According to the Humane Society, there are over 78 million dogs owned as pets in the United States. Americans love dogs, there is no denying that! Many dog-lovers treat their four-legged friends as part of the family, sleeping with them and letting them have the run of the house. Of course, we all want an obedient, house-trained pet right off the bat. But the reality is, that with pets, there is no such thing as perfection. Whether you are potty-training a puppy, or just have a super cute, but really bad little dog, you are bound to find yourself cleaning up pee in your home. Unfortunately, with dog urine comes bacteria and odors. It’s important to clean it up as soon as you notice the spot and here we offer some tips for cleaning various surfaces and items in your home.

Carpet: Hopefully you will come across a urine spot on your carpet quickly! The last thing you want is urine-soaked carpet to go uncleaned. The longer a spot sits or the more frequently a pet uses that spot the worse it can get. If the urine soaks down to the padding and sub-floor, you may end up needing serious remediation, such as pad replacement. So, when your dog does piddle on the carpet, be sure and soak it up right away. Lay down a good handful of absorbent paper towels down on the spot, then layer newspaper on top of that. Place a something heavy on the area or stand on it for a few minutes. The goal is to place pressure on the spot, so as much urine as possible will be absorbed. Blot and soak it up, but do not rub. Then you may want to use a small amount of clean, fresh water to rinse the carpet. Once again, use the absorption method as described with paper towels, until you see no more yellow stain coming out of the carpet. Finally, use a store bought cleaner with an enzyme or antimicrobial component to disinfect the carpet. Nature’s Miracle is a well-regarded product for this purpose.

 Upholstery and Mattresses: Furniture and mattresses are absorbent, just like carpet. Use the same process for soaking up the urine. Just be sure and follow the instructions on any product you use. Always buy the appropriate cleaner for your upholstery fabric type and test the solution in a small, inconspicuous spot first. Use fans if needed to help the item dry faster.

Rugs: Once you have soaked up urine and the rug is dry, you can sprinkle a small amount of baking soda. It is known to naturally absorb odors and it is safe to use. Once you let the baking soda sit on the rug for a while, vacuum it up.

 Clothes and Linens: If your precious pup happens to relieve his bladder on an article of clothing, bedsheets or any other machine-washable item, all you have to do is add a special ingredient to your wash. Launder your items as your normally would, with laundry detergent, but just add one quarter cup of apple cider vinegar.

 Linoleum or vinyl tile floors: The benefit of this flooring is that it is not very porous and wipes up easily. Should you come across dog urine on your linoleum floors, simply wipe up the excess liquid with whatever may be handy and disposable such as an old towel, rag or absorbent paper towels. Get a bucket and mix 3 parts water to 1 part white vinegar. Then mop your floor with this natural cleaning solution, your floors may smell a little pickled for a while! But it’s better than a musky urine stench.