In May of 2015 my husband and I purchased our first home. We bought the home knowing that we would need to put a significant amount of work into it; the plan was to immediately pull up the carpet and refinish the hardwood floors underneath. The first time we looked at the home, we pulled up a the carpet in the corners of a few rooms just to look, and the floors looked like they were in good condition, so we went into this project fairly confident. It’s important to mention here that the previous owner of our house had seven English Bulldogs that she apparently kept inside. So when my husband pulled up the carpet, this is what we found:
Yes, that’s dog pee. YEARS of dog pee that had seeped through the carpet and into the flooring all over the living room. I was immediately hit with the worst case of buyers-remorse I had ever experienced. I was also 6 months pregnant at the time and the smell was nauseating. I still can’t understand how in the world we didn’t smell all of this the 3-4 times we were in the house before we bought it. Does carpet really hold in smell that much? Did the sellers use a gallon of air freshener before each time we visited? Either way, the smell was unbelievable, the stains were disgusting, and this was now our problem to deal with.
My husband being the Mr. Fix-it that he is, immediately began looking for a solution. After talking to some people he knew and a few hours of internet research, he came up with a plan of action.
So, what is the solution to removing pet stains (and smells)?
Hydrogen peroxide and baking soda.
Yes, the same hydrogen peroxide that’s used for cleaning cuts and scrapes on your body will remove urine from hardwood floors. The key is to pour the hydrogen peroxide directly on the stains, sprinkle baking soda over the damp floor, cover all the stains with towels/rags, and leave it over night. Just walk away for several hours. When you come back, pick up the towels, sweep up the baking soda, and assess the situation. Some stains will just need one treatment, other stains will need multiple.
We actually did this to our floors twice (probably should have done it a third time). This is after two treatments:
The stains were about 90% gone, but most importantly, the smell was completely gone. I was so unbelievably happy! Yes, we went through several gallons of hydrogen peroxide, and a couple pounds of baking soda, but it was completely worth it.
Next, my husband sanded the floor down:
You can follow the full refinishing project here.
The solution wasn’t perfect, but it made a huge improvement.
We ended up going with a darker stain all over the house, so any remaining “pet stains” aren’t noticeable.
I absolutely recommend trying this to anyone who is in a similar situation.
I hope this is able to help someone, because it was a lifesaver for us.
I am amazed at the final product! So glad you were able to get rid of the smell. We are about to have our floors refinished but there are a few places that have some pet stains on it (I know, I’m an awful pet owner). I want to try and clean up as much I can before the pros come in, so I’m glad I found your post!