Living with little children will get you to experience this. If they are still on potty training, sometimes this can happen. You ask them to go to the bathroom before sleeping at night, and they say no. It does not matter if they have drunk a lot of water during dinner.
Living with house pets like cats and dogs may cause a bigger issue when it comes to removing pee from the mattress. This happens especially when you allow your cat and dog to sleep with you in the same bed.
You share them your domain, so they start treating your bed like their territory, too. Once they claim their space, they will assume it is okay to pee in your bed.
How to get stains out of a mattress with pee? The first time it happens, it may bug you like crazy. Not only with little kids, but the same thing can also happen when you share a bed with your house pet. Unlike the children, potty-train your pets take more hard work.
So, whether it is cat pee, dog pee, or just your kid’s, some things must be done immediately. Because if you leave the pee stain too long, it will be even harder to wash it and wipe it off the mattress. Plus, the smell is also very, very unpleasant.
Even if you have washed the sheet and it stays clean, sometimes the pee stain remains in the mattress. Whether it is smelly or not, the sight of it is also something you will never want to see again.
If you cannot get rid of it, you might as well change your mattress with a new one—which is something you cannot do all the time.
So, how to easily get stains out of a mattress with pee?
Things You Need to Remove Pee Stain
You may prepare all these things, but do not go spraying all over your mattress just yet. It is better that you do a spot test first on one small corner of your mattress. If it works out well, then you can start.
So, here are the things to prepare before you remove pee stain off the mattress:
- One empty spray bottle
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Baking soda
- Liquid dishwashing soap
- Essential oil (optional)
- Vinegar
The vinegar is the one to get this started. Here is the step-by-step process on how to mix the liquid to remove pee stain.
- Mix 8 ounces of hydrogen peroxide with 3 tablespoons of baking soda and half a teaspoon of dish soap into the spray bottle. You can add some essential oil to neutralize the smell. (Essential oil, if it is the right aroma, can also help your children to sleep better.)
- Gently shake or swish it around. Do not shake it too hard, or the container will bubble up and not be good enough to clean the stain.
Once the liquid is ready, then it is time to start spraying to remove the stain.
The Solutions
There are eight ways to remove pee stain. Not only the stain, but some of them can also help to remove pee smell.
1. Soak it with vinegar
Vinegar has been well-known to remove any kind of stains. It does not matter if the spill happened last night or it has been there for a while.
Of course, if it is more recent, it is still wet and easy to remove. The first thing to do is to soak the moisture with paper towels. Another thing you can use to soak it up with is a dry cotton towel.
Once the spot is dry, soak it all up and add a little bit of white vinegar.
If the stain is already dry, use the vinegar right away. Blot it with vinegar until it gets dry.
2. Apply the liquid
Apply the liquid over the affected spot. Leave it there for five to ten minutes. If the stain is much bigger, you can apply some more and wait on it for 20 minutes. Blot it out with a towel until it gets dry.
3. Reapply when necessary
What happens if the pee stain does not go away? Repeat the previous step as necessary. Do not rub or wipe it up with a towel or the stain will spread. Blot it out instead.
To make sure that the stain is being lifted, use a white or light-colored towel.
4. Apply an enzymatic cleaner as an alternative options
This step should be taken also when dealing with cat pee or dog pee. To neutralize odors, you need an enzymatic cleaner. House pets have a stronger sense of smell than humans.
They always recognize the same spot that they have urinated on. Chances are, they have already made their mark and will do that again next time on the same spot.
Uric acid crystals—which are from urine—are hard to break by regular formulas. When that happens, the smell stays even though the stain has already been removed.
This is why we need an enzymatic cleaner. To remove pee smell, this cleaner works much better than other liquid formulas.
5. Sprinkle it with baking soda
Baking soda has also been well-known as the best cleaner. Not only to remove any stains, but this also works well to get rid of any smells. Baking soda is also the right liquid to adapt to absorbing moisture.
When you sprinkle the pee stain on the mattress with baking soda, make sure that baking soda covers it and around it. If your bed has been marked with these “accidents” numerous times, you might also want to apply a thin layer of baking soda under the sheet regularly. That will keep the mattress and everything fresh.
6. Leave it dry
Once you finish applying the solution, leave it dry. You might need to wait for four to six hours. Leave the bed naked too, which means no sheets, covers, or blankets should cover it. Let the airflow work itself naturally.
7. Vacuum it up
When vacuuming it up, do it to all the cracks, crevices, and folds. This is also very important after using baking soda because the material can be gritty.
8. Have a waterproof mattress pad
Living with little children and house pets means having these “accidents” that are bound to happen over time. Chances are, you might have a leak, which is very annoying. If you are worried about it happening again, then it is time to invest on a waterproof mattress pad.
Of course, a waterproof mattress pad will cost more than other types of mattresses. Consider saving up to invest in it next time you have the chance. With this type of mattress pad, you can have a bed that feels and smells new and fresh. That sensation also lasts longer.
Since cases like this are bound to happen with little children and house pets living at home, you might want to purchase a bed with a proper warranty claim. News flash: a stained mattress might often void any warranties.
Other Facts to Know When Dealing with a Pee-Stained Mattress
Here are some other facts to know when you have to clean up a mattress with pee on it.
- Clean it properly right away—or the pee smell stays there forever.
- Dealing with pee from human children and house pets on a mattress is slightly different. Since your dog and cat urinate to mark their territory and have a stronger sense of smell, they are going to keep peeing on the same spot next time. This is why an enzymatic cleaner works best to get rid of the smell.
- Although this is embarrassing to many, the fact is that adults can wet their beds, too. Chances are this is related to their health issues, like diabetes and a hormonal imbalance like ADH (antidiuretic hormone). This health issue causes your body to have a weak signal when you need to urinate at night.
Other health issues that can cause bedwetting on adults are stress, constipation, sleep apnea, UTI (urinary tract infection), and an enlarged bladder.
Now you know how to get stains out of a mattress with pee. Whether it is from your children or house pets, it can still be a hassle.
Still, it does not mean you have to change the mattresses all the time if it happens again and again. You can always keep it for as long as possible by cleaning it up properly.