What Removes the Smell of Dog Urine?

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When house training your dog or puppy, it may have accidents in your home. Some dogs, when under stress, will also mark their territory by depositing a small amount of urine in different locations in the home. Remove the unpleasant odor of your dog's urine by cleaning the area with natural ingredients, such as baking soda and vinegar, to keep your home smelling fresh and prevent your dog from remarking the area.

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Walk your dog at least two or three times per day to prevent accidents in your home.

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Natural pet urine odor remover: baking soda

One economical natural pet urine odor remover is baking soda. Baking soda, also called sodium bicarbonate, neutralizes the acidic pH of dog urine and its odor. After blotting up as much of the dog urine as you can with paper towels, douse the area with water or club soda to wash away the urine. After blotting again, sprinkle baking soda on the area to absorb the liquid and eliminate the odor. Leave the baking soda overnight and vacuum it up the next day.

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For stubborn odors, make a paste of the baking soda with water or hydrogen peroxide, let it dry, then vacuum. Place washable items, such as small area mats, in the washing machine with 1/2 cup baking soda and laundry detergent to remove dog urine odors.

Enzymatic pet urine cleaners

Found in specialty pet stores, enzymatic urine cleaners contain enzymes to break down the components of dog urine and beneficial bacteria that absorb these components. These cleaners completely eliminate the urine and its odor. You can use these cleaners safely around your dog and on a variety of surfaces.

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Freshen up with baking soda and vinegar.
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Before using these cleaners, blot up the urine and rinse the area with water or club soda. Spray the cleaner on upholstery or carpet to completely saturate the area and allow it to dry naturally. Stubborn stains and odors may require a second treatment. These cleaners usually require no rinsing.

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Natural pet urine odor remover: vinegar

Another economical natural pet urine odor remover is vinegar. You can make an all-purpose cleaner from combining equal parts vinegar and water together. This vinegar solution will neutralize the odor of dog urine on solid and fabric surfaces in your home. In addition, vinegar will kill any odor-causing bacteria that has formed in the damp dog urine.

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Blot and rinse away the dog urine and follow up by spraying the vinegar solution onto the surface of the area of carpet, upholstery, tile, or wood. Allow the solution to dry naturally and the smell of the vinegar will dissipate overnight. The vinegar smell will also discourage your dog from urinating on the area again and leaves no residue to rinse away.

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Essential oils for pet urine

Using essential oils for pet urine camouflage is risky because they can be toxic to pets. Essential oils are concentrated scent oils, naturally derived from plants. These oils not only smell good but have antibacterial properties to eliminate the smell of dog urine.

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The smell of the vinegar will dissipate overnight.
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To eliminate dog urine smell in clothing or furniture the dog doesn't sleep on, add five to 10 drops of essential oil to 1 cup of water and put it in a spray bottle. After blotting and rinsing away dog urine, shake the spray bottle and saturate the area with the solution.

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The oils will eliminate the dog urine odor and leave a pleasant scent behind. Some essential oils like eucalyptus, cinnamon, or sour apple will deter your dog from revisiting the spot to urinate on again. However, be very cautious using essential oils near pets. Essential oils in full concentration are toxic to both cats and dogs, and avoid using diffusers no matter how strong the urine smell.

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