Hepper is reader-supported. When you buy via links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. Learn more.

How to Get Dog Pee Smell & Stains Out of Laminate Flooring: 6 Proven Methods

Nicole Cosgrove Profile Picture

By Nicole Cosgrove

dog pee on wooden floor

If you have laminate flooring, you probably know that odors get trapped in your floor easily. If you have a dog that sometimes has accidents on the laminate floor, it can sometimes feel impossible to remove the smell of dog pee from your home.

In this article, we go over six proven methods to get the dog pee smell out of your laminate flooring. Let’s get started.

hepper-dog-paw-divider 3

 

Why Laminate Traps Odors

Like other floor types, laminate is mainly impenetrable, allowing foods, liquids, and other items to remain on the floor surface for easy cleanup. But if a liquid sits for too long, it can seep into the laminate, resulting in a smelly mess.

Once the liquid seeps through the laminate, it often clings to the bottom side of the laminate and the wood underneath, which are two locations impossible to clean unless you lift the laminate. As a result, laminate seems to trap odors much more than hardwood or tile.

Top 6 Ways to Get Dog Pee Smell Out of Laminate Flooring

Whether you have a puppy who isn’t trained yet or an old dog that can’t control itself anymore, your dog may have an accident on your laminate floor. If this happens whenever you are gone, the pee can seep into the laminate flooring and cause it to smell.

Although it is difficult to remove dog pee smell from laminate flooring, it is not impossible. Here are six proven methods to help you get dog pee smell out of your floors:

1. Clean ASAP

male hand wiping the hardwood floor
Image By: Stokkete, Shutterstock

Cleaning any visible puddles whenever they appear is the only way to prevent odors and stains from affecting your laminate floor. If you do not clean as soon as you notice the issue, it will only get worse.

What You’ll Need:

  • Paper towel
  • Water
  • Enzyme cleaner
What To Do:

As soon as you notice a puddle on your laminate flooring, clean immediately. Begin by blotting the urine to prevent spreading it around. After that, use a cleaner to remove any trace amounts left over. An enzyme cleaner is best because it will kill trace amounts of urine that you can’t see with your eyes.


2. Use An Enzyme Cleaner

Even if you clean up messes as soon as you see them, it may be too late. Using an enzyme cleaner, you can remove trace urine particles causing the odor, even if the urine is not visible anymore. An enzyme cleaner will also help to prevent your dog from peeing in the same location again.

What You’ll Need:

  • Broom
  • Dustpan
  • Mop
  • Enzyme cleaner
What To Do:

If you do not see any puddles but can still smell dog pee, use an enzyme cleaner over your entire laminate flooring. Once again, an enzyme cleaner will do a much better job at cleaning urine particles causing the smell. You may need to use the cleaner a couple of times before ridding your home of the odor completely. Obviously, make sure to sweep up before cleaning.


3. Try Baking Soda

baking soda
Image Credit: NatureFriend, Pixabay

The baking soda method works much like the enzyme cleaner method in that it serves the same purpose, but it is a more natural alternative.

What You’ll Need:

  • Baking soda
  • Vacuum cleaner OR broom
What To Do:

If you do not want to use a chemical cleaner, you can use baking soda. Simply pour baking soda over the affected area. Let the baking soda sit for two hours before vacuuming it up. You can also use a broom and dustpan to clean up the excess baking soda, but a vacuum cleaner will be the fastest. The baking soda will help remove both odor and visible stains.


4. Try Vinegar and Water

If you don’t have baking soda, you can use vinegar and water instead. This method won’t take as long, and it will likely be a bit easier to clean up. However, some people don’t like to think about the smell of vinegar taking over their homes either.

What You’ll Need:

  • Vinegar
  • Water
  • Mop
What To Do:

The vinegar and water method is another chemical-free way to remove the smell and stains caused by dog pee. Mix equal parts vinegar and water and pour it on the affected area. Mop up the mixture whenever you are done.


5. Clean Underneath

water spray bottle
Image Credit: Squirrel_photos, Pixabay

If you spend all your time scrubbing the laminate exterior and the smell is not going away, the pee has likely penetrated and is beneath the laminate. You will need to clean underneath too.

What You’ll Need:

  • Paper towel
  • Water
  • Soap
  • Bleach
  • Room to air dry
  • Supplies to remove and replace floorboards
What To Do:

In the case that the odor is really bad, you may need to look underneath the laminate flooring. This will be more difficult and will often require you to replace part of the laminate flooring or the floorboard.

Remove the laminate flooring and remove any pooling pee or liquid. You can either use paper towels or a wet-dry vacuum if there is a lot of standing water.

Remove the floorboards and allow them to dry completely. Once the floorboards are dry, use warm water, soap, and bleach to clean them. Allow them to air dry as before and reinstall the floorboards. If water damage or pee damage is severe to the floorboard, you will need to replace it.


6. Replace the Part of the Laminate Permanently Damaged

If the pee was allowed to sit on your floorboards for a very long period, there may be permanent damage that not only smells bad but causes structural damage to the home.

What To Do:

If you lift the laminate flooring and it looks permanently damaged, contact a professional to replace the part. One benefit of laminate is that you won’t have to replace the entire floor. Instead, you will only need to replace a small portion. This will remove the odor since a new laminate tile is coming in its place.

Divider 3

Prevention Is the Best Treatment

Remember that the best way to treat laminate from smelling like dog pee is to prevent it. House training your dog is the best way to ensure your dog doesn’t pee inside. You can also add pee pads for puppies or older dogs who simply can’t help themselves.

During the training process, remember to be kind and patient with your dog. Do not be abusive, physically aggressive, or overly loud. Instead, encourage good behavior by taking the dog out frequently and giving it treats when it goes outside. Eventually, the dog will learn not to go to the bathroom inside.

Of course, if there is a medical condition causing your dog to pee frequently, training won’t do much good. Instead, try to keep your dog in an area where it’s OK if they have an accident. More so, keep a critical eye on the flooring so that you can clean up as soon as an accident happens.

Dog pee underpad
Image Credit: Pixel Shot, Shutterstock

hepper-dog-paw-divider 3

 

Conclusion

Instead of living with a pee smell in your home, take the time to scrub your laminate floors. Most of the time, an enzyme cleaner will be able to get the smell out. However, severe cases may require you to clean underneath the laminate or even replace your floorboards.

Related Reads:


Featured Image Credit: New Africa, Shutterstock

Related Articles

Further Reading

Vet Articles

Latest Vet Answers

The latest veterinarians' answers to questions from our database