Help! Pee on the couch!

[macksmom]

I am SO mad at myself because I totally knew this was going to happen and I should have done something to prevent it! DD2 said she had to pee but refused to go turn the light on herself - something which she has done a gazillion times by herself now. I had a sleeping baby on my and refused to help her do something she and I both knew she could do. She said forget it then and laid on the couch where she fell asleep...which would normally be awesome but I was worried that maybe she would end up peeing during her nap.....

I was right!

So now the couch is soaked. With pee.

I ran and got a towel and kind of pushed it against the fabric to try to soak it up. Then I used a wet towel on it. Now I have a dry towel kind of pushed into it to try to soak it up.

What else should I do??

[MommyShannon]

For beds I use a soapy wet towel (dawn or whatever), scrub well, press hard to dry as much as possible then spray with vinegar. I think it'd work for the couch too. Do you have a carpet cleaner with a hose? That'd work too.

[macksmom]

For beds I use a soapy wet towel (dawn or whatever), scrub well, press hard to dry as much as possible then spray with vinegar. I think it'd work for the couch too. Do you have a carpet cleaner with a hose? That'd work too.

No carpet cleaner...I wish!

Will the couch reek of vinegar?

[jazzmom]

Ugh, sorry! I have worried about this too!

I was going to suggest vinegar, too. If you dilute the vinegar with water the odor shouldn't be too bad. We have a small cleaner, it's a Bissell green machine, that would be useful for something like this. Could you see if someone has one you could borrow, or even call a local rental place to see if they have something like it?

Good luck!

[i.<3.cheesysmiles]

DS's diaper leaked and we had a small leak. We did the same...warm soapy water and vinegar. Vinegar may smell for a little, but the smell will disappear.

[macksmom]

I am VERY limited because of DD3....and I have to pick up DD1 from school in about 10 mins. Oy.

I am SO MAD I didn't just put a towel under her!!!!!

I doused it with soapy water and have some towels soaking it up right now. I am alone with a needy baby and soon to be 2 kids after I pick DD1 up so there isn't much I can do.

Should I try to dry it with a hair dryer or something? Or does it make a difference at this point?

[MommyShannon]

No, just air dry or a fan. I wouldn't use anything with heat. Vinegar is magic for removing odors. I keep spray bottles of it undiluted. It smell when you spray it but not once it dries. If you don't have a spray bottle I'd dilute it and rub on with a towel. I've been using it a lot on carpet lately

[macksmom]

I use vinegar all the time but I am nervous it will hold the smell on fabric....I guess it's better than the alternative smell!!!

[tanyachap]

the alternative smell is brutal once it stays for a while. i am personally a big fan of baking soda on fabrics - it has removed the puke smell from everything and puke IMO is worse than pee. LOL. (10 years ago, I could not guess in a million years I would be discussing that in a public forum.) I personally smell vinegar for a long time (days on end) but soda removes the odors if left for long enough (overnight or several hours).

[Scarlett]

I was going to suggest a carpet cleaner with a hose too, I had to do this the other day because DD fell asleep on the couch with a CD on that daddy did not stuff well at all....

But when I did not have a carpet cleaner I removed the cover if possible and washed by hand thoroughly and hung up outside to dry. Then I took the coushin and actually put it in the bath tub so I could soak the area as much as possible using soap, water, baking soda and squish out the water as much as possible (stomping it is great therapy!!) then set it outside to air dry.

[macksmom]

Oh it's not the type of couch I could take the cushions off...they are all connected which is a major bummer.

I am wondering if I should wait until it's dry and sprinkle a bunch of baking soda on, let it sit and then vacuum it off the couch?

If I were to do a carpet cleaner thing would it matter that it has already dried? Because there is no way I can do that now but I was considering renting the Rug Doctor for my rugs anyway.....

[tanyachap]

I dont wait till it is dry to put soda on. This way some of it soaks a little in. I vacuum it out after it stays for some time.

ETA: i put it on when it is damp but not soaked wet.

[Consensus]

Was going to suggest keep diluting it with water and suck up with a shop vac. Worked wonders when I knocked over an entire gallon of paint on my carpet. If you can don't let it dry, keep wetting it and sucking up the diluted liquid.
Good luck!

[LanceBabe]

After all the cleaning, spray it with Febreeze.

[Bridget]

I was going to suggest vinegar scrub too. Then sprinkle the baking soda on while it's still damp, let it dry and then vacuum.

[pepperlru]

Yep, what Bridget said. Spray with vinegar, then put baking soda on while it's still damp (I use quite a bit). Let it dry, vacuum up the soda. Sometimes you have to repeat the process more than once to get the smell totally out. I had to do it about three times once when dd peed on our new mattress. It can be a long process waiting for the soda to dry, vacuuming and then seeing if it still smells... if it does, douse with vinegar again, blot, soda. It can take all day but you'll be glad you did it, since that pee smell can get worse with time if it's not cleaned up totally.

[cheeksy]

This is what I do (steps one after another):
1. Wipe with wet wipes
2. Wipe with clean damp towel
3. Spray with weak vinegar solution and wipe with dry cloth (I even leave the dry towel on top to absorb the moist) or sprinkle with soda and let it absorb the moister and then vacuum.

Vinegar smell doesn't stay for a very long time and it is way more pleasant than a pee smell!

[macksmom]

Thanks for all the ideas. I never got a chance to try the vinegar before it dried. I had just done some dish soap and water and kept a towel on it to absorb everything. It doesn't seem to smell so I guess I did ok? I kept meaning to sprinkle the baking soda on it but forgot. I still may just in case but I really don't smell anything so I don't know if I will bother. Phew! I guess I got lucky.

[tanyachap]

If it doesnt smell, i would not bother