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How To Get Rid of Cat or Dog Urine Smell From Hardwood Floors

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When you own a pet, you know that you may have to clean up accidents. Whether you’re training a new puppy, you have an elderly dog that may have incontinence problems, or you have a cat that marks their territory, living with animal accidents is just a part of pet life. But, when those accidents happen on your beautiful hardwood flooring in your Minnesota home, it can be messy and lead to long-term damage if you don’t treat it right.

Did you know that different animal urine requires different approaches to getting the stain and smell out? The acidity of dog urine is less than cat urine, and learning how to treat the accident can help preserve the integrity and smell of your hardwood floors. But before we start, always test your chosen cleaning solution in a corner that you can cover up to make sure it will not permanently stain your floors in a prominent spot. Some of these solutions are not recommended for general cleaning of wood flooring.

How To Get Rid of Dog Pee On Your Hardwood Flooring

The first step is removing the spill as soon as possible to prevent it from permeating the wood. Suppose you opted for a professional hardwood flooring finish. In that case, your floor should have some degree of liquid spill protection, but even the strongest hardwood floor protectant isn’t designed to repel a dog accident.

To remove and neutralize the odor, combine in a spray bottle:

  • 1 cup water
  • 1/3 cup white vinegar
  • ¼ cup baking soda
  • ¼ cup mild dish soap like Dawn

Shake vigorously to mix, then spray the mixture onto the stain and allow it to penetrate for about 15 minutes. Next, rinse the solution away with warm water and let it air dry.

Again, before using any cleaning or door removal product on your floors, do a spot test somewhere inconspicuous.

How To Get Rid Of Cat Pee On Your Hardwood Flooring

Getting the smell of cat urine out of hardwood flooring is different than dog urine. Cat urine is more acidic than dog urine and has a distinctive ammonia-like smell, which can be hard to neutralize. Using hydrogen peroxide to remove the odor and stain can help. Pour a generous amount over the area, and then cover the stain with a clean cloth (not microfiber) soaked in peroxide. It takes several hours or overnight to remove the stain and odor.

When To Call A Minnesota Hardwood Floor Cleaning Expert

If your home remedies for hardwood floor pets don’t work, or if the stain had time to set or is more extensive, then calling a Minnesota hardwood flooring leaning expert is your best bet to remove the stain and preserve the floors. Dave’s Hardwood Flooring & Sanding provides professionally executed hardwood stain removal and floor cleaning services. As your local hardwood floor experts, we understand how to treat stains in different types of wood and with different stains and finishes, even set-in pet stains.

If Nothing Else Works, You May Need to Replace Your Hardwood Flooring

Sometimes, even with the best stain treatment and cleaning, you may need to replace your hardwood floors. If the pet mess is too extensive, if the stains or smells can’t be sanded out, or if the urine or cleaning solution lightened the finish too much, we can help. Dave’s Hardwood Flooring has competitive hardwood floor replacement, and we only use the highest quality wood and finish to ensure that each floor we install lasts decades.

Do you need hardwood flooring repair, stain removal, or replacement for your Minnesota house? Call Dave’s Hardwood Flooring & Sanding today – you’ll love how our work turns out!