Our dogs and cats are members of our family here in Denver, Co. Unfortunately, they aren’t always the cleanest companions. Hardwood floors are a great alternative to carpeting if you have a pet —they’re easy to clean, and they don’t hold smells as much as carpets do. However, even hardwood flooring is susceptible to the strong odor of animal urine.
If you own a dog or even a cat, you know that accidents can happen from time to time. Wiping up the mess will remove the urine sitting on top of the floor, but the smell can linger, bothering everyone in the house. There are cleaners available in stores that can be purchased to remove the odor of pet urine, but some may be damaging to your flooring. If you want to get rid of unwanted pet odors and keep your wood flooring safe.
Baking Soda
Baking soda is essential for any home, pets or none. If your puppy has an accident on your floor, wipe it up as soon as possible with a paper towel. Then, mix some baking soda in a bowl or cup with warm water until it forms a paste. Scrub your new cleaning paste over the area where your dog urinated. Then, let the paste dry. Once it’s dry, vacuum or sweep up the remaining powder.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Place a paper towel on the dirtied area. Soak the paper towel with hydrogen peroxide and cover it with plastic wrap —you can seal the sides with painters tape. Let the towels dry, and remove them from the floor. If you don’t want to go through all of those steps, you can also simply pour hydrogen peroxide on the area where your puppy urinated, and let it bubble before wiping it up.
Water & Vinegar
Pour some white vinegar into a bucket of water and use your new cleaning solution to mop the floor. You’ll have to tolerate the smell of vinegar for a little while, but once that smell is gone, the smell of urine will be gone too.
Talk to a flooring professional to learn more tips on maintaining your solid and engineered wood floors.