Having a pet at home means that, sooner or later, there’ll be an accident on the couch or mattress — even with the best-behaved dog or cat. The problem: urine contains uric acid, which crystallises in the fibres and keeps releasing odour whenever it gets damp or warm. Regular soap doesn’t break those crystals down — you need something else for that.
What you’ll need
- Clean, white cloths or paper towels
- Cold water
- An odour-neutralising cleaner that tackles the source, such as our Odour Remover
- Optionally: a fan for faster drying
Step by step
- Act as quickly as possible. The fresher the stain, the smaller the chance the smell sets in. Grab clean cloths or paper towels straight away.
- Press firmly, don’t rub. Press down with your full weight to draw as much moisture as possible out of the fibres. Rubbing pushes the urine deeper into the fabric or foam.
- Rinse with cold water. Blot the spot with a lightly dampened, cold cloth to further dilute and lift any remaining residue.
- Treat with an odour-neutralising product — not regular soap. Soap only masks the smell temporarily; the uric acid stays behind and comes right back the moment it gets damp (or on a warm day). A product like our Odour Remover is specifically formulated to neutralise this odour at the source, and is safe for people and pets.
- Let it work according to the instructions, then blot dry again with a clean cloth.
- Ensure good ventilation while it dries. Open a window or use a fan — this matters especially for a mattress, since moisture escapes less easily there than from a couch.
A note of caution
Never use hot steam or warm water on a fresh urine stain: heat “cooks” the proteins in the urine into the fibres, making both the stain and the odour far harder to remove. Always test any product on an inconspicuous spot first.
When should you call in a professional?
If the spot has already dried in, you still notice the smell despite treatment, or moisture has soaked deep into a mattress core, the uric acid is likely sitting too deep for a surface treatment. Our professional odour treatment and mattress cleaning services tackle the odour with steam and extraction, deep into the fibres and backing.
