How to Remove Urine Odors With Bleach
Removing urine odors, whether caused by animals or small children, can seem like a difficult task, especially with so many products on the market made for household cleaning and odor removal.
However, regular household bleach, when used correctly, is an effective and inexpensive solution for removing urine odors from recent accidents or lingering odors on certain kinds of floors (not carpet or hardwood). While bleach is safe to use in your home, always use it in a well-ventilated area, where pets and family members won’t be exposed.
Things You Will Need
- Newspaper
- Paper towels
- Baking soda
- Broom and dustpan
- Household bleach
- Distilled water
- Clean bottle or container
- Mop
- Floor cleaner
Tip
If you want to remove odors from concrete outside, remove the bleach and water mixture with a hose instead of paper towels as long as it has a place to drain.
Warning
Never mix a large amount of diluted bleach with fresh urine. This can cause a chemical reaction that may be dangerous in a poorly ventilated area. Always soak up as much urine as possible and apply baking soda to the area before using bleach to remove the smell.
Do not use bleach on hardwood floors. You may damage the finish or strip the stain. Specially designed enzymatic cleaners can help to remove urine odors on hardwood floors.
Bleach mixtures should never be used on carpet. Bleach often strips the color from carpet, even if diluted.
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Put a layer of newspaper on top of urine stains. Cover the newspaper with a layer of paper towels, followed by another single layer of newspaper.
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Stand on top of the newspaper and paper towels to aid in the urine absorption process. After five minutes, discard the newspaper and paper towels.
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Cover the area with a heavy layer of baking soda to further dry the area. Baking soda will also begin to remove the initial urine smell. Allow the baking soda to cover the area for 30 minutes. Sweep up the baking soda and discard it after 30 minutes has passed.
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Make a 1:10 mixture of regular household bleach with distilled water in a clean bottle or container that has never contained any other chemicals. Some chemicals found in cleaning products can react unsafely with bleach.
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Pour or spray the bleach onto the area affected by the urine. Leave the bleach and distilled water mixture on the area for 30 minutes, allowing as much ventilation as possible. Keep family members and pets out of the room.
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Wipe up as much of the bleach as possible with paper towels and newspaper. Clean the floor with water, a mop and regular floor cleaner after wiping up the bleach. Allow 30 minutes of ventilation before re-entering the room.
The Drip Cap
- Removing urine odors, whether caused by animals or small children, can seem like a difficult task, especially with so many products on the market made for household cleaning and odor removal.
- Sweep up the baking soda and discard it after 30 minutes has passed.
- Clean the floor with water, a mop and regular floor cleaner after wiping up the bleach.
References
Resources
Writer Bio
Christopher Godwin is a freelance writer from Los Angeles. He spent his formative years as a chef and bartender crafting signature dishes and cocktails as the head of an upscale catering firm. He has since ventured into sharing original creations and expertise with the public. Godwin has published poetry, fiction and nonfiction in publications like "Spork Magazine," "Cold Mountain Review" and "From Abalone To Zest."
Photo Credits
- Thinkstock/Comstock/Getty Images
- Thinkstock/Comstock/Getty Images
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