How To Remove Bad Smells From Hardwood Flooring

Although hardwood flooring is an attractive feature to install in your home, it can be a serious issue if it starts to smell. Unlike rugs or carpets, it is costly to replace a hardwood floor. A few reasons why your hardwood flooring might smell include spilled food or drinks and pet urine. Water damage and high humidity can also make your hardwood floor have a foul odor due to mold and mildew.

Pet urine can contribute to permanent damage because it can penetrate through, especially in an improperly sealed hardwood floor, leading to permanent stench and discoloration. In some severe cases, the best ways to eliminate foul odor might involve replacing the hardwood flooring. Fortunately, you can remove most bad smells by using the Clean Group following DIY methods.

How To Remove Bad Smells From Hardwood Flooring

1. Using Vinegar Solution

White vinegar solution is acidic. Therefore, it can neutralize the alkaline ammonia in pet urine on the hardwood floor to an odor-free state. Fortunately, vinegar can also damage most of the bacteria and germs present in urine. Below are the steps to remove urine odor using vinegar solution.

• Take an equal amount of water and white vinegar solution and mix it.
• If the foul odor is powerful and might have spread to other floor areas in your house, you can add grapefruit oil into the solution to function as a natural deodorant for lousy odor removal.
• Scrub the affected area on the hardwood flooring while you spray the vinegar solution.
• After you have finished scrubbing, you can rinse the floor portion using clean water and dry it. You can also dry or wet vacuum to remove urine and excess moisture.

2. Using Baking Soda

Baking soda is an alkaline crystalline powder. Therefore, you can remove urine odor because it will neutralize the acidic content, resulting in an odorless and pH state.

3. How to Use Baking Soda

Measure approximately half a cup of baking soda and apply it over the areas soaked with pet urine. However, you should avoid applying the excess liquid. Instead, allow the solution to soak overnight and blot it using a microfiber cloth or dry towel. After that, you can vacuum the area. After shaking the mix well, you can use the solution to spray over the affected area.

4. Using an Enzymatic Cleaner

The enzymatic cleaners have enzyme proteins that can disintegrate the horrible odor molecules and the available bacteria. To properly use the enzymatic cleaner on the area, you can spray it for approximately 15 minutes before you wipe it off.

5. Sanding the Hardwood Floor

If you have an unfinished hardwood floor, you might need to sand it to remove the bad smell. You can use a drum sander or sic sander for a solid hardwood floor. However, you should ensure that you lightly sand the top layer because it is too thin to undertake a deep sanding. Steps for sanding hardwood floors:

• Determine if you require light or deep sanding. You can use a floor disk or a vibrating floor sander for light sanding, use a drum sander to achieve deep sanding. When it comes to rimming and baseboards, you might need an edge sander.
• Seal areas where dust might escape using plastic sheeting, including doors and windows.
• Prepare for sanding by removing baseboards and quarter-road. If the baseboards are painted, you can leave them and sand near the nearby areas without damaging them. Avoid pressing down the drum sander because it can damage the wood floor.
• Sweep the floor after you have completed sanding
• Mop the floor and apply a floor finish

6. Using a Pet Odor Remover Product

If you have a sealed hardwood floor, you can use a pet odor remover product to remove a bad smell. First, ensure the product you use is safe for your hardwood floor. Then, you can use the product by following the steps below:

• Soak up excess food particles or pee using paper towels
• Rinse the area using a piece of clothing
• Dry the area thoroughly using a towel
• Apply the odor removing liquid to the area that is producing a foul smell
• Leave the product on the site according to the recommended period as indicated on the packaging
• Use a clean piece of sponge or cloth to wipe the area
• Rinse the area using clean freshwater
• Dry the area.

7. Hydrogen Peroxide Solution

Although some people believe that hydrogen peroxide can damage hardwood floors, you should know that this solution is safe for most wood floors. However, you can test the solution in an inconspicuous spot to ensure that it will not discolorize your hardwood floor. Notably, hydrogen peroxide is mainly used to remove stains than odors. If you have managed to eliminate a foul smell and there are still stains, you can use hydrogen peroxide solution by following the steps below:

• Pour approximately three percent of hydrogen peroxide solution into a spray bottle and apply it to the affected area.
• Allow the solution to sit in the area for around 20 minutes before using a microfiber cloth to wipe it.
• If the floor has stubborn stains and odor, you might need to use elbow grease.
• Rinse the area using a clean piece of cloth. However, it would help if you only blotted or dab the area without rubbing it. After that, you can dry the area using a dryer.

8. Using a Household Product Mix

If you do not have a pet odor remover product and do not want to sand your hardwood flooring, you can use a mixture of household products to remove bad smells.

How to use a mixture of household solution

• Mix a solution of a drop of dish soap, ¼ cup of baking soda, 1/3 cup of white vinegar, and place it into a spray bottle.
• Spray the affected area and allow it to saturate for at least 20 minutes.
• Wipe the area using a clean piece of sloth
• Sprinkle a solution of baking soda and allow it to sit overnight
• Vacuum your floor the following day
• You can repeat the process until you completely remove the bad smell
• Now that your hardwood floor smells good and is clean, you can think of the ways you can prevent foul odor, including:
• Training your pet regarding proper ways they can poop or urinate.
• Regularly clean your hardwood floor using dusting and conduct deep cleaning at least once a month.
• Place doormats inside and outside the house to avoid carrying debris and dust.
• Always use appropriate techniques and products for floor cleaning
• Ensure you immediately mop any food or drink spills before they dry out or penetrate the surface to produce a bad smell.

Hardwood flooring is beautiful, warm, and durable and can also increase the value of your home. Therefore, you should properly take care of it to avoid foul odor and maintain its aesthetic value. In summation, you should know the action to take is to immediately remove the food traces of urine from the floor before it soaks deep into the surface of your hardwood flooring.

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