There are many joys of parenting. One of those joys is not having to remove pee stains from a mattress, a mattress that had a waterproof mattress protector on it.
One of my daughters, unfortunately, has an issue with wetting the bed at night. While she’s been potty trained for over a year, and doesn’t wet her bed every night, it’s still regularly happening. Unfortunately, this has led to urine stains on her mattress. Multiple urine stains that smell.
The waterproof mattress protectors we placed under our daughter’s sheets, failed. I think the heat from the dryer or their less than top-of-the-line materials, left them anything but waterproof.
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Since our twins don’t have assigned beds, not only did I have to clean a mattress that has urine on it once, but twice.
This stank (literally) because they were new mattresses.
I really wanted to remove the stain and the smell, as quickly and easily as possible, because I couldn’t afford to replace them. And because I love efficiency.
Thanks to an internet search I found this awesome post from the Inspired Housewife, which had a cheap, easy, and effective way to get urine stains out of a mattress.
I decided to try it out for myself on my daughters’ very urinated on mattresses, with old pee stains, and their nice musty pee smell. I wanted to see if it really would work and how well or not it did.
I did the following urine stain removing method and then promptly bought this new waterproof mattress cover so I would never have to do it again.
You can watch the Youtube video below for the instructions. But be sure to check out the FAQ section at the end for more tips and advice on how to do it, like recommended spray bottles, and more:
Table of contents
The Pee Stained Mattresses Before Cleaning:
First, I want to show you just how bad my kids’ pee stained mattresses were:
Yuck! Definitely not what I want my kids’ mattresses to look like and to be sleeping on! Plus, the smell was not so hot.
*If you want a print-friendly version of the following tutorial, CLICK HERE or enter your name and email in the boxes below:*
How to Get a Pee Stain out of a Mattress
I used the following tutorial on a regular spring mattress and it worked great. Hundreds of others have also used it with the same great results.
Pee Stain Removal Cleaning Solution
To remove a pee stain from a mattress you need:
- Empty spray bottle
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Baking Soda
- Liquid dishwashing soap.
- Drop of Lavender Essential Oil (optional)
- Handheld vacuum or canister vacuum
How to Get Urine Out of a Mattress When Dry
DISCLAIMER: Please spot test a small area before doing your entire mattress. I am not responsible for any lasting damage that may occur from you doing this or any voiding or warranties.
Some mattresses, like memory foam or pillow-top mattresses, may not do well with this treatment. It will depend on what your mattress is made out of and how you are supposed to clean it. Use at your own risk.
Time needed: 1 hour and 30 minutes
How to Remove Urine from a Mattress
- Mix Your Urine Removing Solution
Take the empty spray bottle (these ones are supposed to not clog – if it does, see my FAQ at the bottom) and pour in 8 ounces of hydrogen peroxide, 3 tablespoons of baking soda (add with a funnel) and a drop of liquid hand dishwashing soap. You can also add in a drop of lavender or other essential oil to help neutralize the smell. Plus, lavender oil is said to help induce sleep.
Spin everything around a little bit, but don’t shake it up too much or it may bubble up way too much. Now your urine removing formula is ready to go! - Spray solution onto pee-stained mattress
- Soak Mattress
Spray (or pour) urine remover solution onto your mattress, getting it nice and saturated, especially on yellow pee stains.
Make sure to use the mixture right away for best results as the peroxide starts to break down in light.
Make more solution and saturate as needed for large mattresses. Don’t forget to get sides of the mattress too. - Let dry.
Turn on a fan, stick in the sun, if possible (making sure it is protected with a sheet or tarp), or otherwise let it dry. Within a few minutes of application, you should start to see the stains magically begin to disappear. It should take about an hour to totally dry.
- Vacuum off baking soda residue.
Once completely dry, and to get rid of the gritty baking soda residue on top of the mattress, and then vacuum the mattress with a high-quality vacuum (I love my Kirby vacuum for cleaning mattresses – I use it as part of my regular mattress care).
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The end results are amazing! There is a slight yellow residue, but vastly improved.
I have heard from so many people that this tutorial really worked for them and has been such a blessing to them! If you don’t believe me, read all the comments on this post! I get even more comments about how well it works via email and on Pinterest.
The Mattress After Removing the Stains:
Here are the results!:
FAQ When Trying to Get Pee Out of a Mattress
Traditional spring, pillow top, and hybrid beds should all respond well to this method of removing urine from mattresses, but ALWAYS TEST A SMALL SPOT FIRST.
I have had a handful of people who said it didn’t work on their mattress, mostly those with foam or memory foam mattresses.
While I used this on a white mattress, many have used this same method on colored mattresses and mattresses with prints. You will want to spot test it for color-fastness, but thankfully, you cover up mattresses with sheets and never see it.
