Big thanks to KIDS ‘N’ PETS for sponsoring today’s post and teaching us a thing or two about removing pee smells and stains from mattresses and carpet.Â
Before parenthood, the idea of pee anywhere was totally disgusting. It evoked public bathrooms behind gas stations. You know, the kind that smell strongly enough to make you gag.
About a day after you have a baby, pee takes on a whole different meaning.
It’s what success looks like.
How many of you tallied newborn diapers as if your life depended on it? A month in, pee on your lap? No biggie. Pee on the bathroom floor? Wipe it up.
But as our kids get more mobile, it’s harder to control where accidents happen. And kids are not the only ones having them.
Does she look guilty?
I try not to be too precious about my furniture, but when you know your cat has just exited the litter box and then jumps up to sit on a chair, it can gross you out. Better now than when she was a kitten, of course. Because yeah, a litter box is to a kitten as using a napkin is to a 7-year old boy: a life goal.
Between kids and pets, our houses are in constant need of wiping and stain-fighting. This is really not my strength, but I’m learning as I go.
KIDS ”˜N’ PETS sent me some products to test and sponsored this post. Here’s what I’ve learned about cleaning up pee from working with the KIDS ‘N’ PETS folks.
How to clean a mattress after a bed-wetting
To save a peed-on mattress, douse it immediately with an odor- and stain-fighting solution to stop that wet spot and smell from setting in. Saturate the mattress with a half to a full bottle of an enzymatic cleaner (like KIDS ”˜N’ PETS Instant All-Purpose Stain & Odor Remover). At this point, you can flip it over so your child can sleep on the dry side (in the morning, remember to flip the mattresses back again again to finish the clean-up job. Don’t worry, the stain and odor remover evaporates as it works, so it won’t lead to mold or mildew.) This technique is especially helpful for middle-of-the-night accidents when you want to get children back into their own bed.
Pro tip: To minimize the odds of mattress destruction, consider a waterproof mattress protector. We have both kids beds covered with them.
When you’re really in the thick of potty training, especially if you have closely spaced children and will be in this phase for a while, consider washable slipcovers for your furniture and a piddle pad for protecting your child’s seat in the car. Just in case.
Oakland mama of three, Mary McQueen, shared her natural-based odor-fighting instructions with me, “Baking soda, water, couple drops detergent, couple drops essential oil (lavender). Put in a spray bottle and spray on area. Let dry. Cross fingers.”
How to help wood floors survive potty training
Wood floors are highly absorbent so your best bet to fighting urine stains is to clean them up right away. Choose a mild, water-based product like KIDS ”˜N’ PETS Instant All-Purpose Stain & Odor Remover in order to avoid ruining the finish on your hardwood. Saturate the spot and let it sit for about a half hour, then wipe away the excess product with a clean rag. Be sure not to over saturate; this can cause the wood to warp and expand.
Laundry tips for potty training
Clothes are likely to be the first victims of accidents and thankfully, they are not as permanently installed in our homes as couches. Separate clothes as usual (or don’t if you’re like me!); pretreat any peed-on clothes with an enzymatic stain remover. The enzymes will break down organic stains formed by urine, helping to completely remove them. Blot away as much of the stain as you can, saturate the fabric and let it sit for 5 minutes. After that, wash as normal.
Thankfully I did not have a chance to put it to the test on a cat pee situation. I did test the wipes on a hidden part of my upholstered chairs to make sure they were safe to use, and then wiped ferociously at a mysterious splatter (kid? pet? who is to blame?) which worked out well.
Tools of the trade
Mamas who are potty-training or caring for an aging animal, consider KIDS ‘N’ PETS an all-purpose, all-occasion, all-mess solution. (Found at grocery stores, big box retailers and drug stores nationwide. And here’s a BOGO coupon for you.)
What you’re looking for to ready your household for chemical-free pee fighting episodes is something with enzymes that breaks odors down.
Cat-lovers tell me a black light for detecting pet urine is another must-have. Boy moms can’t decide if that would improve their relationship with their sons– or make it worse.
I’m a sucker for wipes, so I am happy to have these on hand. For those seriously in the midst of a potty training situation, note that KIDS ‘N’ PETS makes an odor- and stain- removing carpet cleaner.
This stuff is all non-toxic and can be used on any surface that you can wipe with water.
On Facebook, so many of you had words of wisdom on cleaning up pee. (Thank you!) Did your pre-parent self know this would be such an issue?
Thanks to KIDS ‘N’ PETSÂ for sponsoring this post.
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