How to Clean Dog Pee from Carpet: The Ultimate Guide

If you just adopted a new puppy you’ve probably had to clean up dog pee from your carpet at some point. It’s never a fun task, but it’s essential to know how to do it properly so that the urine doesn’t damage your carpet or create an unpleasant smell.

If a dog smells their urine odors on the carpet or floors it may develop a preference for eliminating in the house making it twice as hard to permanently housebreak your dog. The best strategy is to keep supplies ready to remove stains as soon as the accidents happen and to keep a close watch on your puppy for the first months they are with you.

If you are having a very hard time noticing when your puppy needs to go outside you can teach them to ring a potty bell to alert you when they need to go out. I personally used this method to housebreak my puppy and it works like a charm.

In this article, we will discuss removing dog urine from your carpet and getting rid of the bacteria that can cause problems down the road. We’ll also give you some tips on how to prevent future accidents. Let’s get started!

How to clean dog pee from carpet

Listed below is the best 5 steps to help you learn how to clean dog pee from carpet quickly.

Gather your supplies

The best products to use on carpets to remove dog urine and dog pee smell include:

• Paper towels
• Enzymatic cleaner (pet safe)
• Odor eliminator (pet safe)
• Baking soda & white vinegar (Optional)
• Steam cleaner

Step 1) Remove the stain when it’s fresh

The first step to keeping your carpet fibers from becoming ruined by pet urine or pet odors is to soak up the stain immediately. Use paper towels or a clean cloth to blot the area and remove as much of the urine as possible.

This will help to prevent dried dog urine (or other permanent stains) from forming on your carpet. Pee stains that are not soaked up immediately will likely cause a pet to see that area as a spot that is safe to urinate and they will continue to relieve themselves in that spot.

If you can remove the urine stain quickly within seconds of it happening your dog will notice that that area is not an approved potty area and will be less likely to urinate in the same spot again.

2) Choose a cleaning method

Now that you have removed as much of the dog urine as possible, you can begin to clean the stain by removing as much bacteria as possible from the carpet.

I used to make the mistake of using a Bissell pet stain-removing machine (or Rug Doctor Machine) which I bought in a local pet store when I adopted a puppy. However, after learning more about removing pet stains from the carpet I discovered this is not the best way to remove dog urine from the carpet (I explain why in step 5 below).

The first thing I do now is spray a light amount of the Natures Miracle Pet Stain Remover on the spot, the reason I use this product is because it was recommended to me by my veterinarian. This specific pet stain remover is great because it is an enzymatic cleaner. Enzymatic cleaners kill bacteria and remove the scent of urine, preventing future accidents in the home.

Enzymatic pet stain removers should be left on the stain for up to 15 minutes. Please don’t skip this step as the cleaning chemicals won’t work to kill and remove bacteria if you don’t give them adequate time to break down the stain, kill germs, and remove odors.

Once the pet stain remover is set for 15 minutes you can blot up the stain again with paper towels removing as much as you can from the carpet. This can be your final step if you choose not to steam clean the carpet, however, I always recommend a quick steam clean once you have finished this step. (see step 4)

3) Use a pet-safe odor remover (optional)

If the stain was dried by the time you found it you may have a serious dog pee smell coming from that spot. The first steps would be to pour a little warm water on the spot, then move on to the steps listed above, and then finish up by spraying a pet-safe odor remover in the spot you are cleaning.

There are many odor-eliminating carpet cleaning options. If you do not like using harsh chemicals in the home, you can always sprinkle baking soda on the spot and let it sit for 10-15 minutes before vacuuming it up.

However, if this doesn’t work, you can use my personal favorite odor-remover the Angry Orange Odor Eliminator. This cleaning solution is very strong (it’s basically my favorite air freshener) so you only have to use a little bit and you will have a fresh orange scent in your home.

Whatever you use just make sure to read the label to make sure it is safe for your pets, regular air fresheners can make your pets very sick or cause skin irritation.

4) If necessary, steam clean your carpet

If you have small children or multiple pets you may want to little extra heat to remove the stain to maintain a healthy carpet in your home. I personally love using a steamer for many household cleaning chores as they do not require harsh chemicals and are very effective in killing germs.

I will take a small handheld steam cleaner (like this Bissell one I bought on Amazon) and run a quick pass over the carpet a few times. Steam is the best way to eliminate bacteria, and make the carpet look new again.

You should also consider hiring a professional carpet cleaner twice a year to clean your carpets for you. This will

5) Common mistakes that can ruin carpet

A lot of people will tell you to use a carpet cleaning tool like the Bissell Carpet Cleaner sold in most pet stores. However, I used this machine when my pup was small and it actually can ruin carpet fibers and create permanent dirt stains in the spot where the dog urine stain was.

The reason I stopped using this machine is that I hired a professional carpet cleaner to come to my house and steam clean my carpets, and the professional explained to me why the pet stains were getting worse over time.

He mentioned to me how when you use steam to clean bacteria and stains from the carpet it removes the stains and smells without the use of soap (still killing 99.9% of bacteria). He further explained that the soap used in the store-bought machines is sticky (like most soaps) and attracts dirt to the cleaned spot.

When I used the pet stain removing machine I had to spray soap on the carpet and suck it back up into the machine with the pet urine, but it never removed the soap 100% from the carpet causing the spot that was cleaned to attract dirt and debris from being walked on and creating a darker stain than before and ruining my carpet permanently in that spot.

So if you are looking to adopt a new puppy you should consider purchasing a handheld steam cleaner for those unexpected accidents in the early days of puppyhood.

FAQ

How can I prevent my dog from peeing on my floors?

There are a few things you can do to prevent your dog from urinating on your floors:

• Purchase a pet-safe deterrent spray and use it around the perimeter of the areas you want to protect.
• Take your dog out frequently to relieve themselves so they are less likely to have accidents in the house.
• Never yell or scream at your pet for urinating in the home as this will teach them to hide from you when they need to pee instead of coming to you and letting you know they have to go outside.
• Teach your puppy to ring a bell to ask to be let outside for potty breaks!

How can I potty train my dog quickly?

The fastest way to potty train a puppy is to create structure and routine in your puppy’s day. Pups need to potty every 2hrs, right when they wake up, right after they eat or drink, during play, and before bed.

Let them out frequently, have them on leash in the house so you can quickly lead them outside at the first sign of sniffing, and limit water access for the first few weeks of potty training. Play with our puppy outside to promote healthy potty breaks outside during play.

You can also train your puppy to alert you when they need to be let outside by teaching them to ring a potty bell at the back door.

Final thoughts on how to clean dog pee from the carpet

Cleaning up dog pee from your carpet is never fun, but it’s essential to do it properly so that the urine doesn’t damage your carpet or create an unpleasant smell.

By following the steps outlined in this article, you can remove stains and bacteria quickly and easily.

You should also take measures to prevent future accidents, such as potty training your puppy or adult dog in a positive and healthy way.