How to Get Pee Out of a Couch & Prevent Future Accidents

Urine stains have a strong odor, so it can be frustrating to discover them on your couch. Luckily, you can easily remove the stain (and the smell) from your sofa using a few basic ingredients you likely already have. In this article, we’ll teach you all the best ways to clean pee off a couch, including using vinegar and baking soda, a hydrogen peroxide solution, and an enzyme cleaner. Plus, learn when to call a professional cleaner and how to prevent future accidents.

Getting Urine Out of a Couch

Absorb any excess pee with a cloth. For fresh pee, spray the area with 1 part vinegar and 4 parts water, scrub, sprinkle with baking soda, let it sit overnight, then vacuum up the spot. If a pet or animal made the mess, spray the area with enzyme cleaner, let it sit for 15 minutes, blot the spot, and let it air-dry.

Section 1 of 6:

Using Vinegar and Baking Soda

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Blot the stain with a paper towel. If the stain is still fresh, pat the wet spot with a paper towel (or absorbent cloth) until it’s mostly dry, using new paper towels as needed. Don’t rub the stain or you’ll spread it further into the fabric of the couch. Act as quickly as possible; if the pee settles on the couch for too long, it will become more difficult to remove.^{[1]
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- If the stain is old and dry, skip this step.
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Spray the spot with a mixture of vinegar and water. Mix 1 part distilled white vinegar with 4 parts water in a spray bottle. Spray the urine stain until it’s completely saturated. This will re-wet the stain to ensure it’s completely removed from your couch, as well as remove the smell.^{[2]
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- The vinegar and water solution neutralizes the ammonia in the urine, which in turn breaks up the smell.
- If your stain smells really bad, using 100% vinegar will neutralize the odor.
- If the stain is old and dry, consider using a steam cleaner with vinegar to tackle the built-in odors.
- Don’t use this solution on microfiber, as water stains it. Use rubbing alcohol instead since it dries quickly and doesn’t leave water stains.^{[3]
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Working from the outside in, scrub the vinegar-soaked stain hard with a sponge to get all the pee out of the couch fibers and surface so that there’s no odor or stain left behind. Be sure to use a sponge you don’t mind tossing out when you’re done.^{[4]
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Sprinkle baking soda on the fabric while it’s still wet. Baking soda is great at neutralizing and removing odors like urine. Use enough baking soda to thoroughly cover the wet spot—about 1 cup (520 g) should be sufficient. Spread it evenly, but not too thickly, across the entire stain.^{[5]
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- Feel free to add 10 drops of your favorite essential oil to the baking soda before you apply it if you want to add a pleasant smell to the fabric.
In general, it’s best to let the baking soda sit for at least 12 hours to ensure the fabric underneath it is dry. If you’re in a hurry, however, check the spot after 4-6 hours. Once the couch is completely dry, run a vacuum cleaner over the spot to remove the baking soda. The stain and the smell should be gone.^{[6]
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The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a purebred dog pedigree registry in the United States. The AKC advocates for the responsible ownership of dogs and promotes purebred dog events, such as the Westminster Dog Show.

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Section 2 of 6:

Using a Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaning Solution

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Soak up excess pee with a cloth. If the stain is still fresh, pat it with a cloth to absorb as much urine as possible. Don’t press too hard, as this will spread the urine further into the couch. Paper towels or a wet/dry vacuum will also work on fresh pee stains.^{[7]
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- If the stain is already dry, skip this step.
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Mix a solution of hydrogen peroxide, dish soap, and baking soda. Put 2-3 drops of dish soap, 3 tbsp (42 g) of baking soda, and 1.25 c (300 mL) of 3% hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle and shake it to mix the solution. The hydrogen peroxide will disinfect the fabric and break down the acid in the pee, making the stain easier to remove.^{[8]
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- If you don’t have any hydrogen peroxide, substitute it with white vinegar.
- If your couch is made of microfiber, opt for an enzyme cleaner instead.
Be sure to fully saturate the stain when you spray the couch so the solution can really break down the urine. Don’t blot it up right away—let it sit for about an hour to give it time to work.^{[9]
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Gently blot the stain with a damp rag to rinse the soap out, then blot it again with a clean, dry cloth. It should only take a few hours for the spot to dry, and then your couch should be good as new.^{[10]
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Section 3 of 6:

