How do you get dog urine smell out of plywood? A Comprehensive Guide

Treating Urine in a Plywood Subfloor

After youve removed the floor covering, you want to make sure to identify the entire stained area. The most strongly affected areas will be discolored, but if you shine a black light on the surrounding plywood, youll probably detect the telltale florescent shine of uric acid in other places. Mark all such places for treatment and use the following protocol for best results:

Apply an enzymatic pet odor remover. You can choose one of several products, including Natures Miracle, Anti-Icky-Poo or Zero Odor. Some products work better for cat urine than dog urine, and vice versa, so read the label to make sure you get the right product.

Allow the cleaner at least 24 hours to soak into the wood. Its a good idea to cover the treated area with plastic to control evaporation.

Let the wood dry out completely. Its best to wait for an extra 24 to 48 hours after you remove the plastic.

Apply a subfloor sealer. The best floor sealer for pet urine is a stain-blocking primer, such as Kilz 3 Premium Interior/Exterior primer, which not only blocks stains and odors but also contains a mildewcide. Any all-purpose oil- or water-based stain-blocking primer will work, especially if you apply two or three coats.

Neutralizing Pet Urine With Household Products

Enzymatic cleaners work best for neutralizing pet urine, but some household cleaners also work, especially if the urine problem isnt severe. Here are some possibilities:

A 2-to-1 mixture of warm water and white vinegar**.** Spray this over the affected area, or spread it with a brush, and let it soak in. Blot dry after a few minutes.

A 3 percent hydrogen peroxide solution**.** Spray it on, let it sit for a few minutes and blot dry.

Peroxide, dish soap and baking soda. Mix about 14 ounces of 3-percent peroxide with a dash of dish soap and add about 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. Spray on and blot dry after a few minutes.

Avoid using any product that contains ammonia because it smells so much like urine that it will just compound the odor problem. Its also a good idea to avoid cleaning the subfloor with bleach. Its high surface tension prevents it from soaking into the wood, so it wont eliminate the odor completely.

The porosity of concrete compounds the difficulty of removing urine odors, so an enzymatic odor remover is a necessity. Spray the cleaner or spread it over the affected area with a scrub brush, using a generous amount to ensure it soaks in. Cover the treated area with plastic to prevent evaporation and wait for 24 hours before removing the plastic and letting the area dry out.

Seal the subfloor with two coats of a high-quality acrylic or polyurethane subfloor sealer. Allow the sealer to cure for a day or two before installing the floor covering.

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Step 5: Seal With Primer

Seal the subfloor with a coat of shellac-based primer after its dry and most of the odor is gone. The primer locks whatever uric acid remains into the subfloor material and prevents odors from escaping.

An unusual amount of urine or unusually moist conditions in the subfloor can make odor remediation difficult, and in some cases, the only solution is to remove the affected part of the subfloor and replace it. Before you do that, you can employ an aggressive strategy that isnt appropriate for every room in your house.

Power washer

Wet/dry vacuum cleaner

Enzyme odor remover

Belt sander or floor sander

Shellac-based wood primer

Floor enamel

How to get rid of dog urine smell and stain from wood floor

The smell of urine is often unpleasant and annoying. Whether the urine smell comes from a pet dog, a cat or even a baby, the smell can get worse over time and often stinks up the entire area. If you add a little heat to the mixture the smell will become terrible. Plywood is easy to clean as long as the wood is not damaged or warped. Clean the odor as soon as possible.