You may have just gotten a cute little puppy, or you may already have an adorable furry companion at home. You also happen to have a lovely home with hardwood floors. We understand that you love both your pup and your floors and we are here to help you find the best urine cleaning solution for your home.
Owning a dog means that we have fully accepted the fact that bathroom accidents will sometimes happen inside our homes. It is inevitable when it comes to owning and training a puppy. It is also a common issue that arises when your pup becomes a senior dog and starts to lose bladder control.
Dog Urine and Hardwood Floors
Dog urine can stain and sink into hardwood floors. The urine, if left for long periods of time before being found, can leave a permanent stain and odor. Even if the urine is found quickly, it is crucial that you promptly clean your hardwood floor with an efficient product that is also gentle to your beautiful and expensive hardwood floors.
Your puppy is basically an adorable baby with fur. Both human babies and furry, young pups need to be potty trained. It takes some time for a pup to learn to bark to go outside or to use a pee pad. When it comes to puppies, potty training varies for each individual dog, but it is approximately a 4 to 6-month training phase.
Reasons why dogs both young and old may urinate in the house:
- Bladder stones
- Senior dog incontinence
- Caudal back (lower back) and arthritic issues that cause a weakened pudendal nerve
- A urethral blockage
- Diabetes
- Diseases or health conditions regarding the kidneys, liver, and adrenal glands.
- Any central nervous system damage that causes miscommunication to your dog’s bladder
When your adult pup starts to become older in age (10/11 years and older), you may notice that sometimes he or she urinates in the house completely or lets out a small dribble of urine. Your pup is not doing this on purpose and some dogs may have accidents in the house and then feel ashamed. Please do not punish your dog, because this behavior may be occurring due to a weakened pelvic floor or doggy dementia/senility.
Some pups also dribble tiny urine around the house from excitement. This usually happens when you and other loved ones and guests come over. There is nothing wrong with your pup. They simply just need time and maybe minor behavioral training to overcome this.
Why You Need A Quality Floor Cleaner for Dog Urine
We understand that you may be tempted to use a general cleaner to spot clean urine accidents on your floor. You may be thinking that this is just another thing that you have to waste your time and money on. However, it is crucial that your floors are cleaned appropriately in order for them to remain nice in appearance and clean smelling.
It is also important that you purchase hardwood floor cleaners that are not only efficient but also safe for your pup to be around. Some cleaners have an ingredient or two that can be harmful to dogs to lick or be around.
The Best Ingredients for Cleaning Hardwood Floors
Some of the most common and safer urine cleanser products contain vinegar, water, baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. Vinegar is used in many different dog cleaning products because white vinegar is known to be a neutralizer.
Avoid products that contain harsh chemicals like bleach and Clorox. Harsh products are not safe for your pup and it is not safe for your wooden floors either since harsh products can streak some of the natural appearance and color in the wood.
Best Cleaner for Dog Urine on Hardwood Floors
Our recommendations for the top five urine cleaners and odor removers:
- Nature’s Miracle dual action hard floor stain and odor removal
- Rocco & Roxie Professional Strength Stain & Odor Eliminator
- Simple Solution Extreme Pet Stain and Odor Remover
- Severe urine neutralizer
- Nature’s Miracle Urine Destroyer
The products listed above have been chosen because they contain ingredients that are friendlier for your pup, and they get the cleaning job done well.
We do understand that the safest option is the natural homemade cleaning products. Homemade urine cleaner products are also often more affordable. There are also some natural do it yourself (DIY) options.
Hardwood Floor DIY Cleaning Products and Techniques
Here are some DIY options for your floors depending on the finish of your hardwood.
For finished wooden floors:
- Combine 1 cup of distilled white vinegar with 1 gallon of hot water and stir the two ingredients.
- Then soak a cloth into the solution and rub the urine spot in a circular pattern.
For unfinished wooden floors:
- Pour hydrogen peroxide onto the urine stain only.
- Then, submerge the washcloth in the hydrogen peroxide and lay the cloth on top of the urine spot.
- Place a piece of plastic wrap over the cloth and allow it to all sit on top of the urine spot for 24 hours.
For Wooden floors in general:
- Mix lemon juice and a few spoonfuls of salt into a bow.
- After the lemon juice and the salt are mixed, soak a cloth into the mixture and scrub the spot.
We want to just reiterate that there are some effective and efficient dog urine cleaners available for purchase, but that does not always mean they are safe to use around your pup.
Always read the ingredients of any cleaning product that you buy, and also remember to keep your pup away from the stain while cleaning it as well as while waiting for the spot to dry.
Also, remember that there are some fully DIY dog urine cleaners you can make yourself if you have more time than money.
Your patience and love are always key when potty training your pup.
Check out our article on How to Eliminate Dog Odor In and Around Your House if you need some more help cleaning up your pup’s smell.
P.S. Help a friend find the best cleaner for dog urine on hardwood floors by pinning this!
