How to Get Pee Smell Out of a Mattress in Super Simple Steps 

Published July 22, 2022
Baby on the bed with wet urine stain on the sheet

Did you smell the distinct aroma of pee only to find out it's coming from your mattress? Rather than chuck it in the dumpster, you can easily remove the smell from both fresh and dried pee stains. Learn how to remove pee smells from the old and new mattresses with baking soda, white vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, and rubbing alcohol. Get a few tips and tricks for keeping human and pet pee stains off your mattress.

Simple Steps for How to Get Fresh Pee Smell Out of Mattress

Odors on stains are unavoidable, especially pee. It just happens. The key is to treat it quickly with a few trusty cleaners.

How to get pee smell out of mattress infographic
  • Spray bottle
  • White towels
  • Paper towels
  • Soft bristle brush
  • Baking soda
  • Dish soap or laundry soap
  • Vacuum

Step 1: Strip the Bed

Before you can get to the stain, you'll want to remove all the bedding, including the mattress pad. You'll want to throw all this in the washer as soon as possible. It can be helpful to use a detergent with Oxi-Clean. You might also want to add a cup of baking soda to help fight odors.

Step 2: Treat the Stain

Now that your bedding is handled, it's time to remove that stain.

  1. Blot the stain with a microfiber cloth or paper towel. Pull up as much stain as possible.
  2. Mix 1 tablespoon of dish soap or laundry soap, 1 tablespoon of baking soda, and a cup of water.
  3. Apply the solution to the stain starting at the outer edges.
  4. Use the scrub brush to scrub in circular motions.
  5. Blot with paper towel and repeat until all pee is removed.

Step 3: Remove Lingering Odor

Once the pee has been removed from the mattress, you might still notice a lingering pee odor. You can attack this with baking soda.

  1. Apply enough baking soda to cover the stain.
  2. Allow it to sit until completely dry.
  3. Use a vacuum with good suction to pull up the baking soda.

How to Get Urine Out of a Mattress When Dry

Fresh pee is the easiest to remove. But if your little furry princess stealthily peed on your mattress, you might not notice it until it's long dried. Because of the chemical make-up, dried urine can be a bit trickier to remove. The proteins in pee make it a surfactant, so it seeps deep into the fiber of your mattress. While downright annoying, it's not impossible to remove the dried pee smell. For these ways to get pee smell out of a mattress, you'll need a few tried and true cleaners.

Hydrogen Peroxide Paste to Remove Dried Pee Smell

Hydrogen peroxide is excellent at killing germs. Baking soda is great at fighting smells. Combine them, and you have a sure-fire pee smell neutralizer. Remember, you only want to use hydrogen peroxide on light-colored mattresses, since it has bleaching agents.

  1. Add a generous amount of hydrogen peroxide to your pee stain.
  2. Cover it thoroughly with a good layer of baking soda.
  3. Allow it to sit until completely dry.
  4. Vacuum away the baking soda.
  5. Repeat as needed.

Vanquish Pee Smell With White Vinegar

You might be wondering how to get rid of cat pee smell on mattresses. You've come to the right place. While you might not think adding smelly white vinegar to already stinky pee is going to get you anywhere, white vinegar works great to break down the pee and get it out of your mattress. It's also super easy, which is a big plus.

  1. Add straight white vinegar to a spray bottle.
  2. Completely coat the stain.
  3. Blot dry to pull out any yellowing.
  4. Coat again with white vinegar.
  5. Allow to air dry.
  6. For any lingering smell, coat the area in baking soda and let it sit overnight.

Remove Pee From Mattress With Borax

Do you have any Borax sitting around for your laundry? You can use it to remove the old pee smell from your bed. All you need to do is grab the Borax and a container.

  1. Mix enough Borax and water to create a thin paste.
  2. Apply the paste to the stain.
  3. Work it in with a soft bristle toothbrush from the edges to the center of the stain.
  4. Allow the paste to dry completely.
  5. Vacuum it away.

Get Pee Smell Out With Baking Soda Paste

No Borax? No worries. All you need is a little good ole' baking soda and some essential oils. The baking soda works to neutralize and remove the smell, while the essential oils give you a pleasant fragrance.

  1. Add a cup of baking soda, 5 drops of your favorite essential oil, and enough water to make a paste.
  2. Use a cloth to pack the paste over the stain.
  3. Work it deep with the bristle brush.
  4. Allow it to sit for several hours, preferably overnight.
  5. Vacuum up the dried baking soda.

Remove Urine Smell With Rubbing Alcohol

You know rubbing alcohol is great for sanitizing hands. It's also good for getting rid of those irritating pee smells.

  1. Fill a bottle with water.
  2. Spray down the stain and blot.
  3. Work straight rubbing alcohol into the area.
  4. Use a clean cloth to press into the stain.
  5. Allow it to dry.

How to Remove Pee Smell From a Memory Foam and Futon Mattress

Memory foam or a futon mattresses are a bit different from your standard mattress. Therefore, you need to use a special method to remove pee.

Woman disinfecting mattress with vacuum cleaner

Materials

To get started, you need to grab the following ingredients.

  • White vinegar
  • Laundry soap
  • Spray bottle
  • Baking soda
  • Cloth

Steps for Cleaning Pee Stain

You've gathered everything you need in your cleaning carrier. Now it's time to get down to work.

  1. In a spray bottle, combine 1 cup of white vinegar, 1 cup of water, and 1 teaspoon of laundry detergent.
  2. Blot up as much pee as possible with a clean cloth.
  3. Spray down the entire stain with your DIY white vinegar mixture.
  4. Blot with a clean cloth.
  5. Add a thick layer of baking soda over the stain.
  6. Allow it to sit for at least 8 hours.
  7. Vacuum away.

How to Avoid Pee Stains on Mattress

Prevention is the best medicine if you aren't a fan of cleaning up the distinct smell of pee. Try these tips to avoid pee stains and smells on your mattress.

  1. Use a plastic mattress pad.
  2. Apply a fabric guard stain protector to the fabric of the mattress.
  3. Wash bedding frequently to catch stains early.
  4. Don't allow pee stains to sit.
  5. Apply a pet repellant to avoid pets peeing on the mattress.

Quick and Easy Ways to Remove Pee Smell

Pee accidents happen to the best of us. Whether you were dreaming of waterfalls or your toddler had a nighttime accident, use a few simple tools from home to remove pee smell and stains. Now it's time to get working!

Does your carpet have lingering urine odors from pet accidents? Learn how to get pee smell out of the carpet.

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How to Get Pee Smell Out of a Mattress in Super Simple Steps