Suppose you have a lovely concrete patio in your backyard. It is a lovely spot in your garden area to sit and enjoy your outdoor leisure time. At the same time, you also have a furry dog friend that gives you an overwhelming companion at any given moment. Everything seems just perfect until you see urine marks and such bad odor in your concrete patio area. One such sight is enough to spoil your recreation time very quickly.
Every person who owns a dog and concrete patio has gone through this situation of their dog urinating on the concrete area. If that is the case for you then you may have a big question mark regarding how to clean dog urine from a concrete patio. In this article, I will provide a brief solution to this issue along with how to identify a dog’s urine in a concrete patio, how to keep the urine smell away, some of the best dog urine cleaners, and tips for preventing your dog from urinating on the patio. So buckle up for another helpful content just for your convenience.
Key Takeaways
- If you see your dog urinating on the patio, try to soak it away with clothes immediately.
- Trisodium Phosphate (TSP) is banned in many states, check it before ordering.
- Enzymatic Cleaner issues good enzymes to remove the urine’s bad enzymes.
- Train your dog to urinate in a certain area to avoid cleaning their urine every day.
Identifying The Dog Urine
It is important to identify the dog’s urinated area before initiating cleaning. Dogs usually urinate in designated areas where they have urinated before. If your dog goes to the concrete patio area only with you then you have likely seen where they usually urinate. But if for some reason you didn’t see your dog urinating but rather have seen a urine-like strain or smelled such odor then the work becomes a bit harder.
Concrete patios are pervious, meaning they will soak the dog’s urine just like any other thin liquid. The only two remaining things will be a distinct strain made of urea, creatinine, uric acid, etc. contents, and bad odors. Some of the strain may not be easily visible due to the concrete color texture but you can use technologies to help to find those strain marks. You can use UV-reflecting light at night which will deflect in the strain area and give you a clear clue where your dog urinated.
How To Clean Dog Urine From Concrete Patio?
After you have successfully traced all the possible dog urinated locations, it is time to deep clean them forever. There are multiple options for you to clean it, depending on the urine, strain, odor level, and cleaning materials availability. Some of the proven methods to clean dog urine from concrete patios are:
Water
The primary method of dog urine cleaning will be using as much as water through a hose or sprinkler. It will wash away the excess amount of urine and odor at the same time. Use high speed and narrower output settings in the water hose to generate high pressure. Instant water spraying is effective in removing recently peed cases. But remember one thing this very method can cause the opposite by spreading the urine further. Make sure it is only applied to the edges of the patio and, if the urine is in the middle then soak the urine as much as possible before applying water.
Wash With Soap And Detergent
In most cases washing the dog’s urinated area with bare water isn’t enough. Dogs’ urine contains odorous elements that may still remain even after a normal watery wash. For that, you can use normal soap and tile-cleaning detergents to reduce the urine impact even further. Put your hand gloves on, get on your knee, and start to scrub the designated area with soap and detergent. If not the urine goes away by this method, it will still reduce them drastically and lay a base for further steps to work upon.
Trisodium Phosphate (TSP)
Here come the heavy chemicals at work. Don’t confuse it with Triple Superphosphate (TSP) which is a fertilizer, Trisodium Phosphate has a great use as a cleaner. The TSP is effective at removing all the bacteria, and dog urine stains left on your concrete. Make sure to use eye and skin-protecting gear and keep the children away. Here are its application steps:
- Mix ½ cup of TSP with a gallon of hot water.
- Pour the hot mix on the designated urinated areas.
- Scrub the designated urinated area with a deck brush.
- Leave it wet for 10-15 minutes to reach deeper into the concrete.
- Rinse the area with fresh hot water.
- Repeat this method several times.
- Let it dry overnight.
TSP has been banned in some states, so check your local laws before purchasing any.
Hydrogen Peroxide And Baking Soda
Hydrogen Peroxide is best used against stains that contain carbon or protein, such as dogs’ urine. Hydrogen peroxide breaks the stain molecule easily. Also, it is an eco-friendly option as it can be washed away with water. It application steps:
- Mix 2 cups of Hydrogen Peroxide, 2 teaspoons of baking soda, and a little dish soap.
- Spread this formulation over the dog’s urinated areas.
- Let the application soak for a few minutes to break the molecules.
- Scrub the applied area with a stiff feathered non-metal brush.
- Repeat this method several times and rinse with fresh water.
