Getting Urine Out Of Hardwood Floors

Getting Urine Out Of Hardwood Floors – A big question we often get is, “Can you save my hardwood floor with pet stains?” If you have hardwood floors and have noticed questionable stains due to pet urine damage, it could be due to constant pet staining. These stains may be from your own pets or from previous families who lived in the house before you. It is also possible that these stains come from humans or animals other than typical household pets. Unfortunately, the common culprit in all of these scenarios is urine, and we’re here to tell you what that component does to wood over time.

There are several explanations for those random stains you’ve noticed on your hardwood floors. Take a look at our list of common scenarios and take comfort in knowing you are not alone.

Getting Urine Out Of Hardwood Floors

You are tired of your house and want to change it without spending too much. So, you decide to rearrange your living room and add new decor. When you move your furniture, you discover that your pets have been using the bathroom in the same place repeatedly. They are most likely attracted to this location because it contains the mark of a previous animal. Your pets are now doing what comes naturally to them and are trying to mark that territory for themselves.

Remove Dog Urine Soaked Into Hardwood Floors & Dog Urine Smell

You have just purchased a new home for you and your family. The house has charm and you love what it has to offer inside…except the rug. The real estate agent told you there were hardwood floors under the carpet, so you’re eager to tear up the carpet and expose the beautiful original flooring that awaits you. However, when you lift the rug, it reveals pet stains in random places. Now, his anticipation for the new floors has quickly turned to fear.

He has recently decided to refinish his hardwood floors. When you start sanding the floor, you reach a point that seems harmless, but releases the strongest smell of old urine you’ve ever endured in your life. You had no idea this could be masked until you sanded this spot. Now, the stench doesn’t leave the room and you’re not sure what your next step should be.

Pet urine is mainly made up of water. In addition to this water, the following components are found: sodium, uric acid, potassium, hormones and metabolites. The main culprit of bad odor is uric acid. Uric acid is our main problem because it has a mixture of crystals that makes its union with other materials very close. For example, once it hits a carpet or wood, it locks in there with a very strong connection. Additionally, uric acid is not water-soluble, which means that most common household cleaners are not strong enough to penetrate and break those bonds to permanently eliminate odor. Instead, those household cleaners simply mask the odor temporarily until something like moisture activates the uric acid bond to strengthen its retention and release the stench again.

Once a pet urinates on hardwood floors, you must act quickly to clean it up. As urine penetrates the fibers, it immediately begins to stain the wood. The aforementioned compounds that make up urine are so powerful that they immediately begin to adhere to the fibers of the wood.

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Ultimately, pet stains can be a nuisance. Call us today to discuss your hardwood flooring needs and we’ll help you create a refinishing plan you can trust.

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”4161″ img_size=”300 x 200″ alignment=”center”][/vc_column ][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Request an appointment or call directly at 860-643-9191.” font_container=”tag:h3|font_size:20|text_align:center” use_theme_fonts=”yes” el_class=”pop-up-heading1″][vc_custom_heading text=”Select 3 time slots. We will contact you to confirm the appointment.” font_container=”tag:h3|font_size:25|text_align:center” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_custom_heading text=”Choose a date and time for your appointment.” font_container=”tag:h3|font_size:20|text_align:center” use_theme_fonts=”yes” el_class=”pop-up-heading”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/ vc_row]In general, hardwood floors are quite durable and easy to maintain, but cat urine is still a formidable opponent for any surface. Whether yours are the popular oak or maple floors or you have a more expensive wood like teak or black walnut, you’ll need to take some care to remove the lingering cat urine odor and stains without damaging the floor.

The state of the floor, how long the dirt was allowed to remain, and how many times Kitty has attacked again.

If the item has a solid finish and a good seal, with no major cracks, seams or gaps, you will probably be able to remove the stain and odor easily.

Refinish Hardwood Flooring With Pet Stains

However, if there are gaps between the floorboards or the finish is worn, urine may have seeped deeper into the wood. In that case, it may be impossible to remove and the best option would be to sand and repaint the floorboards or replace them entirely.

What’s more, urine on wood not only smells bad, but over time or repeated “application,” it can also stain and eventually rot the wood. In this situation, replacing rotted floorboards is the only option.

Keep in mind that the liquid that was absorbed by the wood floors may also be absorbed by the nearby wall. That means that if your cat has been preferring a corner or a spot next to a wall for a long time, the wall could be soaked in urine that he can’t even see.

You can detect urine on the outside of the wall by turning off the lights in the room and shining a black light on the wall (cat urine, like many organic substances, glows under black light).

Best Finish For The Most Natural Looking White Oak Floors

Even replacing the floorboards eliminates the smell. I have bad news for you… the smell could be in the wall.

Before you begin cleaning, read the flooring manufacturer’s care instructions to see if there are any special precautions you need to take. Recipe #2 from the Cat Urine Problem Removal eBook is enough on its own to remove light, fresh stains and odors and most moderate stains and odors, but not heavy stains that have been there for weeks or more.

It works especially well on light-colored woods, such as maple or white pine, but there is a small risk of discoloration with dark woods such as walnut, cherry, or teak. To be safe, test the solution on a less visible part of the floor, such as inside a closet, before applying it to the stain. Ultimately, however, using Recipe #2 is optional, so if you prefer, you can skip it and go straight to a stronger cleaner.

Step 2. Clean the dirty area with a wood floor or furniture cleaner such as Formula 409 or orange oil. Mop the floor with pure, cold water and let it dry.

How To Protect Hardwood Floors From Damage

Step 3. Mix a batch of Recipe #2 and apply by dipping a white cloth into the solution and then blotting it over the stain. Apply enough to moisten the area, but do not saturate it.

Step 4. Let it sit for about 10 minutes and then check if the stain is gone. If not, continue checking every 10 minutes or so. Once the stain is gone or considerably lighter, blot the solution immediately with a water-dampened cloth.

If you don’t feel comfortable applying the solution directly to the floor, soak a white cloth in the mixture and place it over the stain. (Avoid using colored cloths, which could stain the floor with dye.) This method is gentler on the floor, but slower. To see results, you will probably need to reapply the cloths every day for a week or more.

Step 5. Mop the floor with a damp mop using pure, cold water to remove any lingering cleaning solution. Apply an enzymatic cleaner that is safe for wood, such as Anti Icky Poo by MisterMax. Follow the instructions on the package.

How To Remove Urine Odor From Wood

. Correct application is critical. If you have never used an enzymatic cleaner, here are some tips on using enzymatic cleaners for cat urine.

Please note that with some hardwood floor manufacturers, the warranty may be voided if you apply a cleaning solution that contains alcohol, so check the warranty and the ingredients of the cleaning solution.

Step 6. Clean the floor again with a pleasant-smelling wood cleaner such as Pine Sol or Orange Glo. Both products have scents that cats don’t like, so they will discourage the kitten from urinating in the same place again.

If the stain is set well, you may need to sand the finish of the affected area and refinish it. Alternatively, a professional flooring installer can replace the stained floorboards with others in a less visible area.

How To Remove Stain On Wood

If cat urine has penetrated the floorboards to the subfloor, one solution is to seal the subfloor surface with an odor-blocking primer, such as Kilz or Zinsser. Replacing the affected subfloor is also an option, but more expensive.

Once you’ve removed cat urine from the hardwood floor, take steps to get to the root of why your cat wets outside the litter box and solve the problem. There are many causes of inappropriate urination behavior, which I discuss in detail in

Are you tired of wasting time learning by trial and error? See Cat Urine Problems Eliminated to discover proven effective ways to eliminate that nasty urine.