How to Clean Urine From Hardwood Floors

When urine dries on a hardwood floor the result is a sticky, smelly mess. The acidic nature of urine can eat away at the glossy covering or even worse, seep into the wood of the floor if you leave the urine on the surface for too long. It's important to clean it up as soon as possible. You also have to be mindful of the product or solution that you use on the stain to ensure that it does not corrode at the surface of the floor.

Things You'll Need

• Black light
• Cleaning solution
• Vinegar and water (optional)
• 3% hydrogen peroxide solution (optional)

Instructions

1. Turn off the lights in the area and use a black light to diagnose the extent of the problem first. The black light will illuminate all of the spots that contain urine. Keep in mind that you should only take this step if you're cleaning up an older stain. If it just happened don't let it have time to set in—clean up the area immediately.

2. Use a mixture of 1/2 cup of vinegar and 1 quart of water to clean up the stain. Spray or pour it on. Let it set for a few minutes. Then wipe it down thoroughly with paper towels. Repeat the action if necessary.

3. Use hydrogen peroxide (3% solution) to clean up the spot. Spray or pour some on. Wait five minutes. Then wipe it thoroughly with paper towels.

4. Clean the area with an enzyme cleaner, like Urine Gone or Simple Solution, and paper towels if the urine is fairly fresh (within the past day). This is one of the best ways to both clean and neutralize the odor, especially in case it was caused by a pet. If the pet can smell any of the urine, he may continue to go to the bathroom in that spot.

5. Dump fine clumping litter on the spot if the urine has soaked into the wood of the floor. Let it sit on the spot for a day or more. The clumping litter will help draw the urine out of the wood.

Tips & Warnings

• If necessary, purchase more polyurethane for wood floors from your local hardware store and apply it to the area to restore the shine. But before you do, make sure that you thoroughly clean and neutralize the odor.

References

• Catalogs.com: Cleaning Pet Stains