Wool is a popular material for rugs because it is water- and dirt-repellent, but one thing that it can’t stand up to is the smell of pet urine. If you have a dog or a cat that has accidents on your wool rug, you may be wondering if you have to throw out your rug altogether to get rid of that smell. The good news is that there is a way to get rid of the smell of urine from a wool rug – and it just takes a little bit of patience.
Get to the Accident Quickly
The best thing that you can do to get rid of urine smell from a wool rug is to get to the accident when it happens. Using paper towels, blot the accident up – never wipe! That will just spread the urine around into more of the rug. If the accident is spreading, blot from the outside towards the middle of the puddle to avoid pushing it out even further.
Water and Vinegar
A mixture of cool water with about a tablespoon of distilled white vinegar per cup can help get out the smell right away. Dampen the area with this solution, and blot in the same manner. Keep doing this until you’ve absorbed up all of the liquid and all of the water and vinegar solution. Then skip down to the “Give It Some Air” directions.
Odor-Neutralizing Solution
What if you didn’t quite manage to get the mess cleaned up when it happened, you may need a stronger odor remover. In that case, you can use this mixture: One quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide, one teaspoon of liquid soap, and a quarter cup of baking soda. Be sure that you test your rug on a very small patch somewhere it won’t be noticed before you use this on the stain – it could cause the colors to fade in certain materials. If you let the test area sit for several minutes and it looks fine, then you can proceed with the same blotting technique as above. Be sure to rinse the rug with clear water after you’ve used this solution to clean the urine spot.
Give It Some Air
The last step to get rid of urine smell in a wool rug is to lift the rug so that air gets to the underside as well as the top. Let the rug dry this way. If you need to use a fan or a hair dryer, you can, but simply allowing the rug to get air circulation will be the best way to get rid of any lingering smell. Once the rug is totally try, you’ll want to brush it with a soft brush to restore the nap.
