The absolute best primer for dog urine is a shellac-based primer (like Zinsser B-I-N) or a high-performance water-based odor-blocking primer (like Kilz Restoration). These lock in lingering odors and stains so they cannot seep through your new paint or flooring.
To permanently eliminate dog urine smell, you must break down the uric acid crystals in the urine rather than just masking the scent. This requires a two-step process of neutralizing the proteins and drawing out the moisture.
The best Kilz primer for pet urine is KILZ Restoration or KILZ Original Oil-Based. Both are highly effective at locking in and sealing pungent, lingering pet odors so they cannot seep through to new paint or flooring.
Yes, Kilz can help, but it will not work if the urine isn't cleaned first. Kilz is a primer designed to seal in stains and trap odors, but it only works when applied over a properly prepared surface.
The best overall enzyme cleaner for dog urine is Rocco & Roxie Supply Co. Professional Strength Stain & Odor Eliminator. Its professional-grade, bio-enzymatic formula breaks down and consumes the ammonia crystals and organic matter found in dog urine at the molecular level, preventing pets from returning to re-soil the exact same area.
Wash the area with a non ammonia based product such as Nilodour or Biozet (enviro-friendly washing powder available from the supermarket) or sprinkle Bicarbonate Soda on the area and spray with cleaning vinegar. As veterinarians, these are products we have tried and tested and have worked.
For dog urine, enzyme cleaners are significantly better than vinegar. While vinegar neutralizes the ammonia smell, it doesn’t break down the urine proteins. Enzyme cleaners permanently destroy the uric acid, fully eliminating both the stain and the odor to prevent your dog from remarking the spot.
Zinsser Odor Killing Primer is compatible with all paints and clear finishes, and eliminates difficult exiting odors including pet urine, food, cigarette and cigar smoke, fire, and smoke damage.
Urine (Even the Dried, Invisible Kind)
Dog or cat urine doesn't just sit on top of your carpet it soaks through the fibers, padding, and even into your subfloor. Once it dries, it leaves behind uric acid crystals that are extremely hard to remove and reactivate every time humidity rises.
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To eliminate dog urine smells, do not use steam cleaners or ammonia-based products, as heat bakes in the stain and ammonia attracts dogs back to the spot. Instead, saturate the area with an enzymatic cleaner to break down uric acid crystals.
Yes, KILZ primers are specifically designed to trap and neutralize stubborn odors by creating an airtight, stain-blocking seal. They prevent smells like cigarette smoke, pet urine, food, and fire damage from seeping through your fresh coats of paint.
Too often, people recommend vinegar to remove urine smell. While it is in fact a good, natural cleaner, it should NEVER be used for pet stains. While vinegar has a pH level of 2, urine has a pH balance of 6. Both cats and dogs urinate where they smell they have gone before.
Getting rid of a strong urine odor depends on whether you are trying to treat the odor in your body or remove it from surfaces like clothes or carpets.
No matter what you've tried – mopping, scrubbing, even airing out the room – the smell just won't go away. Dog pee seeps deep into flooring materials. Porous surfaces like hardwood or grout easily absorb uric acid crystals, which can reactivate with moisture and cause the smell to resurface.
Enzyme digesters work effectively on organic or protein-based odors. Enzymes break down organic molecules into substances without odor, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), water (H2O), and water-soluble by-products.
Some of the hardest and worst smells to get rid of are pet odours, mold, and cigarette smells.
Even in small quantities (as with dog pee), ammonia fumes can irritate the lungs and cause breathing problems. This can happen if you suffer from a condition like asthma. Inhaling large quantities, on the other hand, can make airways feel like they're on fire and, quite literally, suffocate you.
Use Enzymatic Cleaners
Urine contains uric acid crystals. These enzyme-based products cling to uric acid, destroy it, and then remove the odor. Enzymatic cleaners not only remove urine stains and odor, but they also eliminate odor-causing bacteria around the stain.
Yes, Kilz can help, but it will not work if the urine isn't cleaned first. Kilz is a primer designed to seal in stains and trap odors, but it only works when applied over a properly prepared surface.
Zinsser odor killing primer quart is a low odor, water-based primer that kills existing odors on interior surfaces. It applies white and Dries fast to a clear, low sheen finish that permanently seals in odors.
Removing the dried urine spot
We recommend using a portable carpet cleaner with pet odor-removing ingredients such as Oxy or enzymatic spray formula, both of which can get rid of odors that go deep into the backing of the carpet.
The strongest urine odor removers use bio-enzymatic or molecular-destroying formulas that break down uric acid crystals, the root cause of the smell. These specialized products permanently eliminate, rather than mask, the odor.
Vinegar's acidic nature neutralizes the ammonia found in urine, while baking soda serves as a natural deodorizer, neutralizing lingering odors and absorbing moisture. Adding a few drops of pet-safe essential oils can enhance the cleaning power and leave a pleasant scent.
As with any pet stain removal, absorb excess urine with a towel and remove as much fecal matter as possible from the area before applying cleaning solution. Fully mix one-part hydrogen peroxide and one-part Dawn dish soap in a spray bottle. Spray the affected area with the mixture.