How to remove urine smell from concrete?

Question

Please HELP!!! Due to dogs, the urine smell in the concrete in out basement will knock you over.  It is so bad you can smell it all through out our house.  What is the best way to get the urine smell out of concrete?  I saw a remodeling show years ago, where they put something on the concrete, covered the whole floor with plastic for something like 24-48 hours, before they sealed it.  It was suppose to be the best way to get the smell out, but of course I don't remember. 
  When you do seal it, does it really keep out any further urine smells or should we do more than just sealing it?  
  Any and all advice is very welcome.  Thank you in advance.

SoldBySherryP · Answer

I have no answer to add here, but are you sure it is in the concrete itself and not in the walls? I wonder if you painted it if that would help to resolve it? Also, are you using a dehumidifier to pull any extra humidity out of the area? That may help a bit as well. Good luck! Please don't forget to follow up and let us know what resolutions you found.

Janet Pizaro · Answer

Go to any pet store and buy natures miracle.

Z · Answer

I agree with Natures Miracle. It works well. I would suggest the floor be thoroughly cleaned with hot water and dried before using the deodorizer though to make sure any residue that didn't soak in is cleaned away.

Cherisa · Answer

Vinegar & water. 1:1 ratio. Works better than anything I've ever tried for pet odors. The pets can't even find it anymore.

Heather Bulloch · Answer

I have done the same as Cherisa....

B. Enne · Answer

I had cats that urinated on my cement floor. Now years later, the smell has come back with a vengeance. The vinegar worked for a while, but not permanently.

Janet Pizaro · Answer

Vinegar is great for many uses however on cement because it is so poreous it will be temporary. Don't get me wrong I use a vinegar and water solution on laminent flooring all the time.

Kathy Hayden · Answer

Ground coffee absorbs the smell

Pam Walker · Answer

BAKING SODA & CAT LITTER. Pour a layer of baking soda over the entire area. Make sure you can't see the cement through it at all. Next, put a layer of cat litter (can't see the soda through it either). The baking soda will draw the urine to the surface & the cat litter will absorb it. It should stay down on the floor for at least a week. Remove litter with a broom & dustpan you don't mind throwing away. That will help with lingering smells. Hope this helps. :)

Dawn Corrigan · Answer

Try baking soda and peroxide.  Both are very inexpensive.  Mix right on the floor and use an old broom to scrub it around.  Leave sit about a half hour and then mop it up.

Txstout · Answer

Concrete Sealer. Its what I used in a rental house I owned. It was the only thing that worked.

Johnchip · Answer

Unless you end up replacing or fully sealing the floor with an industrial grade product and maybe after a new ceramic floor time, none of these things will work.

All377999 · Answer

Go to a professional janitorial supply,they have a product that works.

Deana · Answer

I have used Original Listerine mouthwash mix half & half with water. Spray on floor & cover with newspaper till dry. Newspaper will absorb the smell. May have to do it a couple of times but it works.

Conchita Bowman · Answer

Sprinkle lime(powder not pelt) on your concrete. It will take out skunk odor therefore it should remove urine odor.

Cj Avery · Answer

I can tell you what we use intheautobody shop that actually got tips from big gas station where I worked...any shop knows what oil dry is but most have discovered the cheap alternative..first is this a total basement or entry level from a floor level half inside and half outside? Tools depending on basement square footage cat sand cheap works but has to be clay so you might need 4 or more huge bags; box of powered detergent (powder not liquid) or maybe two big boxes, broom with stiff bristials or more than one helping get two or three, dust pans, old hard sole shoes (they can be washed later), oh yeah detergent you can use whatever smell you want, mops. If you want to paint seal floor this will help clean surface to. Ok to help you remove any furniture. Now the fun begins take the kitty liter and do areas sprinkle on concrete maybe 3ft x 3ft , take your hard sole shoes and work the liter into cement till it becomes almost dust should be gray or white....ok now leave that and start another area...do whole basement. Let sit for 24 to 48 hours. Than take broom dust pan and sweep up throw in trash don't reuse. Next get buckets of warm water and broom, detergent sprinkle detergent in small areas small amount of water and rub into concrete sort  of like cleaning pots pans, let set for awhile than mop up, it takes time but works . Concrete is porous like glass. If sealing floor you might use some of the new garage floor paints comes in several colors. You can after all that than sprinkle baking soda all over floor leave over night sweep up.

Valerie Bradshaw · Answer

I would try an enzymatic pet stain and odor remover like Nature's Miracle. It does come in large containers. It breaks downs the the compounds of the urine and removes the stain. I have used it on concrete floors w/ cat urine and it worked.

Carol Valentine-Schlenger · Answer

There is a product made in Rockport, TX called knockout. It is made by a scientist and I know this works. Especially on cat urine. It is called Nokout. The spot will smell worse until the mixture dries. It's in the drying process that the magic occurs. Here is the link https://www.nokout.com/home.php I know this works and best of all, the animals cannot smell it either to go back to the same spot.

