In order to keep your car looking and smelling new, it is important to know how to get human urine out of leather car seats. Urine can cause the leather to become stiff and brittle, eventually leading to tears and other damage. Fortunately, there are a few methods that you can use to remove urine from leather car seats. In this article, we will discuss some steps. Read on for more information.
Accidents can happen. If you have kids, it’s almost sure that something has been spilled on your leather car seats at one point or another. So whether it be soda, juice, or even a sugary drink such as hot chocolate, you should know how to get human urine out of your leather car seats.
Things You’ll Need
- Rubber gloves
- Baking soda
- Water
- Dish soap
- White vinegar
- Microfiber towel or soft cotton cloths/paper towels for drying
- Vacuum cleaner
- Bucket
A Step by Step Guide on How to Get Human Urine Out of Leather Car Seats
Step 1: Determine How Much Urine Is on the Seat
First, consider how much urine is on the seat and whether it has dried. If you can touch the wet area with your gloved hand and feel moisture without it being too damp to absorb, then it’s best to proceed with cleaning. If there’s a moderate amount of urine that hasn’t yet dried, blot the excess liquid with paper towels until you can work out as much of the wetness as possible.
Once this is done and it’s come time to clean up the remaining residue, take care not to spread it around more than needed during the rest of the process until you’ve gotten all of those fluids cleaned up; spreading will make it harder for your cleaner to do its job correctly.
Step 2: Put on Rubber Gloves
Next, put on rubber gloves to protect your hands from the cleaner you’ll use. It’s important not to forget about this step because most cleaners are potentially harmful to skin contact and can lead to irritation if they come into direct contact with bare skin. If you do forget, it’s no big deal, but try not to make a habit of it!
Step 3: Prepare Cleaning Solution
Prepare a cleaning solution by mixing warm water, dish soap, and vinegar. How much of each ingredient you’ll need depends on how much urine is present in your car’s seats. If it’s only a small quantity that hasn’t yet dried, you can mix 1 cup of warm water with about 1 tbsp. of dish soap and 2 tbsp. of white vinegar (no more than this, or the smell might be too strong).
If there’s quite a bit of urine present or if it has already dried, you can either double the recipe above or use straight vinegar instead because chances are the smell will be overwhelming to handle otherwise!
Step 4: Blot Urine Using Cleaning Solution
Blot up as much wetness from the seat as possible using paper towels to avoid spreading urine around. Don’t use a cloth because this will apply liquids further into the seat and won’t pull out much in the wetness if they have already dried. Also, don’t rub or wipe when blotting – only blot gently to avoid pushing fluids deeper into the leather.
Step 5: Scrub Urine Stains With Cleaning Solution
Once you’ve blotted up all that you can, take your cleaning solution-soaked cloth or paper towel and scrub at any visible stains left behind by urine. This should help lift stains away so that the cleaner can easily absorb them without too much resistance.
How long you need to scrub depends on how nasty these stains are. For the most part, you’ll see them lift off of the seat within a minute or two after application. How much longer you need to scrub will depend on how long it’s been since the urine was deposited onto the car seat and how large an area got soaked.
Step 6: Let Cleaning Solution Sit for 5 Minutes
Once you’re done scrubbing, let your cleaning solution sit for at least 5 minutes to take effect before proceeding with the next step. If this isn’t possible, don’t worry because it should still work if left alone to soak in for even 30 seconds!
After letting your cleaning solution sit for about five minutes (or as long as it takes), blot up any excess liquid with some paper towels, and then proceed to the next step.
Step 7: Scrub Urine Spots With Cleaning Solution Once More
Once you’ve blotted up excess liquid, it’s time to scrub the area for a second (or final) time using your cloth or paper towel soaked in the cleaning solution. How much scrubbing is needed will depend on how dirty the area got when you blotted up urine earlier.
If it wasn’t too bad, then one or two gentle circular motions should be enough to do the trick. However, if there are seriously stubborn stains left behind by this step that has gone untouched by previous attempts at removal, then go ahead and apply some elbow grease into your scrubbing – but don’t overdo it because too much friction can lead to damage!
