How to Get Pee Smell Out of Hardwood Floors

March 18, 2024 | By Bruce Product Expert

Dogs are the most popular pets in the U.S. and by a solid margin (cats are second). According to Forbes, some 65.1 million U.S. households own a dog. That number jumps to 471 million worldwide (The Zebra).


In many instances, they’re part of the family, almost revered. That is until they pee on your wood floors. Worse still, if you don’t find their left-behind puddle quickly, it can soak into your floor. And the next time you take a deep breath, you nearly gag at the smell!


And for cat lovers, the smell is even more pungent. It turns out that cats have super-concentrated urine. Dogs, on the other hand, have more diluted urine.


That heavier concentration on the part of cats produces a more pronounced odor (male cat pee is worse). So, completely removing odors becomes infinitely more challenging.


Now that you know more about animal urine than you ever hoped to learn, let’s cut to the chase. How do you get the urine smell out of wood floors?

Dog Urine Can Inflict Some Major Damage on Hardwood Floors

OK. Maybe we need to go a bit deeper into the impact of pee on your floors and why it’s a problem. Beyond the smell, it can wreak havoc on your wood floors.

Dog urine is acidic, which can break down the finish of hardwood floors. That’s an even more significant problem when the urine dries up. Then, you wind up with urine-stained hardwoods that mar the wood’s surface, eliminate the shine, and cause discoloration.

The pee can penetrate even deeper into the wood on unsealed floors, leaving persistent stains and odor. Even worse, the hardwood planks could warp if your dog likes to go in the same spot.

Untreated urine can also permanently damage the hardwood’s polyurethane coating. Moreover, if the ammonia in dog urine seeps into the wood, it creates a noticeable dark spot. So now you have a stain and associated odor to contend with.

How to Get Dog Pee Out of Wood Floors

OK. So now, let’s get down to the crux of things. How do you get dog pee and the urine smell out of wood floors?


Immediately Blot the Urine

Clean your floor using paper towels or a rag to soak up and remove the dog’s urine immediately. This prevents the urine from soaking into the floor. And that’s the critical concern, preventing it from seeping into the wood.

After wiping, blot the area with a clean towel to prevent waterlogging, which can warp the wood. Be quick with this step to minimize water absorption.


Treat the Area to Eliminate Pee Stains and Odor

Here’s where you can get a bit creative with your solution. In general, avoid using harsh chemicals that can make matters worse.

You can start by sprinkling baking soda on the area. It will help absorb moisture and neutralize the odor. You might need to leave it on overnight. The following day, vacuum the baking soda to help eliminate the urine smell.

If the odor persists, you can try mixing 3% hydrogen peroxide with a small amount of dish soap in a bowl. Soak a rag in this mixture and gently wipe down the affected area. Caution: hydrogen peroxide can help with the smell and stain but may harm the floor by lightening its color.


Use Vinegar as a Natural Remedy for Removing Pet Stains & Smells

Here’s where you can get a bit creative with your solution. In general, avoid using harsh chemicals that can make matters worse.

You can start by sprinkling baking soda on the area. It will help absorb moisture and neutralize the odor. You might need to leave it on overnight. The following day, vacuum the baking soda to help eliminate the urine smell.

If the odor persists, you can try mixing 3% hydrogen peroxide with a small amount of dish soap in a bowl. Soak a rag in this mixture and gently wipe down the affected area. Caution: hydrogen peroxide can help with the smell and stain but may harm the floor by lightening its color.

A New Way to Tackle Dog Urine on Wood Floors

If you have a dog, why not install dog-friendly hardwood flooring? Bruce® recently introduced revolutionary wood flooring designed for canine crowds – Dogwood®. What’s unique about the flooring?

First, it features densified wood, making it harder than conventional wood flooring. Its hardened surface is four times more scratch-resistant and six times more dent-resistant than traditional floors. So, that helps with one dog-specific concern. Their nails scraping your wood floors.

Second, Dogwood is water-resistant to protect your floors from the occasional pet accident. It also includes additional protection that prevents staining or discoloring for up to 24 hours. If you don’t get to the urine immediately, the flooring is less likely to absorb it and stain your floors. Moreover, the smell is less likely to stick around.

Third, the flooring includes an antimicrobial coating technology that inhibits the growth of bacteria, mold, and mildew.

Finally, Dogwood has a 50-year residential warranty. You own the perfect dog and can now have the ideal floor to match.

America is Built on Bruce Flooring®

Leave it to Bruce to develop a revolutionary hardwood solution for your best friend. They’ve been delivering wood flooring solutions to U.S. households for 140 years.

Dogwood comes in 10 colors, so you can find one to match your room. The oak flooring can handle heavy traffic from your kids. And it can take on your dog’s challenge from the occasional accidental pee on your wood floors.

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