Having pets is one of the most rewarding things in the world. You get companionship, unending love, and perhaps one of the greatest friendships one can experience. Still, there are downsides to pet ownership, one of the biggest ones being the messes that tend to come with it.
Whether you are potty training your pet or looking to clean up an accident, removing urine from porous concrete can prove to be a lot harder than just wiping up the initial mess, especially if it has sat for a bit. Let’s look at what urine removers work the best to save you time and money in all of the little pet cleanups in your life!
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- Chlorine free
- Pet and family friendly
- Non-staining and color face, making it great for soft surfaces as well as concrete Money back guarantee
- Fast acting
- Works on many surfaces
- Great for odors
- Easy to use
- Safe for pets
- Safe for grass
- Safe for kids and pets
- Works well
- Fast acting
- Easy to use
- Safe for kids and pets
- Eco-friendly
- Dormant bacteria can clean for longer
- Safe for pets and kids
- Good for older stains and set-in areas
- Very effective
- Light scent to immediately eliminate odors
- Accurate spraying nozzle for control
Overall #1 Rated Pick
Rocco & Roxie Enzyme-Powered Pet Odor & Stain Remover
Rocco & Roxie product is a professional grade cleaner that really packs a punch. One of the biggest complaints users have when picking a urine remover is the lingering odor that can sometimes remain even after the stain has been removed. This product completely removes the odors of urine and keeps it from coming back by penetrating the porous surface of the concrete’s nooks and crannies.
This product is also pet and child friendly and does not contain chlorine, making it a color safe product. Plus, it can be used on carpets, floors, clothes, and more or less any surface to remove not only urine, but also vomit and other odorous fluids. In the brand’s own words: “if its gross, its gone”.
The key to this product working without the addition of harsh chemicals involves an enzyme activated compound of bacteria that come alive when in contact with specific enzymes found in odor causing stains. The bacteria then feed on the ammonia and biological waste in the spot, removing it completely! Plus, the brand backs the product 100% with a money back guarantee if you are not satisfied with the results of using Rocco & Roxie’s Eliminator!
How to Identify Urine Odor Stains on Concrete
If you see some stains on the concrete, but don’t know what they are, or if you can smell something bad, but don’t know where it is coming from, there are a couple of methods at your disposal. The fact of the matter is that urine stains on concrete can be hard to find and to identify, at least if you don’t know what you are looking for. There are three things that you can try in order to identify urine stains on concrete.
- Turn the lights on and look for visible stains. Pet urine will generally dry yellowish, not clear, so it definitely won’t look like water. If you see a yellowish or tan colored stain, chances are that it may be urine.
- If you either cannot find a stain on the concrete, or you can see it but don’t know what it is, the next best way to identify it is with your nose. No, it’s not pleasant, but it works. Air out the space to remove any lingering or additional odors, and then get down on your hands and knees, and start sniffing around. It may not be overly enjoyable, but your nose can easily find urine odors.
- If you cannot find the urine stain on your concrete, but you can definitely smell it, then there is only one good option left at your disposal, and this is to use a blacklight. You can buy relatively affordable blacklights, but beware that it needs to be dark for these to work. Under a blacklight, urine stains will appear as yellow, green, or blue, and they will glow brightly under that blacklight.
How to Clean Pet Urine Stains from Concrete
Are you short on time or just want a quick answer?
Check out our list below for a summary of our results.
- Rocco & Roxie Enzyme-Powered Pet Odor & Stain Remover
- ANGRY ORANGE Ready-to-Use Citrus Pet Odor Eliminator
- Simple Green Outdoor Odor Eliminator
- Simple Solution Yard Odor Away
- Nature’s Miracle Urine Destroyer for Dogs
- Mister Max Unscented Anti Icky Poo Odor Remover
- BUBBAS Super Strength Commercial Enzyme Cleaner
- Nature's Miracle Urine Destroyer with Accushot Sprayer
Now that you have identified the urine stain on the concrete, it is time to clean it, but how do you do this? Well, there are several methods at your disposal to clean urine off a concrete garage floor, or any other concrete surface. Let’s take a closer look at how to eliminate pee stains and dog urine smell.
Good Old Soap and Water
The easiest solution at your disposal to remove urine stains from concrete is with some strong soap and hot water, along with a good scrubbing brush. Yes, this is going to take the most time, as you will need to do some scrubbing, but if you can manage with this method, we would recommend it, as it does not require any special cleaning products. You may be able to remove light urine stains with soap and hot water, but tougher stains may require other methods.
An Enzymatic Cleaner
The next best solution at your disposal is to use an enzymatic cleaner. These use special enzymes or bacteria that literally eat away at and break down things like urine stains. Remember, enzymatic cleaners can also be used to clear clogged toilet plumbing. These enzymes work to break down odors and stains alike. Generally, enzymatic cleaners need to be applied, left to work, and then scrubbed and rinsed away.
Some TSP
TSP stands for Trisodium Phosphate, which is a very strong chemical that can more or less dissolve all urine stains, odors, and remove any traces of urine altogether. Mix half a cup of TSP with a gallon of water, while ensuring that you wear eye and hand protection, as this stuff is very potent. Allow the mixture to soak into the concrete and the urine stain for about 10 to 15 minutes, and then scrub it, then rinse it away with hot water.
