How to Get Pee Smell out of a Leather Couch: 5 Practical Options

Have you ever been unfortunate enough to have your leather couch smelling like pee? There are a few things worse than the lingering stink of pee. Nobody likes the smell of urine, whether it’s on a leather couch or the floor. Luckily, getting the pee smell out of a leather couch is possible although challenging.

If you ever have an accident in your house, some practical options can help. In this article, we’ll discuss several practical solutions to get rid of the cat pee out of a leather couch.

Before You Start

If you’re trying to get the pee smell out of a leather couch, first you must point out the spot emitting that smell.

If it turns out that your dog urinated on your carpet instead of on your couch, then you’ll want to look for a different solution. You don’t want to spend all that time and energy cleaning your leather couch only to discover that the smell still lingers.

Once you’ve confirmed that the pee smell is coming from your leather couch, it’s time to move ahead with the cleaning process.

Point to Note:

Once you try one method and it doesn’t work, don’t try another method immediately. If the first method didn’t work, it’s likely that the second one won’t, either. Give your leather couch a few days before trying something else.

The 5 Practical Options for Getting Pee Smell out of a Leather Couch

1. Baking Soda and Vinegar

Baking soda and vinegar are classic ingredients for cleaning all kinds of household stains. In fact, baking soda is one of those household items that you can use for almost anything. Getting the pee smell out of a leather couch is no exception.

It will neutralize any leftover bacteria in the fabric. Combine it with vinegar for an extra punch against stubborn pee stains!

What Do You Need?

• Vinegar
• Baking Soda
• Cloth

Steps to Follow

1. Remove all the cushions from the couch.
2. Sprinkle baking soda generously over the entire surface of your leather couch.
3. Pour vinegar onto a clean cloth. Then, use it to scrub the baking soda into the leather.
4. When you have scrubbed the entire furniture with the vinegar-soaked cloth, allow it to sit for at least an hour.
5. Wipe off any remaining residue with a damp cloth.
6. Allow the couch to air dry completely before using it again.

2. Hydrogen Peroxide and Baking Soda

Hydrogen peroxide and baking soda are the most commonly used substances to clean surfaces. But, you can use this combination to clean stinky pee out of leather couches as well. Baking soda will neutralize the smell while hydrogen peroxide lifts stains from the leather couch.

Hydrogen peroxide is often found as a cleaning solution in public restrooms. It’s because it can remove odors and kill bacteria that cause bad smells. If the hydrogen peroxide alone doesn’t get rid of the smell, you can always enhance it by adding baking soda to it!

What Do You Need?

• Hydrogen peroxide
• Baking soda
• Soft brush
• Cloth
• Clean towel

Steps to Follow

1. Remove all the cushions from the couch.
2. Put on rubber gloves and mix one cup of baking soda with two tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide in a bowl until it forms a thick paste.
3. Spread this paste over all areas of your leather furniture that smell like urine (especially where your pet commonly urinates).
4. Use a soft brush or cloth to work it into the leather.
5. Allow it to sit for 20 minutes (or overnight for more stubborn stains).
6. Wipe it off with a clean, damp cloth, and then dry with another clean towel.

3. Using an Enzymatic Cleaner

Enzymatic cleaners contain special enzymes that dissolve the protein in the urine. It’ll not only help you get rid of pee odor but also make your leather look glossy and new.

They work through a series of chemical reactions. It includes oxidation and hydrolysis (the breaking down of proteins). It removes the odor-causing ingredients in the urine.

What Do You Need?

• Enzymatic cleaner
• Damp cotton cloth
• Rag
• Paper towel
• Vacuum cleaner

Steps to Follow

1. Apply the enzymatic cleaner generously over the affected area.
2. Let it sit for about half an hour to work on the stain and odor.
3. Using a wet cotton cloth, wipe away the cleaner along with the stain.
4. Blot off any excess moisture with a paper towel or rag.
5. Clean the entire surface of your couch with this process.
6. Vacuum the entire sofa when you are done cleaning it to remove any residual cleaning material, odor, or dust particles.

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4. Apple Cider Vinegar and Baking Soda

Apple cider vinegar is a powerful cleaning tool. If you prefer not to use household cleaners or vinegar, you can use apple cider vinegar and baking soda instead. It’s excellent for removing stains and odors from carpets, laundry, leather furniture, and a wide range of surfaces.

What Do You Need?

• Baking soda
• Apple cider vinegar
• Spray bottle
• Vacuum cleaner

Steps to Follow

1. Pour your apple cider vinegar into a spray bottle and spray it on your couch until the spot is saturated.
2. Then, sprinkle your baking soda onto the wet spot. Make sure that every part of the pee spot is covered with baking soda and apple cider vinegar.
3. Let this mixture dry overnight.
4. Vacuum up the dried mixture in the morning, and the smell should be gone!

5. Use Rubbing Alcohol

If you don’t have any commercial cleaners available, try rubbing alcohol. It will get rid of the horrible pee smell on a leather couch by killing the bacteria that cause the smell.

You can find it at most grocery stores.

What Do You Need?

• Rubbing alcohol
• Clean rag
• Non-acetone nail polish remover
• Cloth

Steps to Follow

1. Mix equal amounts of rubbing alcohol and non-acetone nail polish remover in a bowl.
2. Dip your cloth into the solution
3. Rub it over the affected area to neutralize the urine odor.
4. Allow it to dry naturally for about an hour before using your leather couch.

Point to Note: First, test a small area with rubbing alcohol and let it air dry. If the rubbing alcohol removes color from your couch, don’t use it.

Avoid rubbing alcohol if your leather couch has any finish on it. It’s because rubbing alcohol can remove finishes.

Effects of Urine on your Leather Couch

Urine contains many different chemicals such as urea, creatinine, ammonia, and uric acid. They cause stains and make them smelly. Ammonia (a highly alkaline substance) reacts with the acids in urine to create crystals that become more concentrated as urine dries.

The more concentrated the urine is, the worse the smell. If you leave pee on your carpet or furniture for long, it will dry out. But, the odor and stains may not disappear completely.

The longer urine remains on your couch, the greater the likelihood of permanent discoloration. The acidity of urine bleaches colors on fabrics and carpets. It can leave yellowish or brownish spots where it has been sitting for some time. Over time, those spots will darken again as the acid in the urine begins to eat away at the leather couch.

Urine left untreated can cause permanent damage and your leather couch may need to be replaced.

How do you prevent your pet from peeing on your leather couch?

Pets are like family even when they do things we can’t stand. The first thing you need to understand is that pets pee in the house for a reason.

For cats and dogs, it’s because they’ve not been trained to do it since a young age, or maybe they’re showing dominance. Here’s how to prevent your pet from peeing on your leather couch:

Call for Professional Help

Have you tried to remove stains with these methods, and the pee stain and odor remain? If you find that the pee smell is lingering even after cleaning and conditioning your couch with these methods, call in professional help preferably from a upholstery cleaner. They specialize in cleaning leather furniture.

They can recommend the best cleaning method for getting rid of the pee smell from your leather couch.

Conclusion

Pet owners have to deal with a lot of smells, including the not-so-pleasant pee odor. If your pet has urinated on leather furniture, you have to act fast to remove the stain and the smell.

Remember, a leather couch can be an excellent investment for your living room. But like any other furniture, it can be a pain to clean. Pee smell is challenging because leather is porous, and urine has an offensive odor. Luckily, several options can help you get the pee smell out of your leather couch as seen in the article.

Featured Image Credit: Sarah Fields Photography, Shutterstock