Wetting the bed is an inevitable accident that almost everyone has to face. If you have a child, an elderly person, or a pet, you must be well-prepared to deal with potential pee stains to prevent the spread of bacteria and salvage your precious mattress.

Luckily, there’s more than one way to resolve piddle mishaps on a mattress without leaving behind a gross yellow stain or a lingering stink. Today, we’re sharing a step-by-step guide on how to get urine out of a mattress, written and edited with the help of our local mattress cleaning team.

If Your Mattress Is Wet

While it’s tough to see any bright side when you find a section of your mattress soaked in urine, you’re off to a good start if the stain is still wet. It’s important to act fast in such a situation because the less time the pee stain has to settle into the mattress’s fibres, the quicker and more effective the cleanup process will be.

That said, here’s what you should do to remove urine from a wet mattress:

Step 1: Strip the Bed and Round Up the Necessary Items

Your first move is to take the sheets off the mattress and throw them into your washing machine for an emergency cycle. Do the same with your comforter and any other type of bedding affected by the urination accident.

Use your usual detergent, a cup of vinegar, and/or an appropriate amount of bleach (check the instructions and ensure it’s safe for the fabric). This will help remove any discolouration or odour.

Next, ensure you have all the supplies to clean pee from a mattress. These include:

  •  A clean towel, paper towels, or cloth
  • White vinegar or hydrogen peroxide
  • Baking soda
  • Laundry detergent
  • Spoon
  • Spray bottle
  • Vacuum cleaner

Learn more: How to Remove Urine Smell from Carpets

Step 2: Start Blotting

With your items on standby, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and get to work. Begin by removing the excess moisture from the mattress. Because you’re dealing with a urine stain that’s still wet, don’t try drying it by scrubbing the affected spot or using a blow dryer.

Instead, you should dabble to lift as much of the pee as possible. Grab a clean towel, some paper towels, or a cloth and start blotting the mattress all over the accident spot. Continue dabbing the liquid (changing the towel, cloth, or paper towels as needed) until the mattress feels slightly damp.

Step 3: Apply the Cleaning Solutions

It’s now time to apply a vinegar or a hydrogen peroxide cleaning solution, depending on what’s available at home.

Here’s how to make the vinegar-based cleaning solution:

  • Grab a large spray bottle.
  • Add some water.
  • Add an equal amount of white vinegar.
  • Add a few spoons of laundry detergent.
  • Close the bottle and shake gently to mix the ingredients.

Remember that the vinegar’s smell can be quite strong at first, but it’ll disappear over time. You can also make this vinegar solution more potent by adding less water or skipping the water altogether.

As for the hydrogen peroxide cleaning solution, here’s how to prepare it:

  • Grab a large spray bottle.
  • Add 5 parts or 8 ounces of hydrogen peroxide.
  • Add 1 part or 3 tablespoons of baking soda.
  • Add a few drops of laundry detergent.
  • Close the bottle and shake gently to mix the ingredients.

Whichever cleaning solution you choose, you’ll spray the stain with it. Be generous with the spraying and cover the entire affected area. You want to get the urine spot thoroughly wet, yet not too wet that it’s oversaturated.

Learn More: How to Remove Stains out of Mattress with Baking Soda

Step 4: Sprinkle, Wait, and Vacuum

Next, let the mattress sit with the cleaning solution for at least 15 minutes, then dab the excess liquid with a clean towel, paper towel, or cloth. After that, sprinkle the entire affected area with baking soda. Its job is to draw out the moisture and odour, soak up the urine particles, and change the colour.

You’ll need to allow the baking soda at least 8 hours and up to 18 hours to work. In the room where the mattress is located, place a fan and keep it on while leaving the windows and doors open for as long as possible. After the mattress air dries, you can move to the final step and vacuum the baking soda.

Now, check the affected area for residual stains or smells. If necessary, repeat steps 3 and 4.

Learn more: How to Clean an Iron

Special Considerations in the Case of Pet Urine Stains

If the pee stain came from a pet, you’ll need to tweak your course of action should go as follows:

  1. Skip the initial blotting step and sprinkle baking soda over the affected spot immediately.
  2. Wait about 15 minutes and then vacuum the powder (it should be darker).
  3. Repeat the two steps above until the baking soda stops changing colour.
  4. Clean the urine stain as explained in the section above, starting from step 3.

Because pet urine is more concentrated than human urine, you may have to use an enzymatic cleaner to eliminate its odour. You can choose a commercial product or make a homemade version so it’s ready whenever needed.

Remember, DIY enzymatic cleaners must activate for at least two weeks before use. To make one, mix the ingredients below in a bottle:

  • Yeast (1 teaspoon)
  • Brown sugar (1/2 cup)
  • Citrus peel (2 1/2 cups)
  • Water (4 cups)

Then, loosen the bottle’s cap and let the mixture sit in a secure corner.

Learn more: How to Clean a Dishwasher

If the Mattress Is Dry

For urine stains that have already dried up, follow steps 3 and 4 from the section above. However, do not dab the excess cleaning solution. Instead, wrap the area wet with the cleaning with plastic wrap to keep the liquid from evaporating. Let it soak for at least 24 hours (up to 48 hours) before removing the plastic wrap, sprinkling baking soda, and proceeding as normal.

Learn more: How to Clean Mattress from Bed Bugs

Wrapping Up

If you’ve encountered a pee accident, there’s no need to panic! This guide shows you how to get urine from a mattress without leaving lingering stains or odours.