How to Get Dog Pee Out of Clothes, Bedding and Shoes

Dog pee on a favorite hoodie, the duvet or a pile of laundry on the floor is annoying, but clothes and bedding are the easiest things in the house to save. You can soak them, wash them and wash them again. The trick is to get the urine out before heat sets the smell, and to treat the odor, not just the color. This guide covers fresh accidents, old smells, bedding, and shoes.

It follows guidance from Humane World for Animals and the American Cleaning Institute’s stain removal guide. Always check the care label first: it tells you the warmest water, the drying method and whether bleach is safe.

Before you start

Act fast. The longer urine sits, the deeper it goes into the fibers and the stronger the smell gets.
Read the care label. “Dry clean only”, wool, silk and leather need different handling (see below).
Keep it out of the dryer until the smell is completely gone. Drying with heat can lock in an odor you have not removed yet.
Wear gloves if the item is soaked, and wash your hands afterward.

Fresh accident: step by step

Blot first. Press paper towels or an old towel onto the wet area to pull out as much urine as you can. Do not rub, which spreads it.
Rinse with cold water. Hold the spot under a cold tap from the back of the fabric so the urine is pushed out, not further in.
Pretreat or soak with an enzyme product. The American Cleaning Institute’s advice for bodily fluids is to pretreat or soak in a product containing enzymes, then launder. Enzymes break down the parts of urine that cause the smell. Follow the label for the soak time.
Wash with baking soda. Humane World for Animals suggests adding a one pound box of baking soda to your regular detergent and washing as usual.
Air dry and check. Hang the item to dry if you can, then smell it once it is dry. If you can still see or smell the urine, wash it again with an enzymatic cleaner before it goes anywhere near the dryer.

Old or dried urine smell

Clothes that were washed once and still smell, or a pile that sat for days, need a longer soak.

Soak the item in water with an enzyme laundry product for longer than you would for a fresh stain. The American Cleaning Institute suggests that old stains can respond to pretreating or soaking in an enzyme product, then laundering.
For white or colorfast fabrics, add a bleach that is safe for the fabric. The ACI lists chlorine bleach where the label allows it, or oxygen bleach otherwise. Never mix chlorine bleach with ammonia or with vinegar.
Wash the whole garment, not only the spot, so no urine or stain remover is left in the fabric.
Repeat the soak and wash if needed. A stubborn smell often takes two rounds.

Bedding, blankets and duvets

Sheets and pillowcases wash like clothes. Bulky items need more care:

Duvets and comforters: check that your washer is big enough. An overfull drum does not rinse well, and urine left in the filling will smell again. A laundromat’s large machine is often the better choice.
Pillows: many can be machine washed; the label will say. Make sure the filling is fully dry inside before you use it again, or it can grow mildew.
Mattress underneath: if the urine soaked through, the mattress needs its own treatment. See how to get pet urine out of a mattress.

Humane World for Animals suggests covering a bed with a vinyl, flannel-backed tablecloth while you work on the cause. It is machine washable, inexpensive and unattractive to pets.

If the accident was on your pet’s own bed, see how to clean a dog bed or cat bed.

After a few loads of pet laundry, give the machine itself a clean too. See pet hair and odor in the washer and dryer.

Shoes, boots and sneakers

Washable sneakers: remove the laces and insoles, pretreat with an enzyme product, and wash on a gentle cycle if the maker allows it. Stuff them with paper and air dry away from direct heat.
Insoles: urine soaks into them first. Soak them separately in an enzyme product, or replace them if the smell stays.
Leather and suede: do not soak. Blot, use a cleaner made for leather or suede, and follow the product label. Test on a hidden spot first.

Stepped in dog poop rather than pee? See how to get dog poop off shoes.

Dry clean only, wool and silk

Do not soak these at home. Blot the fresh spot with cold water only, let it air dry, and take it to a dry cleaner as soon as you can. Tell them it is pet urine so they can choose the right treatment.

What not to use

Ammonia-based cleaners. Urine contains ammonia, so these can smell like urine to your dog and draw it back to the same spot. Humane World for Animals advises avoiding ammonia and vinegar for this reason.
Hot water or the dryer before the smell is gone. Rinse in cold water first, and air dry until the odor is fully removed.
Perfumed sprays on their own. They cover the smell for a few hours, but the urine is still in the fabric. For a side by side look at home remedies, see vinegar vs baking soda vs enzyme cleaner.

Why does my dog pee on clothes?

Clothes and laundry piles smell strongly of you, and they are soft and absorbent, so they can attract a dog that is anxious, not fully house trained, or marking. Keep laundry off the floor and in a closed hamper, and clean any accident spots fully so the smell does not invite a repeat. If accidents are new or frequent in an adult dog, talk to your veterinarian to rule out a medical cause. For house training help, see potty training basics.

Using washable diapers or belly bands to catch accidents? See how to wash dog diapers and belly bands.

Keep cleanup supplies ready

Accidents are easier to handle when everything is in one place: gloves, an enzyme odor product, an absorbent powder and a black light to find spots you missed. Our Pet Cleanup Kit has all of these in one pouch. If the same smell is in the carpet too, see how to get pet urine smell out of carpet, and to find hidden spots, how to find pet urine with a black light.

Frequently asked questions

Will a normal wash get dog pee out of clothes?

Sometimes, for a fresh accident on a small item. Often the stain goes but the smell stays. Pretreating with an enzyme product before the wash, and air drying to check the smell, gives a much better result.

Can I use vinegar in the wash?

Humane World for Animals advises avoiding vinegar and ammonia for pet urine, because strong chemical smells may encourage a pet to mark the spot again. An enzyme product is the better choice. Never mix vinegar with chlorine bleach.

Is it safe to wash pee-soaked clothes with other laundry?

Wash them in a separate load, at least the first time, so the urine does not spread to the rest of the laundry. Clean the washer drum afterward if it smells.

How do I know the smell is really gone?

Let the item dry fully, then smell it up close. A black light can also show leftover urine on light fabrics, since dried urine often glows under UV light.

Sources

Humane World for Animals: How to remove pet stains and odors
American Cleaning Institute: Stain removal guide
American Cleaning Institute: Laundry basics

This guide is general cleaning information. Follow the care label and the product label, and test cleaners on a hidden area first.