Step 8: Repeat Steps 6 & 7 Until Urine Stains are Gone
Every cleaning solution has a maximum effective lifespan, which means that it will eventually stop pulling stains out of your car’s leather upholstery. How long this lifespan lasts on the severity of the soiling and how much cleaner you have used in previous steps.
Once you’ve scrubbed at least once with cleaning solution and notice that urine stains aren’t being removed any longer, it’s time to step things up a notch by repeating steps 6 & 7! Of course, how many times you need to repeat these two steps before stains are gone depends on what is causing them. So keep scrubbing until there are no more visible traces left behind!
Step 9: Dry the Seat
Like any other wet surface, your car leather seat will be subject to microbial growth if left in a moist condition for too long. This can lead to costly repairs down the road, so you must dry the area immediately following cleanup.
If there was excess cleaning solution left on the seat after scrubbing, but before drying, anything you blot up at this point will just spread around and create more damage than good, so it’s best to refrain from blotting until everything has thoroughly dried. Instead, use something absorbent to soak up all fluid.
Paper towels are best because they’re inexpensive and disposable, which you want when dealing with pee! How much absorbency will depend on how much liquid is left behind, but anything from two to four sheets should be sufficient.
Step 10: Use Baking Soda to Get Rid of Odor
Once you have your leather car seat as dry as possible using paper towels, the next step is to apply a liberal amount of baking soda over the entire area. How much baking soda you use will depend on how large an area was affected by urine and whether or not it’s one big spot or multiple smaller ones. For instance, if there’s just one big spot, just sprinkle enough to coat the surface evenly before brushing away excess with your hand or paper towel.
How much moisture gets brushed away depends on how wet it still looks after applying baking soda – but generally speaking, you should be able to tell how saturated it is because the excess powder will start coming up when you tap at it with your hand or brush against it with a paper towel! Since baking soda takes a little while to absorb moisture, you’ll need to leave it on the surface overnight. The drier everything looks, the faster the baking soda will work its magic! These steps will help in how to get human urine out of leather car seats.
Tips and Warnings
- Remember to clean the area as soon as possible.
- Do not sit on wet leather seats, and avoid direct sunlight when drying them off.
- Do not use any harsh chemicals, store-bought or homemade, that may damage the leather further or leave a chemical residue behind.
- Never attempt to use the following household items: gasoline, bleach, kerosene, ammonia, and other strong solvents.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Urine Soak Into Leather?
This is a common question that arises due to the misconception that urine will “soak” into leather and cause it to become wet and soft. The truth is that urine does not soak into leather – it merely spreads the moisture present in the urine throughout the leather surface. In most cases, this will not cause any damage or degradation to the leather, and it may even help to retard any potential bacterial growth.
Does Human Urine Smell Ever Go Away?
While it is impossible to completely eliminate the smell of human urine, some people find that over time it becomes less noticeable. This is likely due to the fact that as the bacteria in human urine breaks down and converts ammonia into nitrates, a pleasant odor may be released. Many people also prefer drinking plain water rather than using conventional toiletries that are tainted with this unpleasant smelling liquid.
Can Leather Absorb Smells?
Leather does not absorb smells, but it can be conditioned to resist odor. To do this, you’ll need to apply a protective finish every few months or so and avoid contact with moisture.
Can I Use Resolve Urine Destroyer on Leather?
While Resolve Urine Destroyer is safe to use on leather, you should consult the product’s instructions before doing so. This solution is designed to remove and deface urine stains and odors, but it may not be effective if the stain or odor is located in areas where leather cannot be easily replaced. If this occurs, then you will need to hire a professional cleaner to treat your leather correctly.
Conclusion
So, there you have it. Everything you need to know about how to get human urine out of leather car seats: we hope you never have to use this information, but if you do find yourself in a situation where your car seats are covered in pee, we’re here to help. Remember, always try the most straightforward methods first and be patient – it may take a little bit of time and effort, but eventually, the smell will disappear completely. And lastly, don’t forget to disinfect the area once it’s been cleaned!
You may also read – How to repair scratched leather car seats.
