I have a confession to make. I had my sister’s daughters come to join my son over for the day and they three wet their pants. It wasn’t an accident, they were just being little jerks and did it on purpose.
We all know that urine is very difficult to remove from fabric especially if it’s been there long enough to soak through into the cushioning material. So what can you do? First of all, don’t panic!
There are many solutions out there for this problem and we’re going to go through them one by one so you can get back your beautiful faux leather couch.
How To Remove Fresh Urine From Faux Leather Couch
This is something you need to do immediately when you find the urine on your faux leather couch. Meaning you would want to clean the urine while it is still fresh and hasn’t had a chance to soak through and into the cushioning. The best way to do this is by;
Using Paper Towels, Piece Of Dry Cloth, Or An Old Towel
- First, blot up as much of the liquid with a dry cloth or paper towels.
- You can also use a damp microfiber cloth to clean the urine off of your couch. Just make sure to not saturate it and cause water damage on your faux leather couch instead.
- Remember, don’t use a wet cloth as this will only make it worse. Make sure the cloth is damp and not wet.
- Don’t rub against the material as you want to be sure not to spread the urine further into the cushioning or onto other areas of your faux leather couch.
- Simply dab, pat, or blot the affected area to try and soak up or absorb as much of the liquid as possible.
- You may need to repeat this process several times in order for you not to spread the urine further into the couch.
How To Clean Urine Stains From Faux Leather Couch
From the above, if your faux, fake, or synthetic leather couch had fresh urine stains, you now know how to remove as much of the urine itself using the blotting method.
Now, in some cases, you will find that the urine might have been on the faux leather for some time and has dried on the surface of the faux leather couch. In such a case, you’ll need to use one of several methods that will help to remove the urine stain in order to get your faux leather couch clean.
We’ll go through some of these methods below:
1. Using The Mild Dish Soap Method
This is a great method that will work for any kind of faux leather including faux suede. This method is awesome because it does not require any fancy products.
All you’ll need is some mild dish soap (which you already have in your kitchen) and some water in order to get your faux leather couch clean again.
Another great thing about using mild dish soap is that not only does it remove the urine stains but it can also remove the urine smell from the faux leather couch. Here’s how you go about it;
Things Needed:
- Mild Dish Soap
- Microfiber Cloth
- Microfiber Cloth
Procedure:
Step 1:
- First, mix the mild dish soap with water in a bowl.
- The water should be lukewarm.
- I recommend using 4-5 drops of dish soap and making sure it is enough to make a great volume of suds.
Step 2:
- Swish the mixture and bring it to lather. Make sure the dish soap is mixed into the water properly as well.
Step 3:
- Apply the resulting foam from the mild dish soap mixture to the parts of the faux leather couch where the urine stains are.
- Allow the mild dish soap foam to sit on the surface of the faux leather couch for a few seconds.
Step 4:
- Soak your non-abrasive sponge into the solution, wring it out and then begin to scrub the urine stains.
- Rinse the sponge in the mild dish soap solution from time to time and continue scrubbing the urine stains.
- Scrub in a circular motion and make sure not to scrub too hard as you don’t want any damage done to the couch.
- Also, don’t go overboard with applying too much pressure when scrubbing either as this will only damage your faux leather couch even more.
- You will want to continue scrubbing until all the stains are removed from your couch.
Step 5:
- Once this is done, you can now remove the mild dish soap foam from your faux leather couch by using a damp clean microfiber cloth to wipe off the soap residue.
- Rinse the cloth and continue to wipe the surface of your faux leather couch until it is completely clean and free from foam.
Step 6:
- Finally, use a clean dry cloth to dry the sure of the faux leather couch.
2. Using The Hydrogen Peroxide Method
This is another great method that you can use to clean faux leather couches. It works the same way as the mild dish soap method.
The best part is this method is very quicky and unlike the dish soap method, you will not make a lot of mess with soap lather everywhere.
Here’s how you go about it;
Things Needed:
- Commercial-Grade Hydrogen Peroxide (You can get this from your local pharmacy)
- White Cotton Cloth (Microfiber will also work for this purpose, but make sure it’s white in color)
Procedure:
Step 1:
- Pour hydrogen peroxide onto the white cotton cloth.
- You will need to ensure that you use a clean cotton cloth in order for this method to work properly.
Step 2:
- Soak the hydrogen peroxide solution into your cotton cloth. Make sure that as much of the liquid as possible gets soaked up by the cloth.
Step 3:
- Wring out the excess hydrogen peroxide so that it does not drip.
- You will then use this cloth to clean off the stains on your faux leather couch.
- Continue to wipe the leather surface until all the stains are removed.
Step 4:
- After this, you can immediately wipe off the remaining hydrogen peroxide from your faux leather couch with a damp clean microfiber cloth.
- Make sure to wipe the faux leather couch surface as thoroughly as possible with clean water.
- Rinse the cloth between each wipe and wring it out as much as you can.
- You want to do this immediately because hydrogen peroxide can damage your couch if it is left to dry on the surface of your faux leather couches for too long.
Step 5:
- Finally, use a dry cotton cloth to wipe the surface of your faux leather couch until it’s completely dry.
