• Pet urine odor is a managable problem.pet dog feet paw image by Paul Retherford from Fotolia.com
  
  Owning pets inevitably means dealing with pet urine stains; even well-trained pets have the occasional accident. Young, elderly and sick dogs and cats are a major source of pet urine stains, but even healthy animals can accidentally urinate on the carpet. Fortunately, there is really no trick to cleaning pet urine stains and odor. It is often as simple as catching the problem early and having the right cleaning and neutralizing products on hand.
  
  

Blot the Spot

• Blotting the spot is the first home remedy to cleaning up pet urine. Make sure to blot the spot before applying any pet odor remedies. Never rub the stain; this only pushes the pet urine deeper into the carpet and carpet padding. Blot the urine spot with dry paper towels or old shop rags until most of the wetness is picked up. Dry pet urine is harder to clean up, so apply any urine removal remedies before the spot has time to dry completely.
  
  

Baking Soda

• Baking soda can both clean pet urine and neutralize odor. Make a paste of baking soda and water. Use the paste to clean the pet urine spot off the carpet with a gentle scrub brush or sponge. Allow time for the baking soda to neutralize the pet odor before rinsing the carpet with warm water. Reapply the baking soda paste as necessary, rinsing between each application. When all odor treatment has been applied and the carpet has dried, sprinkle the dry area with baking soda. Allow it to stand for 10 to 15 minutes, then vacuum the area to remove the baking soda.
  
  

Vinegar

• Vinegar is not capable of cleaning pet urine, but it is one of the best household odor neutralizers. Mix two parts water to one part vinegar in a clean spray bottle. Spray the vinegar and water mixture on the fabric or carpet where the pet urinated. Vinegar will not take the color out of fabrics or carpets, is gentle, and does not need to be rinsed after application. It is a product most people have in their homes, making it the ideal home remedy for pet urine removal. This treatment can be used independently to remove odor or in conjunction with other pet urine remedies.
  
  

Detergent

• Use liquid laundry detergent, or dilute powder detergent with water, and clean the pet urine spot with a soft brush or sponge. Laundry detergent with enzymes works best to neutralize the smell of pet urine. Never use ammonia-based detergents, which do not neutralize odors and could allow the pet to be drawn back to the area. To further neutralize the odor, you can spray the area with a vinegar and water mixture as desired.
  
  

Peroxide and Alcohol

• Hydrogen peroxide and rubbing alcohol are two common household products that will clean and neutralize pet urine, similar to vinegar and baking soda. Unlike vinegar and baking soda, however, diluted peroxide and rubbing alcohol will take the the color out of colorful fabrics. Spot test the carpet in an inconspicuous place before applying diluted peroxide or alcohol mixtures. This method can be used together with other pet urine removal methods.