How to get dog pee smell out of carpet after shampooing

Q: Why does my carpet still smell like dog pee after shampooing?

Wet Dog Smell After Cleaning Its more likely whatever stained your carpet in the first place. Things like food spills, animal urine, and other stinky messes can soak into the padding underneath. As the area was cleaned, the stain was wet again and reactivated the leftover particles.

Every now and then we get a call from a customer that says, “I shampooed my carpet, and now it smells like urine.” The smell was not present prior to the cleaning leaving a frustrating situation for homeowners without pets, or one who didn’t smell urine prior to cleaning.
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Why does it smell now?
Urine has a unique way of hiding. Carpets that contain dried urine don’t always smell because the concentration wasn’t high prior to cleaning, or has been in the carpet long enough to air out. When water hits the carpet two things happen. First, the bacteria and ammonia in the urine reactivate. Second, the water causes the urine to spread out further. If the cleaning chemicals did not include products designed to treat for urine problems, or the wrong amount of such a product was used, it can actually make the situation worse than it was prior to cleaning.
Removing the pet odor.
To remove the odor you must treat it for it. Just like laundry, carpet is a fabric, and sometimes additional products are needed to remove odors. With urine problems, you need a pet odor neutralizer that is designed to kill the bacteria and break down the ammonia. Once the urine has spread out treating it yourself is very difficult. You must treat everywhere the urine has spread to, including the pad, and sometimes the subflooring, or walls.
How do you find the spots?
In order to best treat the urine, you must know where the smell is coming from. One of the best ways to find the areas that have been affected is with a black light. Black lights are fantastic for highlighting any biological items on carpet and walls. (We recommend you check your walls with the black light and wash them down with a mixture of half and half white distilled vinegar and water if anything shows up. ) It is also a good idea to stick your nose close to the carpet, anywhere you place the black light illuminates as a potential hotspot, to confirm you have located the problem area. Other things besides urine can illuminate, so it is a way you can avoid using the product where you don’t need it.
Once you have located the problem areas you must use the right products. We recommend a product called Mister Max Anti-icky-poo (Link for purchase below). It is a high-quality pet odor neutralizer that is enzyme-based. It is also safe, and biodegradable.
Here are the links where you can find both the Anti-icky-poo and the black light on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Treating for urine odor can get expensive even when you are doing it yourself. Hiring a professional cleaner will give you the best chances for fast effective results.

Pristine Carpet Cleaning offers odor treatments that are guaranteed. If you would like more information on our odor treatments, and costs please check out our pet odor removal page. Our treatments will also work for human urine, which is sometimes an issue as well.
Ready to remove the odor? Schedule now, by using our online booking platform.

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No matter how well trained your dog is, and how diligently you keep to your potty-break schedule, sometimes pee happens. Whether on the carpet, hardwood floor, or anywhere else, prompt action is the best way to make sure that dog urine won’t leave a lasting impression (and smell). And even if you come upon a dried urine puddle or stain, there are still things you can do to remove the smell. Some stains may even be difficult to find. That’s when you may want to use a urine stain detector to help you find which areas need cleaning.

New Urine Stains on Carpet or Fabric

Your dog just peed on the carpet. Now what? Luckily, you probably have the cleaning tools for the job right at hand. Place a thick layer of paper towels over the wet spot, and, if possible, under it, as well. Cover that with a thick layer of newspaper. You can stand on the paper for a few minutes to help it absorb the urine more quickly, or just leave the paper until most of the urine is soaked up. Then remove all the paper and rinse the area with cool water. Blot up all the water, either with towels or a wet vac. Fair warning: the soggy towels are probably going to stink, which is a good thing, because it means you’re drawing out as much of the urine and its odor as possible.

Once you have most of the liquid blotted up, the next step is to remove the odor. And for this, a common household item is your best weapon: baking soda. Spread baking soda thinly and evenly across the damp spot, being careful not to overdo it; about 1/4 cup or less is enough for most stains. Let the baking soda sit overnight, and then vacuum thoroughly. You may have to go over the area several times to vacuum up all the powder, until the area feels clean to the touch.

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Another method adds one more household staple, vinegar. In a clean spray bottle, mix one cup of distilled white vinegar with one cup of water and 2 teaspoons of baking soda. Shake it up to mix the ingredients, and then spray on the stain. Let it sit for a few minutes, and then blot with towels until clean.

Dried Dog Urine on Fabric and Carpets

Suppose you didn’t notice an accident spot until it’s dried out? Or, you just moved into a new place to discover that the living room carpet smells of dog urine? While it’s harder to remove the smell from dried stains, there are several effective methods to try.

Start by rinsing the area thoroughly with plain water. Use a wet-dry vacuum cleaner and keep saturating and vacuuming the area until clean. Do not use a steam cleaner, since the heat will set the odor and the stain permanently. If you don’t own a wet-dry vacuum, you can try wetting and blotting the spot repeatedly, using warm water and clean towels.

If this doesn’t get the smell out, use an enzymatic cleanser. These bio-based cleansers work on a molecular level to break down and remove odors and stains. Be sure to choose an enzyme-based cleanser made specifically for pet stains.

New Urine Stains on Hardwood

You dog just took a piddle on your hardwood floor. Don’t stand there wringing your hands; you need to act fast. Place a thick wad of paper towels or dish towels on the puddle. You can stand on the towels for a few minutes to speed up absorption. Continue using fresh towels to soak up the urine, until a towel comes up dry.

Removing Odor From Hardwood

It’s difficult to remove odors from hardwood floors because urine can saturate the wood. However, you have a few methods to try. The first is similar to what you’d use on carpet. Mix a one-to-one solution of white vinegar and water. Using a sponge, rub the solution onto the stain. Let it sit for 5-to-10 minutes, and then wipe it up with a clean, dry towel. Some experts advise using a more diluted formulation of 1/2-cup vinegar to one gallon of warm water. If you’re nervous about the effects of vinegar on your floors, try this more diluted version. Either way, test the solution on a small inconspicuous section of floor first.

If the odor lingers, sprinkle baking soda on the floor while it’s still damp, and let it sit for at least several hours or overnight. Then vacuum it up with the soft brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner. As a final step, use an enzyme-based stain remover that’s safe for hardwood floors. Test it in a small area first, and then follow directions on the product’s package. When the urine and its odor are completely removed, clean the floor with whatever you usually use on it.

Regardless of what your dog has piddled on, your best course of action is to act fast. The sooner you get to it, the more likely you’ll be able to remove all traces of urine odor. Aside from wanting your home to smell fresh and clean, you don’t want to leave any lingering traces of his accident for your dog to find, since he may then decide this is his new favorite spot to pee.

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Why does my carpet still smell like dog pee after shampooing?

Wet Dog Smell After Cleaning It's more likely whatever stained your carpet in the first place. Things like food spills, animal urine, and other stinky messes can soak into the padding underneath. As the area was cleaned, the stain was wet again and reactivated the leftover particles.

How do you get dog urine smell out of carpet permanently?

In a clean spray bottle, mix one cup of distilled white vinegar with one cup of water and 2 teaspoons of baking soda. Shake it up to mix the ingredients, and then spray on the stain. Let it sit for a few minutes, and then blot with towels until clean.

Will shampooing carpet get rid of dog urine smell?

Professional carpet shampooing can often remove those animal smells and the smell of a dog that's gone too long without a bath or proper grooming. Carpet shampooing or steam cleaning can also pull up the fresh waste that a dog or cat might have tracked over the carpet recently, removing those unpleasant odors as well.