Vinegar
If you want something more home sourced you can use vinegar for cleaning dog urine. Take some vinegar and mix it with hot water. Spread it over the recently urinated area and wait a few minutes to set over the urine bacteria. Scrub the area and rinse off with hot water. Note that using vinegar is effective when it is recently urinated. And don’t forget to soak the liquid urine away as much as possible before applying vinegar.
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How To Get Rid of The Dog Urinate Smell From Concrete Patio?
Cleaning the dog urine usually also vanishes the bad smells away. But if it still smells odorous then you can try these methods to keep your concrete patio area urine-smell-free:
Enzymatic Cleaner
Enzymatic Cleaners use good micro-bacterial enzymes to fight the existing bad urine enzymes. Even if you have cleaned the urinated area several times, the uric acid crystals in the dog’s urine may remain to spread odors. To apply, simply get an odor-eliminating enzymatic cleaner and apply it on the urinated area by using the same methods of TSP application. The only difference will be, don’t rinse off the application with rather. Rather leave it overnight to do its tricks of cleaning odorous enzymes.
Ion-based Solution
Positive ion-based formulation is another proven way to remove dog urine odor from your concrete patio. This type of cleaner uses opposite charged ions over the patio, causing the bacterial molecules to surface and get killed eventually. Their application required a wet concrete surface, pouring the ion surfactant on the designated area, and letting it dry naturally. This solution works immediately, so it will surely help you save some time. This solution is 100% safe to use and also odor-free.
Best Pet Urine Cleaners For Concrete Patio
In case you are wondering, which pet urine cleaners you can use for removing dog urine from your concrete patio, here are a few of them for your reference:
- Nature’s Miracle Dog Urine Destroyer: This trusted spray uses an enzymatic formulation for removing dog urine yellow stains and odors. Comes in 32, 64, 128 & 170 oz. bottle and are guaranteed to eliminate dog urine stains and odors.
- ANGRY ORANGE Pet Stain and Odor Remover: This highly recommended stain and odor remover also uses enzymatic formulation and is suitable for use on Car, Carpet, Floors, Furniture, Tile, Upholster, and concrete patios.
- Simple Green Outdoor Odor Eliminator: This cleaner is specially made for using solid surfaces like concrete patios, dog runs, and yards. Deep cleanses your dog’s urine and is suitable for regular use.
Prevent Your Dog From Urinate On Concrete Patio
Now you have a clear idea about how to clean dog urine from concrete patios. But as dogs tend to urinate quite often in small quantities, it is impossible to clean their urine every time they pee. That’s why, it will be best to prevent them from urinating on your clean concrete patio. For that you can do:
- Fence The Patio Area: You can put a small heightened fence around the concrete patio and train your dog not to come inside it.
- Train To Urinate In Designated Area: If you have a new house or new dog, you should train it to do its business in certain places rather than here and there.
- Put Some Artificial Plants: Naturally, dogs urinate on small plants or tubs. You can put fake plants and train them to urinate on them to avoid urinating on a concrete patio.
- Learn To Recognize The Sign: Most dogs give off signs when they need to relieve themselves by urinating. Try to catch these signs and take him/her to their designated area at that very moment.
FAQs
1. Will bleach get rid of the dog urine smell on concrete?
It is better not to use bleaches to get rid of dog urine as dog urine contains ammonia. When bleach comes in contact with a dog’s urine, the reaction causes toxic fumes and bad odors to be released.
2. Can dog urine damage concrete?
Dogs’ urines contain toxic chemicals that can leave a layer of uric acid crystals. This crystal can put a wick into the gel pore system of the concrete and, allow bacteria to grow if not cleaned properly.
3. Which one of the urine is worse, cat or dog?
Cats’ urines are much more concentrated than dogs. Whereas a dog’s urine is less yellow and sticky. Meaning a cat urinates less times than a dog but their smells are more awful.
Final Thoughts
Dogs are just animals with an individual personalized instinct to do things in their own ways. They don’t know what is a concrete patio and, by urinating on it how much problem he is creating. So it is better to clean the urine for the time being and your own cause, by using the proven methods mentioned above. At the same time, it is necessary to train your dog to urinate in an organized manner. They are quick learners and surely they will understand that your beautiful concrete patio is not the ideal place to urinate.
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I am Donald M. Beyer and I am backyard enthusiasts. I am a homeowner who has been doing DIY projects in and out of my house for many years. From simple backyard lunches to making an old-school pizza oven in my own backyard, I have a lot of experience in turning my backyard into my and my family’s personal playground.