If you have problems with clogging, try the following:
1. Use less baking soda, mix it in the peroxide really well first, then pour it into the spray bottle.
2. Pour the solution directly onto the bed and scrub it gently in with a cloth or carpet brush.
3. Mix the solution in a bowl, then saturated with a rag and blot it onto the mattress, making sure every time you blot, you use a clean area of the rag so you’re not putting urine back on the mattress.
4. Get a better spray bottle.
A 3% concentration of hydrogen peroxide is high enough. You can use higher if you want.
It will usually take 2 hours or more to completely dry.
If you want to speed up the drying time, blot your mattress with some clean rags, turn on a fan or two.
I would consider doing another round of the treatment above, spraying with vinegar and letting air dry, or someone recommended spraying with rubbing alcohol or straight cheap vodka.
If the stain is not lifting after multiple treatments, I would buy a new bottle of hydrogen peroxide. Peroxide loses its potency over time, especially if exposed to sunlight or the lid is left open too long, etc. Make sure your baking soda isn’t too old, too.
You could also be trying to treat a stain that isn’t urine. I cannot guarantee this solution works on all mattress stains (like oil and dirt and sweat) though some have said it worked on other stains on the mattress as well.
Many have asked if it will work on other fabric furniture, and I have never personally tried it. But, like always, you can experiment yourself in a small area. I don’t know how it works on leather or other couch materials however, and peroxide can change the color of your fabrics.
Chances are good that this will work on your carpet! Carpets and rugs are also easy to vacuum so win there! Just test a spot if you are worried about color-fastness.
One commenter asked this, tried it herself, and said YES! Worked like a charm.
Definitely not the end of the world if you don’t. You can use a dry towel and brush the baking soda residue to the floor and then sweep it up. Or pick up a simple stick vacuum or handheld vacuum for pretty inexpensive.
I recommend waterproof mattress protectors. I also highly recommend ones that are also dust mite barriers for better health.
For a really good terry cloth topped, waterproof mattress protector, for not much money, SafeRest makes one of the highest ratest ones on Amazon!
For a 100% waterproof mattress protector that also protects against dust mites and allergens, with a soft top, Ultra Plus makes one of the highest rated ones on Amazon and it’s still very affordable!
If you are cleaning toddler beds, you can also look into the 100% washable crib mattress from Newton Baby (we have it and love it BTW).
People have commented that they had pee stains on their mattresses that had been there for YEARS and they were magically removed with this formula. Give it a shot and it may surprise you that this can remove old pee stains with ease.
Be sure to Follow my Cleaning Board on Pinterest for even more cleaning tips and ideas!
And check out my more of my amazing How to Clean tutorials!:
- How to Remove Baby Poop Stains from Clothes
- How to Remove Poop Stains from Carpets (and the Smell)
- How to Remove Drink Stains from a Carpet (with just 1 ingredient!)
- How to Remove Dried Blood Stains
- How to Clean a Mattress
- How to Clean a Curling Iron
- 50+ Deep Cleaning Tips and Tricks for Every Room in Your House
- Spring Cleaning Checklists and Printables
- How to Remove Crayon Marks from Walls (11+ Ways)
- How to Clean Stove Drip Pans (4 Ways)
- How to Use Bar Keepers Friend on Stainless Steel Pans
- How to Clean Copper Bottom Pots
What have you done to remove a pee stain from a mattress?
Dory @DoyleDispatch.com says
We used to have a problem with our cat peeing on things, and we used just straight-up hydrogen peroxide to clean it up (after trying so many expensive sprays and cleaners). It helped so much! By the way, I nominated you for a Liebster Award on my blog: http://doyledispatch.com/2014/08/13/liebster-award-2-0/
Becky Cordova says
Did the hydrogen peroxide get rid of the smell and discoloration? Were you able to use it on carpet?
Dory @DoyleDispatch.com says
Yes, it completely got rid of the smell, so much so that the cat didn’t pee on it again (which they may do if you don’t get rid of the smell completely). I haven’t used it on carpeting, but it didn’t discolor the couches that I used. As always, you can test on a small spot first.
Katelyn Fagan says
I believe the hydrogen peroxide worked to remove the stain and the baking soda worked to get rid of the smell, thus why they are a great combination! I have never used it on carpet, but you could definitely give a try. If you are worried about the peroxide lightening your carpet, you can try a small area, or someone has recommended using vinegar instead of the peroxide.
Aj says
Does it matter the type of vinegar
Katelyn Fagan says
I have only used regular distilled white vinegar. 🙂
Terri says
Vinegar works too. I use it
Raegan says
I had that happen to me! only with puppies. lol after you get it clean you may want to invest in a good waterproof mattress cover. i got mine from http://www.protectabed.com/content/mattress_protectors.asp and i have yet to regret it. best of luck
Kim says
Did you blot off the hydrogen peroxide or just spray it on and leave it?
