Dog urine problem. Help.

[Skribbler]

Any pet experts out there know how to get rid of the lingering scent/trace of dog urine?

A friend of mine has a vynal tile floor in one of her rooms, and has owned dogs and still does. Over the years one or two dogs have repeatedly peed in the room, even though house broken. She has cleaned the floors repeatedly with various cleaners and solutions, which, after drying, seemed to leach a thin oily coating out of the affected area. She has tried various pet store solutions and they don't work. I went in and washed the floor with a strong solution of spick and span and ammonia, and after it dried, the oily stuff came back. Some of the tiles have begun to come loose.

Now, with a new dog in the house, she is having trouble house breaking it because it smells where previous dogs have gone and wets there. The room does not noticeably smell of dog pee, but there is enough of a lingering scent for new animals to find it. She's thinking of ripping up all of the tile and replacing it, but if that doesn't kill the scent, the new tile will be ruined.

Anyone have any good ways to get rid of the scent and lingering oils?

[Random]

Nature's Miracle. Sold at pet stores and online through the various pet supply sellers.

[Starbury]

Try using white vinegar to clean it up...it worked at our house.

[beagledave]

sometimes using a blacklight (they even see them at PetSmart) can help to LOCATE the pet stain..the key is to let the natures Miracle (or Simple Solution) soak and break down the odor with its enzymes..then blot up


I own a beagle...nuff said

[Dogzilla]

Amen with the blacklight (you can rent them from some pet stores) and Nature's Miracle. Works great with cat pee too.

Since you have tile, I suggest sealing it. You've scrubbed and scrubbed, so it's clean under there. Use a tile sealant and the odor will be masked to your furry friends.

I had a friend who was re-tiling her screened in porch, but the dogs had peed on it while she was saving up to buy the tile. The pee had soaked into the concrete foundation. The only way to get the pee smell out of a porous (sp?) surface was to paint/seal it completely.

Good luck!

[cleosia]

By the way, ammonia is a big no-no, especially in a house with cats. That is the smell of cat urine after it has, well let's say aged.

[charizard]

Previous posters have recommended my solution, but I don't think they emphasized strongly enough that what you need here is something based on enzyme action. I recommend this to any pet owner (and any parent of small children, to boot).

The enzymes in these products actually break down the organic matter. This is effective in removing any odor I've taken it to (and most stains, as well). I've never had success using the ones that try to deodorize, or even the ones that try to do an extra thorough cleaning job

The brand that I've had the most experience with is "Out", but I think that the "Nature's Miracle" mentioned above is about the same thing.

[handy]

Yeah, those are nice suggestions. Also the pet store would be happy to inform you what to do. Perhaps pets.com too?

[Zenster]

Dogzilla got to the bottom (giggle) of this matter. If the room has vinyl tile (as opposed to wall to wall linoleum), then you are screwed, blued and tatooed. The animal urine has seeped through the cracks in the tiles. You must remove the tiles and, prior to laying them again;

Remove the underlayment of mastic and/or plywood. If the tile has been layed on concrete, I would suggest a two step muriatic wash with dilute bleach rinse (followed by a detergent and water finish), prior to a waterproof seal like Thompson's or another weather proofing compound. Reinstall the tile after a few days drying time.

If this is not affordable, do a thorough cleaning beginning with a primary ammonia clean, followed by a separate bleach second cycle. Then apply a dispersed citrus oil compound (mild solvent with lemon or orange oil), and allowed to dry completely. A good thick application of wax might help to avoid continued seepage.