How do you remove the urine smell from a mattress?

Question

My daughter is getting older and still wets the bed. How can I get rid of the urine odor? It is somewhat noticeable because she does it pretty frequently. I've heard of putting the mattress outside, but I don't have anywhere clean to put it outdoors and I don't want to publicly shame my daughter (She's an only child so people would know who peed in the bed). I obviously cannot put the mattress in a washer, so how do I remove the stains and odors left in it? How have you all dealt with this situation?

Answer 1

There is a product called UrineGone that really works.

Or try an enzyme cleaner such as Nature's Miracle (found in pet stores)

Another pet store product that would work is Hartz Help! Pet Stain and Odor Remover

I know these are largely products for the clean-up of per urine but most times animal urine is much worse then human and all these products really do work.

You might also want to look into getting a plastic mattress cover for your daughters bed. They also have these absorbent pads my sister uses on top of the plastic mattress cover that soak up the urine so it doesn't soak into the sheets and blankets as bad. You can buy the pads at just about any medical supply store.

Also I would HIGHLY recommend buying Good Nights which are like Depends for children. My niece is 11 and still struggles with night time incontinence. The Good Nights have let her do what she wants and not worry about wetting the bed. She is very active and has gone to camp several times and sleeps over at friend's houses. Which are two things that most kids that wet the bed are apprehensive to do because they might have an accident.

Whatever you decide always make sure your daughter knows that this is NORMAL and that she is not the only little girl that struggles with this. God Bless and good luck.

Answer 2

I had this problem untill my son was about 13. It is so hard. All I ever wound up doing was totally dousing it in fabreeze. Use alot, but enough to dry before you put new sheets on. And buying the plastic mattress pad works too. There is also a thick cloth mattress pad. I used both. For some reason, the plastic one would come loose and then if any does spill over, the majority is on that thick sheet. Also, another thing I would do if the room got smelly, was to open the window just about a foot, even in the winter, and place a fan going out, so it would suck the smell out. I don't know how old she is, but I also started using the big kid pull ups. I can't remember the name now. But, as they get older, there is alot more pee, so it is harder to keep under control. If it's only family there, no one will ever know. Give them to her and tell her it is her responsibility to dispose of them. That way she doesn't even get embarressed with you. I wish you luck. I never thought it would end. But, it does. Good luck. And explain to her that it is not her fault. Some people just can't control it when they are asleep. It's o.k.

Answer 3

I would go ahead and replace the mattress and use a protector until she is through it.

One thing you could TRY, no guarantees so be ready to replace if you have to, is to rent a Rug Doctor or a steam cleaning machine, fill it with a solution of OxyClean (NO SUDS formula)and Febreeze poured straight into the water, and use the small attachments to go over the mattress surfaces the way you would clean any non-floor space. If you have flipped it and there is mess on both sides, do it in two phases, or stand the mattress up so you can get both sides at once. Do a once-over of the box spring. This effort will probably not reach the center of the mattress, but it might take the edge off the mess and smell enough to disguise it until the bedwetting is over...you can try to use this mattress to get you through the phase and then start with a fresh new mattress when she has more control.

I was an older child who wet the bed, and I can tell you for a fact that this is a source of supreme embarrassment for kids. You can be matter of fact about the problem without shaming her.
This cleaning or replacing of the mattress can be explained that you all know it is a problem, you are wanting to help take care of the embarrassing odor so she can have friends over.

One thing you can do in particular is to put her in charge of helping clean up when she has an accident. This is not a punishment, so don't treat it as such, rather, it is an empowerment of getting her involved in solving the problem, not just causing it. Teach her how to wash her own sheets correctly, get a footstool to reach the machine if she can't reach. Teach her how to make her own bed after laundry. At the very least, teach her how to strip her bed when she needs to, spray it down to disinfect the mattress cover, and bring her bedding to the laundry room, and put a clean sheet on her bed. Most kids in this situation are very eager to help out and do NOT feel punished at all, they feel relief at not having to be taken care of so extensively.

