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cindy2011_gw

smell of human pee removal

cindy2011
13 years ago

I take care of a rental house that was just vacated. the renters had several children who apparently were not taught how to use the toilet. when we got into the house after they left I found they had taken up the carpets and pads we had just laid before they moved in and the floor was saturated with the urine of the children. The smell is overwhelming. I have tried everything that has been suggested and it still reeks. I am afraid if I don't find a solution we will need to take up the floors and replace them. I even tried painting them with Kilz, THEY STILL REEK. any help would be GREATLY APPRECIATED. p>s> i DON'T KNOW WHERE THE CARPETS AND PADS ARE JUST VANISHED

Comments (40)

  • graywings123
    13 years ago

    If you have tried cleaning and applying enzymes and sealing with paint, I would call in a professional restoration company and get their advice.

  • DelightYourScents
    13 years ago

    eek - I am sorry ... I am guessing you already tried baking soda and vinegar ? I found this on another site:
    How to Remove Human Urine Odors
    1 Sprinkle baking soda gently over the area where the accident occurred. Let the baking soda set for a couple of minutes.
    2 Spray water from a water bottle over the spot and baking soda.
    3 Use a cloth to rub the water and baking soda mixture into the spot. Make sure that you run the mixture into the spot well so that you see no baking soda. Also, make sure that the spot is mostly dry before continuing.
    4 Pour distilled white vinegar over the spot. Blot heavily with the cloth or paper towels until the spot is dry. Rinse the spot once again with water. Don't spray any odor-eliminating chemical over the spot while it dries. It will smell vinegar for a few hours, but the smell should be eliminated.
    5 Try a pet cleaning with natural odors if the odor still persist. This should be your last and final option if the vinegar and baking soda mixture doesn't completely kill the odor.

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  • cindy2011
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    thank you for the tips I did try them and finally had to call a pro who said the cost would be about the same as taking up the floor and starting with new clean underfloor, which is what I think we will do. No matter how clean it will smell I would always know it was just a clean job and if I were going to pay money to rent I would want it to be germ free and clean. I guess that is why a cleaning fee and deposit is charged bummer. thanks again for all the tips.

  • greatgollymolly
    13 years ago

    You need to seal the floor with a sealer that is used to prepare concrete floors for peel and stick tile. You can use it on any floor surface be it concrete or wood. Nothing will come through this stuff. If your floor is wood and the pee has gone in between pieces of the sub floor, your only recorse may be to tear it up and start over. I had the problem with pet pee on concrete sub floor where the pee had soaked in and nothing would touch it. This sealer did the trick.

  • Subrosa141
    10 years ago

    I had a problem with pee smell after a house guest moved out of the guest room. Having the carpet professionally cleaned made the smell much worse. We tried febreeze and pine sol. Nothing worked. Finally we took up the carpet and padding. The pee got into the concrete. This is what worked perfectly for me:
    1. Removed carpet and padding.
    2. poured bottles of hydrogen peroxide on all the urine stains on the concrete and let it dry then I repeated this step until all the peroxide was used up.

    1. Applied Odoban - let it set about an hour.
    2. Used a long handled scrub brush/broom to scrub floor.
    3. Rinsed floor.
    4. Painted floor with a sealant (Zinzer).
    5. Laid down fresh padding and carpet. The room is now my favorite room again.
  • Tmnca
    10 years ago

    I think you may also want to call child services regarding this family. The occasional accident while toilet training is normal, but this sounds more like children being neglected, locked in a room at night, or something.

  • Divyah
    10 years ago

    To get rid of it ,spray the undiluted Lemon Scented Pine Sol on the whole area. I bet you will find it best way.

  • sabigabatini
    10 years ago

    Something with an enzyme treatment in it like Nature's Miracle, which is made for pets. Which means it's strong. Worth a shot.

  • jannie
    10 years ago

    I've had many pets over the years, everything from puppy training to senior dog accidents. I think Odoban works better than Natures Miracle. Cleaning with straight bleach (store brand is fine) works best on hard surfaces like a bathroom floor. Just be careful, don't get it on your skin or breath in fumes.

