How to remove urine (human & pet) stains

On washable fabric, rinse with cool water, soak in cool water with a heavy-duty liquid detergent, then launder in hot water; sponge with ammonia if the dye changed and with white vinegar if a mark persists, laundering again after each. White cottons can be washed hot with disinfecting bleach; colored fabric needs a bleach-free stain remover. On carpet, upholstery, or a mattress, blot dry and use a urine-remover spray. [1][2][3]

Open in the Stain Sorter

Do this now

Blot up as much liquid as possible with a dry cloth, and rinse washable fabric with cool water right away. [3][1]

Avoid

Do not dry a garment until you have verified the stain is gone — repeat the wash if needed. On hard surfaces, never mix ammonia and rubbing alcohol; apply one at a time. [2][1]

You will need

Method

  1. Rinse the stained area with cool water. [1]
  2. Soak the item in cool water with a heavy-duty liquid detergent. [1]
  3. Launder in hot water. For white cotton or poly-cotton, wash hot with detergent plus 1/3 cup disinfecting bleach; for colored fabric, use a bleach-free color-safe stain remover instead. [1][2]
  4. If the fabric color has changed, sponge the spot with ammonia and rinse. [1]
  5. If a stain still shows, sponge it with white vinegar, then launder again. [1]
Checkpoint — before any heat or drying

Before drying, confirm the stain has completely disappeared; if not, repeat the wash. [2]

If that didn't work

Alternate the ammonia and white-vinegar sponging with a wash after each until the mark is gone; on surfaces, repeat urine-remover spray applications for heavy or old stains. [1][3]

Cautions

Check care labels and pretest cleaning agents on an inconspicuous area for colorfastness. [1][2]

Chlorine bleach is for whites only — colored fabrics need a bleach-free formula. [2]

Do not mix ammonia and rubbing alcohol — apply one at a time, and avoid combining cleaning products generally. [1]

silk, leather, brass, marble: Urine-remover sprays: do not use the pet formula on silk or leather upholstery, and do not use the surface spray on brass or natural marble. [3][2]

Carpet upholstery mattress

Method

  1. Blot the stain with a dry cloth or towel to absorb as much liquid as possible. [3]
  2. Spray a urine remover directly onto the stain until it is completely covered and let it stand — about 3 minutes for the pet formula, or 5 minutes for tough stains with the general-surface spray. [3][2]
  3. Blot the area with a clean damp cloth (or rinse with water and wipe). Repeat applications for heavy or old stains. [3][2]

If that didn't work

Repeat the spray-stand-blot cycle; heavy or set-in urine stains may need several applications. [3]

Cautions

silk, leather: Keep children and pets away from the sprayed area until it is dry; use only on colorfast fabrics and carpets, never on silk or leather upholstery. [3]

Hard exterior masonry

Method

  1. Wipe the area (asphalt, brick, concrete, cement, masonry, or stone) with a sponge dipped in warm sudsy water; rinse and dry. [1]
  2. For remaining stain or odor, alternate pads of rubbing alcohol and household ammonia, about 5 minutes each, applying only one at a time and never mixing them. [1]
  3. Wipe the area with a water-dampened cloth and let it dry. [1]

If that didn't work

Repeat the alternating alcohol/ammonia pad treatment with a clean-water wipe between rounds. [1]

Cautions

Never mix ammonia and alcohol; apply each separately with a rinse between. [1]

Wood deck siding

Method

  1. Gently wipe the spot with a cloth or sponge dipped in warm sudsy water (lukewarm for siding). [1]
  2. Rinse with a clean, moistened cloth. [1]
  3. Wipe dry with a soft cloth. [1]

If that didn't work

Repeat the sudsy-water wipe and rinse; the fetched source gives no stronger treatment for wood or siding. [1]

Cautions

Wipe gently and dry the wood afterward rather than letting water sit on it. [1]

Not covered by our sources

What people report Anecdotal

Real threads from public forums, linked and labeled. These are individual experiences, not verified results, and never a substitute for the sourced method or safety guidance above.

One poster said an enzyme cleaner worked well on cat urine in wool carpet but the treated spot faded a year later; another reported baking soda and vinegar as the only thing that ever removed the smell from their carpet.

“It worked really well, but a year later it started fading in the spot I cleaned.”

Enzyme cleaner to take cat pee from wool rug — Mumsnet, 2023-06-19 · accessed 2026-08-18 · anecdotal

Caregivers reported firsthand that Lysol Laundry Sanitizer cut urine-soaked elder-care laundry from three-plus washes to one or two, one poster found color-safe bleach worked better than Nature's Miracle or vinegar for bedwetting laundry, another said vinegar worked on cat-pee laundry, and one warned the tumble dryer made the smell much worse.

“then I tried color safe bleach, and wow, it just works so much better.”

Urine smell in clothes — r/laundry (Reddit), 2025-05-10 · accessed 2026-08-18 · anecdotal

Sources

  1. Institutional University of Georgia Extension — Remove Stains From Urine (Human, Animal) (accessed 2026-08-18)
  2. Manufacturer Clorox — How to Remove Urine Stains (accessed 2026-08-18)
  3. Manufacturer Clorox — Clorox Pet Urine Remover Spray (accessed 2026-08-18)

Updated 2026-08-18. Compiled from the cited sources; not independently verified by this site. Spotted an error? See the corrections policy.

Safety

Always follow care and product labels. Never mix cleaning products — especially anything containing chlorine bleach with ammonia or acids. If swallowed or splashed in eyes, contact Poison Control (US: 1-800-222-1222 or poison.org).