Holly says
So vacuum with a regular vacuum after? Or is the vacuum you used a special one?
Katelyn Fagan says
I love my Kirby vacuum for sure, and it is some ways perfect for vacuuming mattresses, but your regular vacuum or canister vacuum should work as well. In this case you just want to get the gritty baking soda residue off.
Jennifer Wolfe says
This is great!! Might this work on carpet? Our little dog has the occasional accident, but it’s always in the same area and we don’t always catch it quickly. Thanks.
Katelyn Fagan says
It might Jennifer. But, I would test it in a small area first to make sure it doesn’t change the color of your carpet or something. It doesn’t, go for it!
Cinnamon1832 says
Does this get rid of the pie stench as well or only the stain?
Triscuit says
The peroxide is an antibacterial and baking soda is a deodorizer so I would believe that it would get rid of the smell, as long as you saturate the mattress well. I’m using a different method (vinegar and baking soda) but I wanted a back up in case the stain remains. This looks like a good one to me.
NeNe says
I tried the vinegar and baking soda method and it didn’t work. It removed the odor but not the stain. I used Katlyn’s method of peroxide and baking soda and it worked in just over an hour.
Barbra says
same here. I used vinegar and it lightened stains but it didnt remove it much. Ill try peroxide this time.
Rachel Hagen says
We have a foam mattress. Would this technique work on it as well?
Rachel Hagen says
And to clarify, you spray the mixture EVERYWHERE, not just on the pee stain, right? We’ve only had our mattress a week, and our little boy climbed into bed with us and wet it. 🙁
marissa says
I wonder if this would work for formula stains as well?
Kayla says
I had a problem with my spray bottle clogging. Did you have that problem or buy a higher end bottle?
Katelyn Fagan says
I had someone comment about that on Pinterest as well. I didn’t have that problem. Either try using less baking soda, or get a better spray bottle perhaps. I don’t know! Good luck!
Kayla says
Thanks for the reply. I ended up using the spray bottle with a dawn dish soap cap and using my finger as a regulator, like spraying a hose. It got the job done and the mattress looks and smells so clean! Thanks!
Rose E Lloyd says
I heated up a cup of water in the microwave and placed the baking soda in a smaller cup to insert it into the large cup to warms up the HP to help dissolve the baking soda …worked great !
Lyndsie says
I didn’t have a spray bottle so I just used a 1/3 measuring spoon and poured it throighout the mattress until it was all soaked.. it’s not dry yet but I can already see major improvement, my sons mattress was literally disgusting!!! And now the mattress it starting to turn to its normal color again..
Angela B. Chrysler says
Instead of using a spray bottle (I have carpal tunnel in my fingers/hands) I used a water pitcher and just dumped it on. Also, consider renting a carpet shampooer. Or better yet (if you can afford it) buy your own! With two cats and three kids, I put the carpet shampooer on my “Must Have” list for parents and pet owners. I used this baking soda formula and dumped it right on using the water pitcher. Then I sucked it all up with the shampooer so it took a LOT less time to dry and I was able pull (vacuum) the water/pee/chemical solution out of the mattress. I also used vinegar (I don’t mind the smell).
Because of this article, I was able to save and revive two futon mattresses! Thank you!!!
Katelyn Fagan says
Great tips!! Thank you! And I love my carpet shampooer too!
Ayesha says
Hi I may give it a try this week. Do you think it would work for general staining of the mattress as well and how long will take for the mattress to dry. As weather is so cold these days. Thanks xx
Katelyn Fagan says
I am so excited for you to try it! I hope it works for you! I don’t know about general staining, but it’s sure work a shot! It took maybe 3 hours to be completely dry, and we didn’t put them outside. You can put a fan on them to help them dry (or a ceiling fan).
Ayesha says
Thanks a lot x
Kari says
I used full bottle of mixture and stain and smell still there didn’t work at all maybe it needs more
Katelyn Fagan says
Maybe check to see how old your peroxide is?
Ayesha says
Just stumbled upon your blog looks gr8.
Kristy says
Hi, can you please tell me, do you have to use Ajax, or would Palmolive/Dawn work too?
Katelyn Fagan says
I do not believe you have to use Ajax. It was just what we had/used at the time. I would imagine a drop of a different detergent would work just as well. Good luck!
Carol S says
I just got back from trying this technique on the mattress in our motor home
The pee stain from a grandchild was close to 2 years old!
Guess what….. it works!!!
The stain disappeared before my eyes!!!!
Once dry I may spray it again after I see it in better lite than the storage place offered but it is really remarkable!!
Thank you so much!!!!
Katelyn Fagan says
Yeah!! I am so glad it worked so well for you too! Thanks for sharing your success.