  • Christie Simmons
    8 years ago

    I was following because I have the same problem my child pees the bed but the person who made the comment to call dss what can they possibly do I guess I'm neglecting my son to because he pees himself the child probably had a bladder problem people make me sick wanting to jump into calling dss be mindful what you do to others because assuming will make a as out of you at the end

  • athena4204
    8 years ago

    Child services? I'm searching for a cleaning solution for my son's old pee stains he left on our living room floor. He would remove his diaper when nobody was looking, and pee right there. Some kids are just tough at that age. My other son potty trained perfectly at 9 months. Kids are all different. Regardless, I still have problems with this pee odor. Every time I think it's gone, those spots will get wet, and the scent is back for long time. I feel like I've tried everything this time, but still no good results. I'd rather not rip up the carpet. Any other tried and true remedies or cleaners?

  • Tracy Gross
    8 years ago

    I see this is an old thread but there are a few new comments. I own my home and manage my own rentals. It is truly amazing how terrible people leave houses. Anyway in my experience I have not truly found anything to remove the smell from carpet. If it's fresh you can pour water on it, soak it up and repeat. I have seen that take red wine off carpet when caught immediately. If not then most likely the carpet, padding and subfloor have odor. That's why it comes back. I would recommend taking the carpet up to see what you are dealing with. If it has soaked into the subfloor you will need to clean and seal it and put new carpet down. You can have a professional come give you a free estimate on cleaning it. If they offer a guarantee then they won't do the job if its not possible. Good luck.

  • Regina Monn
    8 years ago

    Thanks for the suggestion Tracy Gross. I think that's what I might have t do. I've been renting this place for about 10 years, and I'll probably be here a few more. I wouldn't want to live with this much longer, and wouldn't want to leave it this way either.

  • lindac92
    8 years ago

    There are more than a few pet stain removal products out there. I have had amazing results with a couple....the Woolite brand is good as are several others. The clue is to saturate the stain and let it sit until it dries. If the smell is into the wood, you need to let it soak into the wood, if it's in the tile grout, spray very liberally and soak the tile well and let it dry. It won't work of you just spray and wipe....you need to soak well and let it dry.

  • connemara26
    8 years ago

    Since they already did you the favor of tearing up the carpet and padding this makes your work easier. You need to rent or pay a professional to sand the wood flooring. He can sand off a good few layers which have absorbed the urine. Naturally, it all depends on the amount of damage sustained whether or not he can sand enough off. But because you had carpet and padding down as a barrier chances are the wood flooring can be sanded down to remove the offending layers. I would absolutely take them to small claims court and have them pay for the professional floor service at the very least. Have the floors stained and sealed. That should put and end to the odor. If not, you literally have to sniff out the offending area. Corners are a favorite spot. When the weather gets a bit warmer open the windows as much as possible. A good airing out can certainly help. All the best.

  • Jordan Kiriakidis
    7 years ago

    What about saturating Mentholated spirits on carpet through to floor boards or concrete, would it not sterilize and get rid of the odor, has any body used it?


  • lindac92
    7 years ago

    Menthol does not sterilize and would lend it's own smell.


  • Jordan Kiriakidis
    7 years ago

    sorry not menthol metholated

  • Michelle Cohen
    7 years ago

    Ok I have an odd question... And the back story is gross sorry. Last night I came home and my entire apartment smelled like urine/ammonia. It was like a punch in the face when I opened the door. I live alone, super clean, never had that b4. The smell is honestly eye tearing and making me gag. I thought it might be from the yard because my landlords son let's his dog pee & poo in the yard & doesn't clean it & my windows are ground level. It's not. I thought it migh becoming from upstairs since he gets drunk and pees on their floor so I'm told, or maybe the puppy has, but I don't have ceiling vents. So I don't know where it's coming from, but I assume upstairs. My landlord won't help, his son is perfect and does nothing wrong and he doesn't fix other things (FYI his son is in his late 40s) I used an entire can of Lysol last night. Didn't help. Any thoughts I Never had this before and can't go home to it again.