Using an Enzyme Cleaner

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Purchase an enzyme cleaner designed for use on upholstery. Enzyme cleaners are powerful stain and odor removers. Purchase one online or from a big-box or pet store, making sure the product is formulated for urine stains and the fabric your couch is made out of.^{[11]
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- It’s in your best interest to purchase a high-quality enzyme cleaner. While it may be more expensive, it will typically work better—meaning you won’t have to reapply it.
- Alternatively, make your own enzyme cleaner with citrus peels, brown sugar, yeast, and water. This takes at least a month to ferment, however, so plan to make it ahead of time.
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Soak up excess urine with an old rag. Use a rag you don’t mind tossing out (or some paper towels) to blot up fresh pee stains. Avoid rubbing the stain, as this can push the urine deeper into the fabric. Swap out your rag or paper towel as it becomes saturated until no more urine lifts from the couch.^{[12]
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- If you intend to keep and reuse the rag, be sure to wash it afterwards and don’t use it on your dishes.
- Skip this step if the stain is old and dry.
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Saturate the stain with the enzyme cleaner. It’s not enough to spritz the spot—soak it thoroughly. Be sure to douse the entire area, including the edges and any drops or drizzles. The enzyme cleaner will soak into the fabric and break down the uric acid in the urine.^{[13]
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- Enzyme cleaners work especially well for cleaning cat or dog urine.
Allow the enzyme cleaner to soak into the fabric for about 15 minutes so it has time to break down the urine. Then, press a clean, old rag into the fabric to soak up as much of the cleaner and urine as possible. Repeat until no more moisture transfers to the rag. You may need several rags if the spot is large.^{[14]
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There’s no need to rinse the area. As the cleaner evaporates, so will the uric acid that was broken down into ammonia and carbon dioxide. To prevent your family members or pets from sitting on the wet spot, cover it with something water-resistant, like aluminum foil, until it dries completely.^{[15]
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Section 4 of 6:

When to Hire a Professional Cleaner

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Hire a pro if you can’t remove the stain or odor yourself. Urine is a surfactant, meaning it can break down surface tension to easily penetrate the fabric and padding of your couch. Because of this, topical treatments can’t always fully remove the stain or odor. If this is the case, consider hiring a professional cleaner to tackle the stain for you.^{[16]
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- Professional cleaners often have stronger cleaning solutions and equipment unavailable to the public, so they may be able to remove the stain more easily and effectively.
- Some cleaning solutions can also damage delicate fabrics, so it may also be a good idea to call a professional if your couch is particularly delicate.

Section 5 of 6:

Preventing Future Accidents

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Consistently potty train pets. Accidents happen, but it’s important to encourage pets to use a designated spot to relieve themselves. When potty training dogs or other pets, be sure to give them regular bathroom breaks outside or in their designated bathroom area. This will help prevent them from holding it all day and relieving themselves on your couch.^{[17]
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- If you’re also potty training toddlers, encourage them to let you know when they need to use the restroom to avoid accidents.
To protect your couch from urine and other stains, consider using a waterproof or stain-resistant cover. These covers slide over the couch to protect the fabric underneath, and they’re easy to remove and wash when needed.^{[18]
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If you have pets, consider setting rules about whether or not they’re allowed on the couch and make sure the rest of your household follows these rules. If you have trouble with other stains, it may also be a good idea to set rules about eating and drinking on or near the couch.^{[19]
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When picking out a new couch (or reupholstering an old one), choose fabrics that are known to be stain-resistant, like leather or microfiber. While these fabrics can still become stained, they’re easier to clean and less likely to get ruined.^{[20]
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The quicker you’re able to clean up spills or accidents, the less likely they’ll stain. Use a clean cloth or paper towel to blot up as much liquid as possible.^{[21]
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Section 6 of 6:

Why does urine smell so bad?

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Urine is a type of waste, so it contains components like bacteria and uric acid. These compounds are particularly resilient and cannot be broken down by regular cleaning products. Because of this, the odor tends to linger unless you use a specialized cleaner, like an enzyme cleaner, to break down the uric acid.^{[22]
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Tips

Test the product you plan to use on an unnoticeable spot on the fabric first. If you notice discoloration or damage, try a different method.

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If your couch has vintage upholstery, your best bet is to contact a professional cleaning service to prevent damage to the fabric.

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These cleaning methods also work for removing urine from car seats, carpet, and mattresses.

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