Guest Author - Julie E. Fletcher

Urine is probably the top ‘worst’ stain of all. While working in nursing homes, I noticed how fast the sheets and other washable fabric seemed to wear. This was due to the washing techniques used to remove urine and feces. In most facilities, anything that can be washed is put through a very hot cycle with a huge amount of bleach. If you have a loved one in a long term care facility, now you know why their clothing ends up looking older before it should!

If you are a parent or caretaker of someone who is incontinent, then you will need to know how to remove urine stains/odor. We all know that babies leak, but there are also children who have issues with bedwetting and older people who have incontinence problems outside of their clothing.

I have read comments on many message boards about certain products that are designed for the removal of urine. One very popular product comes with a UV light (black light) to help you detect where the urine is on a given fabric. I have not personally tested this product (yet), so I cannot give you details on how it works. I have read that many people were disappointed with the results. This could be due to not properly following instructions or the product may not work as well as advertised.

If you know where your urine stain is, then you can try one of the enzyme based removal products. Recently I tested out one from the Dollar Tree. Yes, for one dollar I was able to purchase a bottle of enzyme based cleaner! The first use was in the wash on a towel that had been used to clean up a pet accident. When the towel was dried, there was still a noticeable odor of urine. I don’t recommend using it in the wash, but a pre-soak may help with just the remover.

Next, I tried the product on a mattress that my daughter had an accident on. The entire area was soaked with the product and when it dried, there was a definite decrease in urine odor. You can find this cleaner in the pet section of your local Dollar Tree and it will work with some effectiveness on beds, sofas, chairs, and carpet. I did not notice a change in color in the mattress fabric, but will be trying it on a sofa and will update this article with that information.

If you have tried everything and you still cannot remove the urine odor, you probably have on hand two products that will remove almost any urine odor in your home. Many people swear by plain old hydrogen peroxide. Just pour the peroxide on the urine stain, full strength. This will more than likely cause a change in fabric color, but on a child’s’ mattress, this may not matter. White carpet and other white fabrics may not be an issue, either. If you need to cover an entire mattress, put the peroxide in a spray bottle and spritz the surface well, paying special attention to the urine stains. Allow to dry.

Vinegar is another solution that is kinder to fabric colors than peroxide. Use white vinegar, full strength in the same manner as peroxide. Vinegar will also help remove urine odors in the wash, if you have a lot of odor to deal with, use two full cups of vinegar to your wash load.

One last trick that I learned while working in a long term facility: peri-cleaner can be used to remove all sorts of stains. Urine, feces, ink, almost anything can be removed from your clothing with peri-cleanser! You can find it in many personal care sections, just ask your pharmacist. To use, spray over the stained area, soaking well. Rub with a brush, then wash as usual.