3. Using Vinegar Method
One of my go-to approaches to combating smells on my faux leather or real leather items including couches, shoes, jackets, or bags is using a little bit of vinegar.
Using a small spray bottle filled with white vinegar, I would spritz my couch or whatever item that needs to be freshened up and leave it for a while to let the vinegar work its magic.
If you’re not too keen on using white vinegar, you can swap this for apple cider vinegar. Just be sure to dilute it with water so that you don’t damage your faux leather couch or any other surface where you plan to use this.
I like using vinegar because it doesn’t leave any unpleasant chemical smell and I know for a fact that it’s a safe fabric cleaner.
Here is how you can use vinegar to remove urine stains and odor from your faux leather couch.
Things Needed:
- White Vinegar
- Spray bottle
- Water
- Microfiber Cloth
Procedure:
Step 1:
- Mix 1 cup vinegar to 2 cups of cold water in a spray bottle.
- Make sure that you use cold water when doing this in order to help the vinegar solution maintain its effectiveness.
Step 2:
- Spray and mist your faux leather couch using the vinegar solution.
- If you’re working with a particularly smelly faux leather sofa, then you might need to spritz some of the solution on the affected area.
- Now leave the vinegar solution on the urine-stained area for about 5-10 minutes.
Step 3:
- Using a clean damp microfiber cloth, wipe down your faux leather couch until no more vinegar solution is visible.
- Be sure to rinse your cloth every time you use it in order to get rid of any residue that might cause damage on the faux leather couch.
- Do not use anything other than microfiber cloth to wipe down your faux leather surfaces in order for this method to work properly.
Step 4:
- Use a clean dry cloth to wipe off the remaining moisture from your faux leather couch.
- Make sure to wipe down every surface of the couch until it is completely dry.
- After that, leave the faux leather couch to air-dry.
4. Using Baking Soda
This is by far the best method to use when you have an older urine stain that has been on the surface of the faux leather couch resulting in the couch surface being sticky.
Also, using the baking soda method will also help to neutralize a lot of the urine smell from older urine stains.
However, it is important to state that, this method requires a lot of time. So if you’ve got a little bit of time on your hands, grab some baking soda, and let’s get to work.
Things Needed:
- Baking Soda (as mentioned above, this is the only material you need for this method).
Step 1:
- First, remove all the cushions from your faux leather couch.
Step 2:
- Scrunch up a handful of baking soda and apply it directly into the urine stains on your couch.
- Don’t be scared to put a lot of pressure on the baking soda as you are trying to make sure that it gets deep into the stain.
Step 3:
- After you have applied the baking soda to your faux leather couch, leave it for a while so that the baking soda can do its thing.
- You can leave the baking soda on overnight.
Step 4:
- Use a wet washcloth to wipe off the baking soda from your faux leather couch.
- After you have wiped away the baking soda, use another cloth to dry off the surface of your faux leather couch.
Step 5:
- After you have done this, there should be no visible signs of urine on your faux leather couch.
- Repeat the steps if necessary.
How To Remove Urine Smell From Faux Leather Couch
Although all the methods listed above will thoroughly help to remove all of the urine stains from your faux leather couch, it is still possible that there could be some lingering odors of the urine in your furniture. But don’t give up yet.
I’m going to show you some easy home remedies you can use to eliminate the smells once and for all. To get rid of this remaining urine smell, you can use the methods below; Let’s get into it.
Hydrogen Peroxide And Baking Soda
One of the best all-natural solutions to removing urine smell from the faux leather couch is the combination of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda.
This method is best used for removing the urine smell after you have already cleaned up any visible stains as I have shown you how to do earlier in this post.
The reason why this works is that hydrogen peroxide is a bleaching agent, and baking soda has an alkaline pH factor.
The combination of these two substances will work to break down all of the remaining particles that are causing the bad odor.
Things Needed:
- Hydrogen Peroxide
- Baking Soda
Procedure:
Step 1:
- Put 1/4 cup baking soda, 1-quart hydrogen peroxide, and 1/2 tablespoon liquid soap and mix together in a bowl.
- Mixing it in the spray bottle can cause the bottle to overflow or explode. So do so in the bowl.
Step 2:
- Load it up into a spray bottle and make sure it is tightly sealed.
Step 3:
- Spray the mixture onto your faux leather couch, and leave it on for about a minute or two.
Step 4:
- Use a soft microfiber cloth to wipe the surface of the couch to clean it off.
- Repeat the steps if necessary.
Important Tips When Cleaning Urine From Faux Leather Couch
- Always test out the solution on an inconspicuous part of your faux leather couch first.
- For example, the back and under the faux leather couch are perfect spots to try the mixture you intend to use. Just make sure these areas have the same faux leather materials as the parts with the urine stains and smell.
- Try your best to clean urine stains immediately.
- If you do not get to the urine stains and smell on your faux leather couch immediately after it happens, then there is a good chance the stains and smells will get deeper into the faux leather couch.
- If you have small children, then it may be best to purchase a slipcover that you can easily slip on and off your couch. This way, it’ll be easier to clean up the urine stains.
- If you plan on using an enzymatic cleaner in your faux leather couch, make sure to read the instructions on how long you should leave it. You want to give it enough time for the enzymes in the cleaner to neutralize the urine stains and smell.