Mattress Cleaning and Urine Removal Tips

The funny thing about urine in that whether you are aware of its initial presence or not, you soon will be. The urine as it leaves the body can vary from a PH of (6 or 7) neutral to a PH of (4 or 5) which is acidic. As the decomposition process occurs and bacteria begin to feed on the urea crystals formed, this is where we get the pronounce smell and subsequent staining. The resulting residue will be ammonia like having a PH of (11 or 12), this why the staining in many cases is not reversible.

The theory in stain or contamination removal is to recreate the original point of exposure. The logic being, that the best time to clean a spill is immediately after it occurs. This is the foundation of the steps outline below. With urine, in particular, there are three components that are crucial to changing the aromatic climate. (The Odor) Sanitize, Disinfect and Deodorize.

Items needed:

Spray Bottles

Mild Detergent (1/4 Teaspoon to 1 Cup water)

Vinegar (1 Cup to 2 Cups Water)

Deodorizer (2oz Fabric Softener, 2 oz Baking Soda & 2 Cups water)

White Towels

Small Wet/Dry Vacuum (For best results. If not available use Towels)

Sanitize. First we want to remove any residue. Apply the detergent mixture using your spray bottle with the trigger on mist. In an ideal situation a small shop vac allows for more impurities to be flushed out, because the area can be saturated and then extracted. If a vacuum is being used, then a more liberal spray is recommended. Spray the affected area and then remove access with towel or vacuum.

Disinfect. Even if the Urine smell does not persists, repeat step 1, but use the Vinegar Mixture and not the Detergent Mixture. Use the same spray and then extract method. Again, the most effect results will come from a small shop vac.

Deodorize. Repeat steps 1 or 2, now using the deodorizer mixture. There many homemade versions of fabric deodorizers. A quick search will provide several results and there are many ready to use products available at most Home Improvements stores.

The overall goal is for each mixture to make contact with ALL affected areas. Each step has a different function to neutralize the urine. Upon completion of all the steps, do a final water rinse and extraction, to remove any excess mixture. Placing a fan direct at the newly cleaned area will aid in drying times.