  • User
    7 years ago

    This won't be helpful but it's got to be something they did, like spilled ammonia or pee-saturated towels near a vent. One time I used smelly spray sealant on a project in the basement, and it traveled up to the 3rd floor and made my husband sick for days. About the only thing you can do is give your notice, and then maybe they will get off their butts to come and smell it for themselves. Don't give any suggestions as to what it might be. These people sound super-defensive and they would deliberately not look for anything you mention. I had some good landlords in my day, but some jerks too. Sorry you're going through this.

  • kane10072005
    7 years ago

    So I'm sorry to hear that and I know first hand how terrible it can smell,i would like to say something about the comment left by someone saying to call cps unless u seen other reasons that they being neglected I would not call cps I am a high strung very clean always moving around house an cleaning I mean daily and I have a son who is more than well taken care of but he is a big boy as far as size goes and he is 10 I've taught him how to use bathroom and keep teaching for 10yesrs and for what ever reason it's hard to take a number 2and pee at same time and he also sleep pees,now this kid is dealing with me a neat freak and OCD parent so doing stuff half ass I don't my point being is just because you smell urine does not mean there neglected and to call cps and turn the kid an parents life upside down just is not right,I clean daily his carpets and I've tried to stop it with no luck I've cleaned an scrubbed always returns an only thing that has worked for a short time is baking soda an cold water don't use warm use cold the warm water helps it to set into the carpet ,do baking sofa an cold water fully drench so the solution makes it to pad,I seen u have delt with it already so any future urine smells try B.s an cold water ,,,I've resorted to him holding a bottle when he goes number 2 them dumps it after at least it don't get on floor anymore ,,I'm hoping with age it be better for him

  • Lezley Larson
    7 years ago

    My father has Parkinson, and does not always make it to bathroom. I actually became nose-blind until my daughter-in-law told me the house smelled like pee. My sister told me to mix peroxide & water, 50/50 and spray everything, then let dry. I did this 3 times to make sure. I did not tell anyone I did this, and when my kids came over, they could not smell the pee anymore and asked what company I paid to do it. I laughed and said no company, just me.

  • Jennifer Dube
    7 years ago

    We are in process of renovating a place built in 1986. The prior tenants had two boys and lived here for 10 years. When they pulled up the original tile in the guest bathroom (which would have been used by these boys), there was a perfect ring of dried urine around the toilet, and it smelled horrible. We didn't notice any urine smell until the tile was removed to expose the old, urine-saturated subfloor. I think this is just a matter of years of boys missing the toilet / spraying / splattering around it.

    New subfloor is in -- no more smell!

  • PRO
    Teresa Inscoe
    6 years ago

    I have been trying and trying to remove the smell of urine from my parents house. My Mother has issues with incontinence for years and years. Now both parents are in Nursing Homes and Memory Care Centers. We are trying to sell the house in order to take care of their expense. The problem is I have tried everything to get rid of the smell. No matter what I use it still smells. Especially, when it's been raining and the humidity is up. Living in Florida that is a lot of the time. June, July and August for sure. The house is build on a concrete slab and has peel and stick type of flooring through the entire 1886 sq ft house. With the exception of the bathrooms and kitchen. They have ceramic tile. The Master Bath and Master Bedroom is horrid and I can barely stand to be in it to even clean it. I have used every product under the sun. It did seem like it was gone for a bit until the rainy season started here in Florida. Any help anyone could give me would be greatly appreciated. No one is going to buy this house with it smelling this way. Thank you

  • Olychick
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    You may need to pull up all the flooring and replace it. If there is plywood subflooring, replace that, too. If no plywood, you could clean and then seal the concrete to try to keep the smell from re-emerging, then replace the flooring. Also, pull up the toilets and clean under, replace the wax seal. Lots of time urine will run down the toilet and under - it's impossible to clean under it.

    Since grout between the tiles is porous and may have absorbed urine, you'll probably have to replace that flooring, as well.

  • Ashley Oberg
    6 years ago

    I am glad someone mentioned a possibility of disabled children. I am renting and the reason I came here is because after I carpet cleaned it smells even worse like urine. My son has autism and we are having the hardest time with potty training. It has nothing to do with neglect whatsoever. Anyways I am trying to figure out how to get rid of the smell because I know the renters won't do anything until before the next renters move in. So I need to find a solution for us in the mean time because it is driving me absolutely crazy.