Stacie O says
Tried this!! Worked amazing didn’t have oil scenes but had a bottle of febreze with about 1/4 or so left popped that open and worked great, and didn’t need to use a new spray bottle ? thanks!!
Sylvia says
OMGee!!!! I really wish I would have taken “before” pictures because this really works! Like really really! Thanks so much!
Katelyn Fagan says
Ahhh! Yeah!! So glad to hear! And yes – I would have loved to see real before/after pictures from someone beside myself.
Maria says
We have the same issue with our mattress and we just use baking soda to clean it, We have to wait about 30 minutes before cleaning all, our children are 8 and 12 but they can not clean their mattress themselves
Brittany says
Awesome. Thank you. I’ve got 5 stray kittens that got dumped on us and we had one puke on our mattress wafted I stripped it to wash the bedding. I was looking for somethi,g that I might have around the house and found this worked wonders to get the stain and smell out. Now to try it on kiddos mattress that has a pre stain.
Helen says
just wondering what percentage hydrogen peroxide did you use
Carly says
Baking soda is also a good idea to use in your wash if it particularly smelly/dirty. It boosts the power of the detergent and also gets out any odours.
I had a dying cat who was incontinent . I put clean towels under him every night whjich were soaked by the morning. I would just wash them like normal with half a cup of baking soda and one would never have known they had been peed on.
Linda says
So I tried this following your directions and it didn’t work at all. The stains are still there.
Katelyn Fagan says
No! That stinks! I’ve had it work for a lot of people. You can try another application and see if it makes a difference? Best of luck figuring it out.
Beverly McCarter says
I actually found the PERFECTLY cleaner. No scrubbing. OXY- CLEAN/I just CLEANED a big spot with this product. Worked like a charm! Just rubbed a layer of the cleaner on it. Practically disappeared immediately.
Same ingrediants as your recipe.
Paula Weakly says
the peroxide and baking soda both need to be brand new
ron wyatt says
good idea….
Jennifer Mcbride says
Wow, great tips.I couldn’t agree more with your guide. Been doing this and works really great! I would just like to know, other than baking soda what other cleaning products do you find effective?
Jules says
I can’t believe how well this worked. I have five and a half year old formula stains on my king size mattress. I’ve had to go over a few spots a few times, but it brought them all completely out.
Katelyn Fagan says
Awesome to hear it works on formula stains too!! And old ones! Thanks for letting me know!
Maureen K Russell says
I have a mattress that is chintz covered and has a beautiful print. My puppy peed on it and I would like to use this formula, but has anyone ever tried it on any mattress other than white? LMK if anyone can respond. Thanks
Katelyn Fagan says
Several people have said it works on carpet and other furniture and things (over on HomeTalk where I shared this). You could try testing it out on the underside or the side of the mattress first if you are really worried. Good luck!
Cathy says
My husband closed the door to the guest room, not knowing he’d closed a cat in, last night. When I opened the door this morning, the smell hit me like a brick! I used this on the printed mattress and it worked it worked great! I prepared one batch and used all of it on the new spot and an older one and boh are gone and so is the smell. I’m adding this to my household recipe folder.
Jennifer says
I am researching what to do about getting pee out of a mattress and came across your blog. Thanks for the tips on getting rid of the pee:) I found your mattress protector link recco too. Guess what?! – That is the exact mattress protector we have. I have washed and dried it correctly and its two months old – and it FAILED. The Safeproof mattress protector was a big no go for us. Frustrating after doing lots of research before buying it in the first place!
Katelyn Fagan says
On no!! The failed mattress protectors are soooo frustrating! The Safeproof ones have such good ratings too. 🙁 I hope my tutorial work for you though!
guyinkansas says
I used your method and it worked pretty well the only thing is, I think I may have put too much baby powder on because a lot of the mattress squares are white and rock hard and they wont vacuum up. if I wipe them up with water it will take it off but when the mattress dries will it still be clean and white? the squares are rock hard and the vacuum did nothing to them . thank you
Mary says
Why are you using baby powder? (spell check??)
guyinkansas says
I meant baking soda im sorry.. that’s what I meant
Laura @ JustGoSleep says
I moved into a new apartment. I always clean every inch of the place myself when I move in. Everything was very clean but in the bathrooms the grout around the base of the toilets were like pee yellow color instead of the original white color of the grout. It was so gross. I don’t know if the previous tenant peed on the floor instead of in the toilet or what but it was gross. I tried all kinds of bathroom cleaners, bleach etc. nothing would get it out. Then I sprayed mixture of peroxide and baking soda all on it and it didn’t seem to really work at first. I kind of forgot about it then went back into my bathrooms about a half hour later and it was shiny white no more pee yellow.
Katelyn Fagan says
Awesome! Thanks for letting me know it works for other things! I may have to use it in the bathrooms myself then… I have a potty trained three year old boy…. Oy.