How to clean dog pee from carpet - foolproof methods that saved my carpets during the puppy stage

Knowing how to clean dog pee from carpet is an essential skills every dog parent will need to master. And as someone who has been there, done that, and still has recurring nightmares about it, I’m here to tell you that it does get better.

When I adopted my dog, he was five months old. And while he was partially toilet trained, the stress of moving from a rescue centre to my house meant that he regressed - and boy, did my carpets and rugs know it! And while I furiously found myself Googling how to clean carpet and how to remove stains from a carpet, anyone who has a dog will know that the problems don’t end there. You also need to deal with the odour AND the marking that sees your dogs repeat the piddling process time and time again.

Thankfully, my dog is now fully toilet trained and hasn’t had any accidents in years, but I know that puppy parents and senior dog owners still struggle on a daily basis. That’s why I’ve decided to share my knowledge - with the help of industry experts - to put together the ultimate guide on how to clean dog pee from carpet.

1. Start cleaning as soon as possible

If your puppy hasn’t quite mastered their puppy pad aim, or your senior dog has had a little accident, the best piece of advice I can give you is to start cleaning up as soon as you spot the dog pee on your carpet.

Laura Harnett, founder of eco-cleaning brand Seep, agrees, saying, ‘You need to act quickly to clean up dog wee as the smell can linger for a long time, and it will stain the carpet if not treated as soon as possible.’

Of course, I get that it’s not always possible to clean up immediately. During the puppy stage, there were many times when I randomly spotted a damp spot on the carpet and had no idea how long it had been there. So, just do it when you first see it - ideally before it dries completely.

2. Blot first

Before you go in gung-ho to clean dog pee from the carpet, it's important to consider how you can preserve the integrity of your carpet fibres as your clean. Given its thick woven fabric, carpet doesn’t have the wipe-clean nature of wooden flooring or tiles.

Gervaise Ovin, a professional cleaner from Wecasa advises, ‘Use paper towels or a clean cloth to blot as much of the urine as possible. Press down firmly to absorb as much as you can.’

Personally, I always found a clean cloth to be gentler on my carpet as I have thick, loop-cable carpet in my home. But if you have a smoother, low-cut pile, you may find that a paper towel works for you.

3. Apply a white vinegar solution

One thing I learned before becoming a puppy parent is that cleaning with vinegar can solve (just about) everything, so I was happy to discover that it can also help to clean dog pee from the carpet..

As Laura says, you should ‘mix equal parts of white vinegar with water and rub it into the stained area. Use a gentle brush to work it into the carpet to make sure it penetrates the pile and gets to all of the urine.’

Ideally, you should let it sit for 5-10 minutes to work its magic before blotting the area once again with your paper towel or cloth. At this point, you want to remove as much of the solution as possible.

4. Add some baking soda into the mix

Baking soda is another natural cleaning hack that has saved my bacon over the years. In fact, I currently have four bottles of the stuff sitting in the cupboard under my sink as I buy in bulk.

It’s essential for this next step, too, as you need to add baking soda to the mix. Gervaise says, ‘Sprinkle baking soda over the affected area. It will help to absorb moisture and neutralise any lingering odour. Let it sit for 15-30 minutes.’

And if your dog has peed on the sofa, you can use the baking soda sofa cleaning hack to clean that mess up as well. I tried it and it works a treat.

5. Vacuum the area

Although baking soda can really help to clean dog pee from the carpet, you don’t want to leave it on there. You don’t want your pooch eating it, after all.

So, Gervaise says, ‘Once the baking soda is dry, vacuum the area thoroughly to remove all of the residue. For particularly tough stains, you may need to repeat the process to fully eliminate the odour and stain.’

Of course, you can use any of the best vacuum cleaners for this task. But as I crowned the Miele Complete C3 Cat & Dog vacuum as the best vacuum for suction, I’d always recommend that one.

6. If in doubt, use a carpet cleaner

Although all of the above steps allow you to clean a carpet without a machine, I get that life can be busy (especially with a puppy in tow), and sometimes you just don’t want the faff that comes with cleaning dog pee off the carpet. In that case, you might want to consider using one of the best carpet cleaners or spot washers.

This is particularly handy if you’re new to the puppy game and haven’t gotten used to dealing with all of their bodily fluids just yet.

As VAX UK’s Senior Product Manager, Faye Doolittle, says, ‘A spot washer will also reduce the risk of your hands coming into contact with any unpleasant pet messes, since instead of reaching for absorbent towels or paper, you can use a spot washer to hygienically clean up urine. Some models also self-clean, which further reduces the need to bring your hands into contact with germs.’

Plus, they can be used elsewhere around the house.

FAQs

What scent will keep dogs from peeing on carpet?

As they have a keen sense of smell, there are many ways that you can stop dogs from peeing on the carpet. It’s worth noting that these may not work if you don’t clean any residual urine from the carpet, though:

• Vinegar.
• Citrus.
• Bitter apple.
• Pepper (especially cayenne pepper).
• Rosemary.

Does dog urine smell ever go away?

Yes, but only if you take proper measures to get rid of the smell. You need to ensure that you’re properly cleaning and deodorising the area that has been peed on, and you can use both vinegar and baking soda to do that.

If the urine smell is particularly bad, you may have to repeat the cleaning process a few times and it may take a while for the lingering smell to go away properly. But, if you do all of the above, it should definitely go away.

Now you know how to clean dog pee from the carpet, you can be prepared for your pooch’s next little accident!