After that, one thing is to make sure that whatever cover you put on to waterproof the mattress, that it doesn't RATTLE. The cheapo plastic covers do so step up to something else. Even when the room didn't smell, I always had a hard time explaining the noise when my friend would sit down on my clean bed and feel/hear that crunch. Most times I would take the cover OFF to avoid this problem...and the peeing on the mattress would continue. Not logical but kids aren't always logical, and she may actually feel desperate to hide the problem, making her even less logical.

Pullups may work, again a cooperation issue of wearing a "diaper". If the bed is protected and the sheets are washable, well, what's the harm in going to bed in regular panties and cleaning up after the fact.

There are alarms that are supposed to wake the kid up when they start to go, it doesn't stop the mess, it is supposed to reset the pattern of sleeping through an accident so they start to wake up before they start to go.

Keep bedding as simple as possible since you are washing a lot of it. If the protective piece doesn't end up being a very absorbant piece, you might actually WANT a mattress pad underneath her, even though you will have to launder it often. If there is nothing there to mop up the urine (since sheets aren't very absorbant), it will actually run OFF the bed causing a floor problem, especially as she grows and develops more urine output or if she goes more than once a night. Anyway, for basic bedding I would go with having a few fitted sheets on hand, use the fitted only, and a single cover that is warm enough for her. If that piece is too big to wash easily go with a less bulky washable comforter and a thermal blanket. Whatever you decide, keep bedding to a minimum...as few pieces as possible to protect the bed, keep her comfortable.

Answer 4

I have pets, so I know about urine. First of all use lots of water and towels (better yet a little green clean machine)to flush out the urine.Sams clubs carry a product called odoban, it states the bottle that it's used in hospitals. It's the only product that removes that smell that I know of. Another thing you can do if that fails is to use chlorine bleach and water. It will stain the mattress but the smell will be gone.

Answer 5

There are lots of odor neutralizers available on the market. Most work reasonably well, but only on the odor, not the stain. One tried and true old-timie standby is Boraxo. You can find it in the detergent aisle at most stores. Simply follow the directions on the box. You will have to saturate the areas that need cleaning, but you can stand the mattress on its side in any well ventilated room for a couple of days while you let your little girl "camp out" on the floor.

Answer 6

I have used Nature's Miracle on a mattress I thought was beyond hope with great success. In that case an elderly and ill relative had had a large accident. I also have a just about potty trained daughter and have used it for her smaller accidents. It is sold in Agway or other feed and pet supply stores. Is actually for pet stains. You soak the spot very liberally and it evaporates. Supposedly changes the enzymes or something so pets won't return to the spot. I've also used it on furniture--on certain fabrics it can make a ring--but I just reapplied and scrubbed it in to the entire cushion. Comes in a white bottle with red writing. Made by Pets 'N' People,Inc./ Eight in One Pet Products 2100 Pacific St, Hauppauge, NY 11788 [phone]. Hope this helps.

Answer 7

You need to break down the bacteria/digestant in urine first, or the smell will always be there. You can buy a product that will do this for you,at any pet supply or janitorial supply store. Mix it with water first then spray it over the urine soild area.The best one is called CONSUME about $4.40 per. bottle, then you can use soap and water. Read the directions on the back. I raise dogs and use this all the time. Good Luck

Answer 8

I had to do this when my daughter was potty training. Try using warm soapy water (liquid dish soap). Use a medium bristled brush, and go in circles. Rinse it off using a rag or sponge. Towel dry then let it finish air drying. Once it is dried spray it with fabreeze. I had tried so many things and then someone told me about this and it really worked. Of course my daughter had to sleep in another bed for a couple of days until the mattress dried completely.

Answer 9

I am not sure how to get rid of the smell maybe washing it with a wet wash cloth and vinegar

they make plastic rubber sheets you can put over the mattress

Answer 10

You can't get human urine smell out. Burn the mattress and buy a new one and leave the plastic on this one until she stops wetting the bed.