As a dedicated pet owner committed your dog's well-being, your goal is to work through the dog's house-training issues. Dogs mark inappropriately for a variety of reasons, such as anxiety or excessive excitement, or in response to the scent of other dogs in their environment. A dog that has not been neutered or spayed is more likely to mark, as is one with a medical issue such as urinary incontinence or a urinary tract infection. Once you have visited your veterinarian to rule out medical causes and modified your pet's daily routine, level of training and home environment to minimize marking, all that's left is removal of existing furniture stains.
Step 1
Soak up as much of the stain as possible while it is still wet. Use an absorbent cloth, paper towels or coffee filters. Apply pressure or cover with heavy items such as books to assist in absorption. Add water to dilute any remaining urine, and continue to blot away as much moisture as possible.
Step 2
Use an enzymatic cleaner to eliminate the remaining urine. Soap and chemical-based cleaners do not break down the uric acid crystals found in urine. Enzyme-based cleaners, on the other hand, bind with uric acid and subsequently destroy it, enabling you to properly remove the urine from your furniture.
Step 3
Avoid the use of an ammonia-based cleaner. Your goal is to remove as much urine scent as possible so that your dog will not be compelled to continue marking in the same spot. Since urine contains ammonia, if you use an ammonia-based cleaner the residual cleaner odor may prompt more urination from your pet.
Step 4
Minimize any remaining smell by covering the area with baking soda for several hours. Baking soda is alkaline and neutralizes the acid in fresh urine. Vacuum away baking soda once the odor has faded.
Step 5
Try vinegar for urine stains that have dried. Use white vinegar to avoid introducing a new stain to your furniture. Most table vinegar is 5 percent acetic acid and is effective on dried urine. Once urine leaves your dog's bladder and begins to dry, it transforms into alkaline crystals, which the acidic vinegar will neutralize.
Warnings
Avoid toxic gases called chloramines, which result from mixing ammonia and bleach. Never use bleach to clean urine.
Items You Will Need
- Absorbent cloth
- Enzymatic cleaner
- Baking soda
- Vinegar
References
Photo Credits
- White dog image by Lieson from Fotolia.com