My dog stays in the garage during the day and if he urinates on the cement it is a pain to clean up. Is there something I can pour on there to neutralize the ammonia? I know they make pet stuff for that but it is pretty expensive. Would bleach do the trick?
:eek: Bleach does not neutralize ammonia. While I doubt there’s enough ammonia present in urine to create a serious risk here, bleach and ammonia combine to produce a rather toxic gas (which one, I forget at the moment.)
It’s probably not the ammonia that’s the problem; if it is, it should evaporate on its own in a short time. But the other smelly components of urine are notoriously difficult to remove; bleach might be worth a try, but enzyme-based (expensive) pet urine cleansers are probably your only hope.
Under no circumstances ever combine bleach with ammonia. It creates a very toxic gas. DO NOT DO IT!!!
Vinegar will work and it is not toxic.
Chlorine (Cl[sub]2[/sub].) Nasty stuff. A heavy, noxious greenish gas that is highly corrosive and toxic. It’s interesting to make in small quantities as a lab demonstration–the green color is visually striking. But you do NOT want this stuff filling up your house!
Not that I’ve heard. There’s plenty of things you can mix with bleach to produce chlorine; bleach plus ammonia, though, creates chloramine according to what I’ve read.
Try an enzyme based odor remover, the enzymes neutralize the ammonia.
Vinegar.
Well, if you mix enough bleach and ammonia, your dog-urine problem will quickly become relatively minor.
Vinegar would smell bad too… I am mainly concerned about the ammonia smell. But vinegar would smell just as bad! I want something I can pour on the floor and let it dry without having to clean it up.
If you want to get rid of the smell, go to the pet store or health food store and ask for some zeolite. This is an all natural volanic mineral that will take the smell of anything out of anything without adding one of it’s own. It’s nontoxic and can be reused–just sit it in the sun for a while.
Like I said, if it really is an ammonia smell, it should evaporate on its own in not very long. Ammonia is highly volatile.
If you neutralize the ammonia and amines with an acid, you will end up with a salt on your floor. Of course you’ve already got urea on your floor, so maybe you’ll be OK with that. Citric acid will work as well as vinegar, and has no smell of its own. Citric acid is sold in bulk at food coops, and as coffee pot cleaner at the local grocery store.
True, in the specific case of ammonia, chloramines are produced, as well; but, in the uncontrolled conditions of our hypothetical household experiment, considerable amounts of diatomic chlorine will be produced, since the source of ammonia is anything but pure. Either way, nasty and toxic!
Wouldn’t the amount of ammonia be to trivial to cause any harm? Just curious, I don’t plan on mixing the two.
Depends on the urine, I suppose. The ammonia is just a breakdown product, in any case–fresh urine is pretty free of it, if it contains any at all. But, urine is somewhat acidic on its own, so it will react with the bleach to release some chlorine, as any acid will. Enough to be toxic? I’d doubt it, although I’m not prepared to say it’s perfectly safe.
I’m surprised no one has suggested baking soda. That’s what I would try. Sprinkle a little on the offending area, leave it for several hours, or overnight and hose it off. I’d bet it works and it’s cheap.
I have to comment on leaving a dog in the garage, couldn’t you chain him in the yard? I think it would be better for the dog and would solve the ammonia problem.
Ammonium carbonate’s got a pretty good vapor pressure. It dissociates into ammonia, so you’ll still end up with an ammonia smell when you’re done.
I disagree that it would be better. In the garage he has shelter from the wind and rain, and there is no chance of him getting loose.
Fix the real problem!
Provide your dog an appropriate place to urinate, with something there that can either absorb the urine or can be thrown away. Like a tray covered with old newspapers, old rags, cat litter, etc. Or even take a small corner of the garage and put down sand or even some sod on a tray.
Your dog will quickly adapt to using this spot, and cleanup will be much easier than the concrete floor.
Ever heard of a dog house?? My experience is that dogs don’t like being left in alone closed spaces for long periods.