Kathy · Answer

Use Odo-Ban.  Available at Home Depot or Sam's.  Mix it in a bucket, with any floor mopping detergent, and mop the floor with it.  It has a fresh scent, but it also kills the urine odor, not just covers it up.

Jennie Herrick · Answer

When I purchased a foreclosed home once I had the same issue and I tried all of the odor killing/enzymatic cleaners on the market to try to get that smell out of the concrete. Basically, it was a WASTE OF GOOD MONEY!!! The best thing you can do is get yourself a respirator mask, some rubber gloves, and a gallon of myuratic acid. That one gallon bottle should make 5 gallons of cleaning solution. (4 gallons of water to 1 gallon of acid) Take a scrub brush on a long handle and scrub the floors with the cleaner starting in the far corner and cover it with plastic sheeting as you work your way out of the room. (I did half the basement one night and the other half the next) Also, make sure you have any windows in the basement open to allow any fumes to escape. Let the floor stand at least 12 hours covered in plastic then the next day go back and rinse thoroughly with clear water pushing excess water towards the floor drain. (Oh, the acid will end up cleaning out your drain in the process too, so you'll be killing 2 birds with one stone!) Then repeat the process for the other side. You can also turn on box fans to help dry the wet floors and then once they are completely dry I would seal them with a sealer like Drylok. Not only will it keep water from coming into your basement from the outside, it should also keep any fluids from getting into the concrete from the inside also. Good luck!

Janice James · Answer

My daughter rented a house that had cat urine through carpet to the wood floors , me being thrifty used white vinegar....pour in on and let it dry, also animals don't like the smell so it can help to deter repeat action.

Mari hart · Answer

We covered the floor with baking soda then put vinegar over it and covered with a tarp for several hours. When you take the tarp up it will look yellow as this draws the urine up. You may need to do this several times.

Nita Reddy · Answer

THere's a good product called 'Stink Free' that worked well for me (dog only, no cat). I tried several other products, and this one worked the best. It will take a lot, because you have to saturate the stain. The baking soda might work, as well. I've had good luck using baking soda to draw out odors in textiles. I think I might try to draw out as much of the urine as possible before using vinegar, too, since the vinegar neutralizes the baking soda.

Paddy · Answer

PURCHASE KIDS N' PETS, STAIN & ODOR REMOVER. AT WALMART IN CARPET CLEANING AISLE. REMOVES STAINS & ODORS 100%. APPLY FULL STRENGTH, NO NEED TO RINSE, COMPLETELY SAFE ON ANY WATER SAFE SURFACE, MANY, MANY USES. LAUNDRY PRE WASH, CARPET CLEANING

Barbara Randazza · Answer

Bleach itu a few times. Straight bleach!

Joan Weissgerber · Answer

'Anti-Icky-Poo' is available on-line and it works!  Developed to remove cadavers smell in homes.  Runs about $33 gallon and well worth the money - it even gets out cat urine. A vet recommended it to me and have been using it for years. Guaranteed or your money back.

Joan Weissgerber · Answer

You're welcome. Give them a call and they are great with help. After its all dry, consider sealing with Kilz primer before putting a floor covering on top.  Extra insurance for those damp, humid days that bring out the worst of pet odors.  Best of luck in your new home.

Libby Blankenship · Answer

I had this issue with a dog that continually peed on my tile floor. The grout absorbed the smell and it was horrible. I would buy about a gallon of 'Nature's Miracle' from our pet store (Hollywood Feed-Memphis, TN), and just poured it out over the floor.....and used a mop to spread it around and let it soak in until completely dried. This got rid of the smell entirely (at least until he did it again). The dog has been gone from the house now for 5 years......and there is NO residual smell whatsoever. I SWEAR by this stuff!

Heide · Answer

I subscribe to a newsletter by Mary Hunt called Everyday Cheapskate. For years she has talked about a product called Nok-Our. I have never used this product but Mary Hunt is well known so I trust what she has to say. This is taken from her website; 'Nok-Out is both an odor eliminator and germicide (bacterial and viral). The best thing: No fumes, no perfume—absolutely not toxic.' If you are interested in looking into this product you can find it at www.nokout.com. If you go through her website there is a coupon for 10% off of your order. Good luck with your problem.

Cj Avery · Answer

Porous as in glass....probably a bad example on my part explaining. Most material usually has a absorption rates except water proof. Wood, cloth, paper, cement and more, it has porousness, so can hold oders , grow mold and other things. You take the clay cat sand pore it on floor in small areas. With your shoes grind the cat sand into the cement, leave it over night, than swept up...the clay absorbs the odors. Next use water and detergent and mop the floors and after that if you want sprinkle baking soda on floor leave over night and than sweep.

How to remove urine smell from concrete?

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How to remove urine smell from concrete?

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