To get dog pee smell out of a couch, soak the cushion foam, not just the cover, with Naturally It's Clean Carpet Upholstery Cleaner, then dry it on its edge. Check the cleaning tag first: an S or X couch needs a pro.
To get dog pee smell out of a couch, soak the cushion foam, not just the cover, with Naturally It's Clean Carpet Upholstery Cleaner, then dry it on its edge.
Check the cleaning tag first: an S or X couch needs a pro.
Your dog peed on the couch. You scrubbed the cushion, it looked fine, and two days later you sat down and smelled it again. The pee went through the cover into the foam, and the foam holds it like a sponge.
How to get fresh dog pee smell out of a couch: 6 steps
Check the cleaning tag under the cushion. W or W/S: go on. S or X: call an upholstery cleaner.
Blot hard. Press white towels into the cushion with your full weight and swap them until they come up dry. Never rub: it pushes pee wider into the foam.
Unzip the cover if it comes off, and test a hidden patch on the underside first. Treat the cover and the foam separately.
Soak the foam, not just the cover, with Naturally It's Clean, as deep as the pee went and a hand's width past the edge. A light spritz never reaches the foam.
Cover it with plastic wrap so it stays wet for the time on the bottle.
Dry the cushion on its edge with a fan so air reaches both sides. Do the sniff test once it's fully dry, not while it's wet.
The one rule
Clean as deep as the pee went. The cover is the easy part; the smell lives in the foam.
Plant-based enzymes, no dyes, no artificial fragrance, and one bottle covers the couch, the rug and the drapes. It's built for fresh spots: an old stain takes the longer soak below. It has a lemon scent from essential oil, so wait until the cushion is dry to judge the smell.
Found it late, or your dog keeps sniffing the same cushion? The pee has dried into the foam. Find every spot first: in a dark room, a black light makes dried pee glow, and couches usually hide more than one.
Soak each spot at bedtime, all the way through the foam.
Cover it with plastic wrap overnight.
Let it air dry completely, then sniff.
Still there? Do a second round. Old spots often need two.
For the old spot, our pick is Biokleen Bac-Out. Its live enzyme cultures keep working after you spray, and it's Green Seal certified. It's slow, not instant: let it dry, then spray again if the spot still smells.
Cushion that doesn't come off, or a seat back? After the soak, a portable spot cleaner like the Vacmaster Portable Spot Cleaner & Extractor pulls the cleaner and loosened pee back out of the fabric. Two soaks and it still smells? The pee may have reached the frame or a pad under the seat: here is the deep fix for pee in the pad, subfloor or couch.
What your couch's cleaning tag means
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W: Water-based cleaners are fine. The steps above work.
W/S: Water-based or solvent. The steps above work.
S: Solvent only. Water can leave rings. Call an upholstery cleaner.
X: Vacuum only. No liquid at all. Call a pro.
Leather couch?
Don't soak leather. Blot it right away, wipe with a cleaner made for leather, and check the couch maker's care guide. The soak method on this page is for fabric cushions.
Stop your dog going back to the couch
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Dogs go back to spots they can smell, even when you can't. Block the couch with a closed door, a gate or chairs on the cushions until the smell is gone. When the dog is allowed back, put a washable waterproof blanket down. Repeat spot? See how to stop a dog peeing in the same spot. Older dog leaking while asleep on the couch? Dog diapers for senior dogs save the next cushion.
Yes, if the cleaner reaches the foam. Most couch smells that come back are pee that only got cleaned on the cover. Soak the foam, dry it on its edge and judge it once it's fully dry.
Can I use vinegar on a couch with dog pee?
It cleans the cover and stops there: vinegar doesn't break pee down, so the smell in the foam stays. Here is [what each home remedy really does](/blog/dog-pee-smell-home-remedies).
Should I throw out the cushion?
Try two full enzyme soaks first. If the foam still smells once dry after the second, a new foam insert in the old cover costs less than a new couch.
Why does my dog keep peeing on the couch?
Dogs go back to spots they can still smell. Get the smell out, block the couch until it's gone, then work on [stopping repeat accidents](/blog/preventing-repeat-accidents-guide).
