How Does Dog Urine Affect Hardwood Floors?
Hardwood floors are exceptionally durable, but they’re also prone to damage when exposed to water, harsh cleaning chemicals and some of the naturally occurring chemicals in dog urine. The damage from dog pee depends on whether you have sealed floors — finished floors with a protected coat on top — or unsealed floors, meaning no finished coat.
Dog urine is typically acidic, which is why it can break down the finish of a hardwood floor’s surface; especially if the urine is allowed to dry up. It might leave a stain on the surface, make it lose its shine and cause discoloration. If you have an unsealed floor, dog urine can penetrate deeper into the wood and leave a persistent and unpleasant odor. If the odor isnt completely eliminated and the area becomes a regular piddle spot, the constant exposure to urine may ultimately cause the wood to warp.
Keep in mind that many cleaning products that are labeled “safe to use on hardwood floors” are not always 100% effective in removing dog urine stains and odor, and they may still cause some discoloration on your wood’s finish.
Step 1: Soak Up the Urine on Your Floor
The first step is to immediately soak up the puddle by placing a thick wad of paper towels or cleaning towels on the mess. Keep sopping up the urine with fresh towels until a towel comes up dry. Finish wiping off the area with a cloth dampened with water and then dry it off with a fresh towel.
Enzyme Cleaners
You can also use an enzyme cleaner that takes the proteins of the urine and breaks them down. You can use these cleaners the same way you would hydrogen peroxide. Leave it on for at least 15 minutes before you clean it up.
How to get rid of dog urine smell and stain from wood floor
If you share your home with a pet, then their urine accidents might usually occur everywhere on your floors or carpets. Regardless of if they are a puppy or a fully grown dog. However, the problem arises if you don’t immediately clean the liquid. Because if the liquid penetrates the surface of your wooden floors, it will get more difficult to remove.
Pet urine also emits an unpleasant odor that can linger in the indoor air of your home. Thus, you need to always remove urine odor from wood floors immediately. You can remove the pet urine odor by following these few easy steps given below.