  • festus6649
    6 years ago

    wow ! Where to start.. Had a 9yr old in care and he peed on the floor every chance he got. Make a long story short. The smell is ( hope was) bad ... Have scrubbed many times with different products... Think I have it this time... I got this at Wal-Mart

    It is in the pet section, It is called OUT ! Advanced .. it is for the toughest orders.

    Severe stain and order remover. It is 3x enzyme cleaning power. It is a red spray bottle, It also comes in foam.. but I got the spray bottle because I also sprayed the wall so it could run down behind the mop boards. I sprayed the floor and then put 4 oz in the shampooer and went to work.

    Had my nose to the floor and could not smell anything, but it is still wet. I'm excited about this product. Will let you know if it works.

  • festus6649
    6 years ago

    This stuff is FANTASTIC !!!!!! The floor is still a little damp, but I can not smell the pee....I'm excited because I will not have to rip the carpet out along with the cost of new carpet and instillation. YEE HAW !!! Hope this helps someone else out..

    Thanks

  • lindac92
    6 years ago

    As I said on this thread several years ago....scroll back....Out....Nature's Mirical and several other pet stain products will remove the smell....even soaked into floor boards.
    It works!!


  • markadelavega
    6 years ago

    DO NOT COMBINE BLEACH AND VINEGAR! While this MIGHT work, it will also create dangerous toxic vapors. DO NOT DO THIS!

  • klawdya
    5 years ago

    About calling Child Protective Services: the assumption is NOT that there is abuse or neglect, but simply that it should be checked out. CPS will contact the parents. If there is a reasonable explanation they will close the case. No harm done. A lot of harm is done when there are signs of abuse but nobody reports it. Sometimes minding one's own business is not the best course of action.

  • whypraytellwhy
    5 years ago

    If one calls CPS isn't there a risk of getting shot? Or worse, getting put on an 'ignore' list for being a bother?

  • Ethereal Energy
    5 years ago

    Besides CPS wants a paycheck they are like every other company they don't care about paying for another persons kids unless they get paid.

  • Kaylee Smith
    5 years ago

    Hi everyone, I’m here for the best ways to get rid of the smell evidence of a long standing incontinence issue. I‘ll plough my way through the products until I find the one that works. Thanks to everyone who’s said what worked for them and good luck to those who haven’t found theirs yet. I’ve created an account here just to comment - please contact CPS/NSPCC or any child welfare system if you think you should. Waiting until you see ‘it’ happen is too late. I’ve wished every day of my adult life (32 years) that someone would‘ve contacted them to help me and my siblings. Abusers are sly and brilliant liars and can do so much damage before ‘it’ is seen, if it ever is seen. Make that call. Every. Single. Time. Saving a child is a lot more important than the risk of someone being offended due to an anonymous call. Take care all x

  • Kaylee Smith
    5 years ago

    You started with ‘it’s wrong to accuse someone of something‘ then told me I must have been foolish and mentally disabled. And why did you think I was the oldest sibling? Me and my siblings thought our home life was normal as we had nothing to compare it to. But neighbours, family and friends of our parents had a good idea of what was happening but didn’t speak out - as responsible adults should do. When my oldest sister was old enough she took us to social services and said we weren’t leaving until we had somewhere safe to stay. I stand by my opinion on this.

    I hope this helps.

  • dchall_san_antonio
    5 years ago

    This is a cleaning topic, not social justice. If you have comments on child rearing or social justice, you should start a new topic and not hijack this one.

  • Kaylee Smith
    5 years ago

    I agree, just commenting from others comments. There are lots of reasons for having to get rid of a urine smell and all comments are valid. Merry Xmas

  • HU-650800916
    4 years ago

    The kids might be disabled? or Son removes diaper and pees? Did you miss the word SATURATED when you read OPs post?? Saturated is not an accident or cheeky kid. It Is something seriously wrong. You shouldn't assume that there's not either.

  • cyn er
    4 years ago

    its not always neglect. I have a stepson who we took custody from bio mom and have had him a little over a year full time. He has urinated on all his furniture and floor for the last 8 years. I've been in his life for 11. Hes now 16 and its all started again... Its been a constant struggle and lots of different behavioral therapist and medications. Never make assumptions.