Dogs and cats make wonderful companions but they don’t always mind their manners when it comes to bathroom rules. You may not even be aware that they have marked their area or had an accident until after it has dried and the odor becomes strong. Sometimes cats, male and female, will become disturbed or angry and may begin to spray outside and inside your home. Let’s learn how to get rid of urine smell.

If you catch your pet in the act, do not hit them but rather quickly remove them to the acceptable area, whether that is the litter box for cats or the back yard for your dog. Immediately after blot the area with paper towels or a sponge to soak up the urine. If the area is carpeted, you may need to stand on a towel to pull out the urine that has leaked into the padding underneath.

Wash the area with soapy water as soon as possible. Be sure you use a carpet safe cleaner such as a mild detergent or a product that is made especially for cleaning urine stains and odors. Again you will need to stand on paper towels to be sure that all the soapy water is pulled out of the carpet and carpet padding. It is a good idea to purchase a hand held carpet shampooer or a shampooer of any type to have on hand for these emergencies. There are several products available for shampooers that are formulated specifically to get rid of urine smell.

Cat urine is by far much worse than dog urine and is much more difficult to eliminate. After you have blotted, washed and dried the area, you may need to sprinkle some baking soda in the area until you can replace the carpet. Heavily soiled areas may need the floor repainted before new carpet is installed.

Visit your local pet store and ask how to get rid of urine smells with stain and odor removal products they may carry. For starters, they may recommend changing the litter box more often or purchasing additional litter boxes, especially if you have multiple cats. They may offer doggy diapers for the elderly canine that has middle of the night leakage. They may also offer training tips on how to stop a pet from urinating in the home.

There are many products on the market that will mask the odor of urine but will not permanently remove it. Do you homework and look for product reviews before wasting your money on products that will not get rid of urine smell. Natures Miracle is one product line that is highly recommended that can be purchased at most pet or department stores.