How to Clean Pee Off a Mattress
Finding pee on your mattress is never a pleasant surprise - but cleaning it off does not have to be a stressful experience. With the right approach and a few simple household items, you can clean pee off a mattress completely and have it smelling fresh again in no time.
This guide covers exactly what to do, whether the accident just happened or the stain has been sitting for a while.
What You Will Need
- Clean white towels or paper towels
- Spray bottle
- Cold water
- Distilled white vinegar
- Baking soda
- Liquid laundry detergent or dish soap
- Vacuum cleaner with upholstery attachment
How to Clean Fresh Pee Off a Mattress
Step 1: Remove All Bedding Immediately
Strip all sheets, pillowcases, and covers off the bed straight away. Put them in the washing machine on a cold water cycle. Adding half a cup of white vinegar to the wash will help remove any urine smell from the fabric.
Step 2: Blot the Stain - Do Not Rub
Place clean towels over the wet area and press down firmly to absorb as much urine as possible. Always blot - never rub. Rubbing spreads the stain wider and pushes the urine deeper into the mattress layers, making it much harder to remove.
Step 3: Spray With Cleaning Solution
In a spray bottle combine one cup of cold water, one cup of distilled white vinegar, and one tablespoon of liquid laundry detergent. Shake well and spray the solution generously over the entire affected area. Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes to break down the urine.
Step 4: Blot Again
After the solution has had time to work, blot the area again with fresh dry towels. Keep pressing and blotting until the mattress feels as dry as possible.
Step 5: Apply Baking Soda
Sprinkle a generous layer of baking soda over the cleaned area. Baking soda pulls out any remaining moisture and neutralizes odor at the same time. Leave it on for a minimum of 8 hours. Overnight is ideal for best results.
Step 6: Vacuum and Inspect
Once the baking soda has fully dried, vacuum it up completely. Inspect the area for any remaining stain or smell. If either persists, repeat the process from Step 3 until the mattress is completely clean.
How to Clean Dried Pee Off a Mattress
If the pee has already dried before you found it, the cleaning process takes a little more effort but is still very manageable. Start by lightly misting the dried stain with cold water to re-hydrate it slightly. Then follow the same steps above, but let the cleaning solution sit for 20 minutes instead of 10 to give it more time to penetrate the dried urine crystals.
For stubborn dried stains, you may need to switch to a hydrogen peroxide solution. For a full guide on this method, visit our article on how to get dried pee out of a mattress.
Still Smelling Pee After Cleaning?
If you have cleaned the visible stain but the smell is still lingering, the odor has likely soaked deeper into the mattress fibers than the cleaning solution reached. This is very common. Read our dedicated guide on how to get pee smell out of a mattress for targeted odor removal methods including enzyme cleaners and baking soda paste.
Cleaning Pee Off Different Mattress Types
Most mattress types respond well to the method above. However, memory foam mattresses need extra care - you should use less liquid and ensure thorough drying to avoid damaging the foam. Read our full guide on how to get urine out of a memory foam mattress for specific instructions.
Dealing With Pet Pee?
If a cat or dog is responsible for the accident, standard vinegar and baking soda may not be enough. Pet urine is more concentrated and contains compounds that require enzyme cleaners to fully break down. See our guides on how to get cat pee out of a mattress and how to get dog pee out of a mattress for the right approach.
Prevent It From Happening Again
Once your mattress is clean and dry, protect it going forward with a waterproof mattress protector. It sits between your mattress and your sheets and stops any liquid from ever reaching the mattress surface again - making future accidents a five-minute cleanup instead of a multi-step project.
For everything you need to know about mattress urine cleaning in one place, visit our complete guide: How to Get Urine Out of a Mattress: The Complete Guide.