What not to Use
One important thing to note here is that soap and water really only works on fresh urine that has not been allowed to soak into the concrete. Old urine stains may not go away with just soap and water alone. Something else you definitely should not do is to start loading a bunch of smelly sprays onto it. Febreze is not going to help you here, and in fact the smells of those flowery and fruity sprays will just mix with the smell of the urine to create a disgusting hybrid stink that nobody wants to deal with.
Safety Tips
When using any sort of urine remove for concrete, there are some really important safety tips that you need to follow in order to keep yourself safe from harm.
- Always work in a well-ventilated area when using harsh chemicals. You don’t want to use these chemicals in still air, as the fumes may be harmful to your health.
- Always wear gloves when working with urine cleaning chemicals. Even if the cleaners themselves aren’t poisonous, you don’t want to get old urine all over your hands.
- If necessary, wear face protection, particularly a breathing mask or a respirator, particularly when using chemicals like TSP.
Best Urine Enzyme Cleaner for Concrete
The top best product [hide]
Rocco & Roxie Enzyme-Powered Pet Odor & Stain Remover
ANGRY ORANGE Ready-to-Use Citrus Pet Odor Eliminator
- Works on many surfaces
- Great deodorizers
- Ready to use
Simple Green Outdoor Odor Eliminator
- Safe for grass
- Enzymes kill odors
- Safe for pets
Simple Solution Yard Odor Away
- Safe
- User friendly
- Fast acting
Nature’s Miracle Urine Destroyer for Dogs
- Indoor use
- Light scent
- Safe
Mister Max Unscented Anti Icky Poo Odor Remover
The microbes in the formula work to eat away at the biological matter found in odor causing stains, treating the spot from the inside out and removing it fully with no fuss needed. The live bacteria are completely safe and pose no illness concern for humans and animals who may come in contact with the solution.
The brand does note that if you have used other products to try and treat the stain before introducing Mister Max remover, you may need to use their p-bath product to remove residue before adding the remover in order to get the best results and prevent interactions, especially if you used a bleach or chlorine based substance.
BUBBAS Super Strength Commercial Enzyme Cleaner
What sets Bubbas apart from other enzyme cleaners is the fact that the brand opts to use dormant bacteria instead of live ones. Their bacteria only comes back to activity when exposed to specific enzymes found in urine and other biological matter, allowing them to have a much longer shelf life and cleaning span. The brand claims their bacteria live much longer while working on a urine spot, allowing them to clean more thoroughly.
Plus, the brand claims the urine smell is fully removed, deterring animals from using the same spot over and over again which puts it in league with some of the best cat urine remover for carpet products on shelves today since cats tend to mark specific places over and over again if not stopped.
Nature's Miracle Urine Destroyer with Accushot Sprayer
The packaging also includes a sprayer to assist in getting the correct area fully treated without wasting product or spreading it further than it needs to be, giving you more control over the treatment and saving you money! This is truly one of the best dog urine remover for concrete options on the market!
Rocco & Roxie
When taking a look at the Rocco and Roxie product compared to the others here, you probably notice that, in general, they are all rather similar. The difference comes in that the Rocco and Roxie cover all of the bases that may have been missed with other comparable brands and generally provide a consistent, deep penetrating product that cleans well and with ease. It works as a multipurpose cleaner, covering urine and other biological fluids for many animals, making things easier for multipet homes, as well. This makes it perhaps one of the best urine removers for concrete in general due to its versatility and ease of use.
Urine Remover for Concrete – Buying Guide
Removing urine from concrete can be a really hard task to achieve, especially if the stain and smell have really set in or if your pet uses a spot over and over again. It can be frustrating to try product after product and have nothing actually completely resolve the issue. Fortunately, there are some things to look for to help kick the stick and stain once and for all.
You want something that balances out cost and effectiveness. Cheaper products may work well for some people while more expensive options may hit the mark for others. Price is, for the most part, not what you should consider. Do not buy something simply because it is cheap or expensive, try looking at the product claims and specifications alongside reviews and decide based on the actual data surrounding the brand and formula.
No one wants to waste money, so research is key, as is understanding your surface. Concrete holds in odors and stains easily since it is comprised of a lot of small particles that allow liquids to permeate the surface and really set in. Due to this, it is harder to get things that enter the concrete out. Fortunately, there are tons of products that do a good job of breaking down the offending substance and removing it with minimal effort on your part.
While it will disinfect the area, bleach does not remove odors. The bacteria will be gone but the odor will remain, as will the strong smell of chlorine bleach. It is recommended to use a bacteria enzyme treatment since it actually removes the biological matter from the urine spot, getting rid of the germs and scent in one go.
Will sealing concrete prevent urine staining?
Sealing concrete is your best defense against urine staining since it takes the porous, permeable surface and makes it repellant and non-permeable. This means that the liquid cannot penetrate into the concrete and is easier to clean from the surface, leaving no lingering smell or stain in most cases and being generally less of an issue.
Can pet urine make you sick?
The sharp, ammonia scent of pet urine can actually make you sick. Your lungs are delicate and can become irritated when overexposed to such scents. Additionally, urine can hold bacteria and breed even more germs, resulting in exposure to airborne germs that may cause illnesses, as well, even when trapped within concrete floors.
