Parents know that potty training is a hit-or-miss affair—literally and figuratively.
Even if you do have the Kohler Transitions potty training seat (we do, awesome) sometimes your lass or laddie will hit the toilet while others will miss it completely, notably when they ‘go’ on the living room carpet.
And now you’ve not only got a mess but you’ve got a mess that can smell. Good news: Clean-up is easy and inexpensive.
For fresh urine stains:
If you catch your toddler in the act, grab some baking soda and pour it all over the effected area. The baking soda will absorb the liquid urine and along with it most of the odor. Let it dry and scrape it away. Our always-handy 5-in-1 tool is a great scraper for this. Next, douse the area with club soda. Let it dry again. If there are any lingering odors, repeat the process.
If that doesn’t get it all…
For older or stubborn urine stains:
If a potty miss (or leaky diaper) gets away from you at first and you find it later and Step 1 doesn’t do the trick, mix a 50-50 solution of white vinegar and water. Soak the area. You need to put on enough so the liquid can work its way down into the carpet fibers and pad. Next, use a brush and work the solution down into the carpet fibers. Finally, blot—don’t scrub, blot—the area with paper towels to dry it. Or, get the wet-dry vac. That’ll suck the moisture and other debris out of the carpet.
If that doesn’t fix the problem…
For really stubborn urine stains:
After the area has dried, pour more baking soda on the effected area. Then mix 1/2 cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide with a teaspoon of dish soap (Dawn, Palmolive, etc.—not dishwasher detergent. We recommend white or light-colored, as we don’t like to take a chance with any dyes.)
Pour the solution over the baking soda on the spot and then work it in with a scrub brush or your fingers. Let it dry (again) then vacuum up the baking soda, using a brush or your 5-in-1 to scrape up the baking soda as needed.
These tricks can also work on pet accidents as well, but may not always because some pets’ urine may be different.
One trick that works on any mess-prone areas: carpet tiles. Theresa raves about them, as they are stylish and perfect for easy replacement in a busy home full of kids, pets, and carpenters.
A word of caution: As every carpet cleaner we have ever used says: try the mixture on an inconspicuous area of your carpet to make sure it won’t damage the carpet. Finally, really set-in stains and odors may require professional cleaning.
