To clean a bed after urination, first blot (don't rub) the wet spot with dry towels, then spray with a white vinegar and water solution, let it sit, blot again, sprinkle generously with baking soda, let it dry overnight (or longer), and finally vacuum it up, using an enzyme cleaner for persistent odors. Wash all bedding with detergent and vinegar.
Vinegar water. 1 part vinegar 1 part water and a few drops of dish soap. Let it soak for about 10 minutes. Then either soak up excess water with towels or a shop vac/spot cleaner vacuum. Let a fan blow on it to dry it the rest of the way, then get a waterproof mattress cover to prevent future stains.
Know How to Clean Urine from a Mattress
Urine stains in your mattress can be gotten rid of with white vinegar and warm water. White vinegar is known to neutralize odors and reduce stains. Although vinegar has quite a strong smell, this will dissipate over time. You can use this pure, but we recommend diluting it one-to-one with water.
How to Dry a Mattress
Most urine stains can be cleaned either with a homemade vinegar cleaner, or a homemade hydrogen peroxide cleaner. Foams soak up liquids quickly, so all-foam beds can hold onto the smell of urine more than other mattresses. Many urine smells can be removed by making and using a simple baking soda paste.
How Long Does It Take for Pee to Dry on a Mattress? Pee on a mattress can dry in as quickly as two to four hours, so it's important to treat it immediately.
A mattress accident doesn't mean your bed is ruined. By learning how to get pee smell out of a mattress quickly and using the right cleaning methods, you can remove stains, neutralize odors, and protect your investment.
Enzyme-based cleaners are powerful tools for deep cleaning and odor removal in bathrooms. These cleaners contain specific enzymes that break down the molecules found in urine, including proteins and uric acid, effectively eliminating the source of the odor rather than just covering it up.
Use Baking Soda: Generously sprinkle baking soda over the affected area. Let it sit for 8–12 hours or overnight. Baking soda helps neutralize both moisture and odor. Enzyme Cleaners: For best results, use an enzyme-based cleaner specifically designed to break down urine compounds.
The "21-second pee rule" comes from a scientific discovery that most mammals over about 3 kg (like dogs, cows, elephants) empty their bladders in roughly 21 seconds, regardless of their size, due to physics involving urethra length and gravity. For humans, this serves as a loose benchmark: urinating significantly faster (e.g., under 10 seconds) or slower (over 30 seconds) might signal holding it too long or an overactive bladder, though it's not an exact diagnosis.
But anxiety and stress, drinking too much fluid, or a bladder condition may be the cause. Or it could be another health condition. Causes of adult bed-wetting may include: Bladder conditions, including overactive muscles and nerves or a bladder that can hold only small amounts of urine.
It's actually a fairly common problem for kids with ADHD. They're about three times as likely to have bedwetting trouble than other kids.
As discussed in our mattress stain cleaning article, any type of liquid damage can completely ruin your mattress! Just like carpets and rugs, mattresses may be home to many allergens and provide a habitat for mold to grow, especially when it remains dampened for a long period of time.
Time Matters: Let the baking soda sit undisturbed for at least 15 minutes. For deeper cleaning, especially if the mattress is particularly odorous or hasn't been cleaned in a while, leave it on for several hours or even overnight.
White vinegar is a popular choice. It works by neutralizing the smell and breaking down the acidic compounds in urine. Mix one part vinegar with one part water, spray on the affected area, and let it sit for 10 minutes before blotting it dry. Another effective method is baking soda.
The combination of the three is often powerful enough to drive away strong urine smells. The solutions is eight fluid ounces of peroxide, three tablespoons of baking soda, and a few drops of dish detergent. It is best to test a small area first to ensure it does not discolor flooring, carpet or any other surfaces.
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Urea would be broken down to ammonia by bacteria or fungus. The ORIGINAL pee smell may disappear, but it will be replaced by critters and their metabolites. Just get some spray for pet urine. Alternate washes of vinegar and baking soda can help neutralize the smells.
Urine can dry fairly quickly. In fact, it may virtually disappear within about two to four hours. But even if the mattress is no longer damp, the odds are good that you'll still be able to smell the presence of urine. Understanding how to get the pee smell out of a mattress starts with patience.
If you aren't keeping your mattress clean, there's the chance you could be hosting some uninvited guests. Bed bugs love warmth, histamine, and carbon dioxide which unfortunately means urine on a bed makes a perfect environment for them.
Vinegar method for pee removal
Jessica Samson, a cleaning expert at The Maids recommends mixing two parts water with one part vinegar. “Spray the stain until it is really wet with the solution,” she says. “Give the solution about 15 minutes to set and do its magic, and then blot the area and dry up the stain.”
Mattress stains can be annoying and take time to clean and dry, unless you are able to move the mattress outdoors to a sunny spot, where it will not only dry quicker but also sunlight is a natural deodorizer that can help to eliminate the urine odor.
Pro tip 2: If vinegar doesn't seem to be working on your stain, you can up the ante by using hydrogen peroxide. By combining ¼ cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide with your 1:1 combination of vinegar and water (1 cup vinegar + 1 cup of water) you'll create an even more powerful stain and odor-removing cleaner.