How to Get Dog Pee Smells & Stains Out of Clothes and Fabrics: 2 Proven Methods

It is frustrating enough when your dog pees somewhere that they shouldn’t, and the last thing that you want to worry about is whether you can get the urine smell out of your clothes or fabrics.

The good news is that while urine smells can be challenging, there are tried-and-true methods to keep those urine smells from settling in and becoming a new part of your wardrobe.

We highlighted two different methods to help you get urine dog pee smells out of clothes and fabrics for good.

Before You Begin: What You Need

No matter what method you go with, there are a few things that you’ll need to get together before you start to tackle tough stains. Here, we highlighted everything that you’ll need to get tough urine stains and smells out of clothes and fabrics.

These are all ingredients that you likely have around your home, so all you need to do is get started on tackling the stains and smells!

• Laundry detergent
• Water
• Hydrogen peroxide (3%)
• Baking soda
• Vinegar

The 2 Proven Methods to Get Rid of Dog Urine Smells & Stains from Clothes and Fabrics

1. Detergent, Vinegar, and Water — Best for Fresh Spots

If your pup has just peed on clothes, sheets, or other fabrics, this is what you want to do. Start by throwing the soiled objects in the washing machine. Don’t add any other clothes or sheets at this point — just the soiled fabrics.

Run the washer with 1 cup of distilled white vinegar and cold water. Don’t add any detergent at this point. The vinegar should work to help remove the uric acid in the urine, and a full wash gives it plenty of time to soak in and work its magic.

After you run the first load, run the entire load again using detergent. This time, use the hottest water temperature possible to help get the detergent to soak in and thoroughly clean it. At this point, you should be removing the vinegar smell more than anything else.

If you have a particularly stubborn urine smell or stain, you can try soaking the article in distilled white vinegar overnight, but there’s no guarantee that this will give you the results that you’re looking for. Wash it out in the morning in the washing machine, and repeat as many times as needed!

Eventually, the vinegar should break down the urine, but it might end up turning into more work than it’s worth.

2. Hydrogen Peroxide, Baking Soda, and Detergent — Best for Old Spots

Removing old urine stains requires a bit more work than what you can do with just vinegar and detergent. However, it’s best to only use this method as a last resort because it can end up staining clothes and fabrics.

Start by mixing 10 ounces of hydrogen peroxide with 2 tablespoons of baking soda. Add two to three drops of detergent and spray it over the affected area.

Allow the cleaner to settle in for at least 1 hour before checking to see if the stain and smell are gone. If they are, simply rinse the peroxide, baking soda, and detergent mix out of the affected area.

Set an alarm if you need to, but don’t forget about it. Hydrogen peroxide will stain fabrics eventually, so you need to clean up the excess to keep everything looking the way that it should.

Keeping Your Dog From Revisiting

While the best thing that you can do to keep your pup from repeatedly peeing in the same spot is to remove the smell, but it’s not always that easy. You can start by removing the smell and stain using these methods, but besides that, there are a few other options that you should consider.

Spay/Neuter

If you have a pup that hasn’t been spayed or neutered, you’re fighting an uphill battle. Dogs love to mark their territory, and spaying or neutering can help curb this instinct.

This is especially common with males, but females will spot around the house too, especially when they’re in heat. If you can take your dog to a vet to get spayed or neutered, it might end your problem for good.

Also, spaying and neutering have notable health benefits for your pup, so don’t feel too bad about it!

Add Food

Just like you don’t want to eat in the bathroom, dogs don’t like to use the restroom where they eat. If you add a few treats or other food to problem spots, there’s a good chance that your dog will stop using the bathroom there.

Eventually, your dog shouldn’t associate that area with the bathroom, and you can move their treats or food back to their usual location.

Add More Frequent Trips Outside

If your dog has to use the bathroom, they’re going to find a place to go. So, if you’re struggling with your pup repeatedly peeing inside, there’s a good chance that you just need to increase the number of times that they get to go outside.

Once your dog is completely housebroken, it shouldn’t be as big of a concern, but until then, give them extra trips outside to prevent reoccurring accidents.

Use a Commercial Product

While the methods here work great at cleaning up urine stains and getting rid of urine smells, sometimes you need to recruit extra help. Amazonia SOS Urine Absorbent Agent goes above and beyond to not only clean up urine stains but also keep your pet from coming back to relieve themselves at the spot again.

If the DIY methods aren’t working, spend a few bucks to take care of the problem. It is well worth the money to save yourself a ton of frustration.

Final Thoughts

When you bring a new dog into the home, accidents are bound to happen. But if you don’t take control as soon as possible, you’re setting up hot spots in your home for future accidents.

Fortunately, if you take the time to clean up the spots with these two methods and if you take a few of the other considerations in mind, you should have your pup relieving themselves outside and away from your clothes and fabric in no time!

Featured Image Credit: cunaplus, Shutterstock