white vinegar and ½ cup of water. Make sure that the mixture is well mixed before using it to clean the floor.

If you feel that the vinegar can damage the hardwood floor, dilute the solution by adding more water. You should test out the solution on a small area to see its effect on the stain and the hardwood floor.

Remove the Top Layer of the Urine Stain

If you’re satisfied, you can use a towel or a sponge to apply the solution to the affected area. Apply a nice layer of the vinegar solution and leave it there for about 10-15 minutes. Then, use a dry towel to clean the area and ensure no moisture is left. This process allows you to remove the top layer of the stain from the hardwood floor.

Use Sandpaper

Once you are confident that the area is dry, use 80-100 grit sandpaper to sand the area. If you are lucky, this would remove the stain, virtually without digging into the hardwood floor. This will ensure that the thickness and smoothness of the floor are not affected.

Bleach the Area

However, if the process of sanding fails to give the desired results, Hydrogen Peroxide would be used. It’s highly recommended to observe extreme caution while bleaching the area because Hydrogen Peroxide is corrosive. Likewise, it gives off fumes that are toxic to human systems.

Therefore, wear thick gloves and a face mask to protect yourself. After that, use small quantities of Hydrogen Peroxide on the affected area (and it will foam). Once the foaming stops, use a sponge to rub the Hydrogen Peroxide into the stain.

This should, in theory, remove the stain or at least remove some of its parts. In extreme cases, you should try at least three times before opting for another option.

Try Chlorine-Based Bleach

If Hydrogen Peroxide fails to remove the stain, you can go for a stronger chlorine-based bleach. Apply the bleach to the area and wait for about 5 minutes. Then, put some baking soda over the area to neutralize the acidic effect of the bleach. Leave the baking soda for 10-15 minutes, and then use a towel (or a sponge) to clean it. Rinse with water and wait for the site to become dry.

Apply Wood Wax

Wait for the area to dry to check if the stain is gone or not. If it has, apply varnish (or wood wax) on that area and allow it to dry. After that, use a vacuum to make sure that no particles (or moisture) are left behind.

NOTE: Removing dried dog urine from hardwood floors can be very challenging, and you may require the services of a professional.