- Written by: Sarah
- Last Update: March 1, 2023
The 5 Best Pet Stain Removers in 2023
We’ve all been there.
We love our pets, but they can sure make a mess sometimes. If you’ve got a dog or a cat that’s been leaving regular urine stains on the rug and tracking mud in then you’re looking for something a little bit stronger than the usual fare.
Thankfully for you, we’ve compiled the best pet stain removers currently around. Take a long, good look at them and we’ll help you figure out which is the best for your home and pet.
Each has their own advantages and disadvantages. Make a careful choice and you’ll be able to say goodbye to messy stains and odors left by your pets. It’s time to enjoy a clean home once more, no matter how messy your pet is.
| Editor's Picks | Brand | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Best Overall Carpet Stain Remover | Fresh 'n Clean Oxy-Strength Pet Odor & Stain Eliminator | 4.9 |
| Best Multisurface Pet Stain Remover | Nature's Miracle Sunny Lemon Advance Stain and Odor Eliminator | 4.7 |
| Best Odor Eliminator | Angry Orange Pet Odor Eliminator | 4.7 |
| Best Enzymatic Pet Stain Remover | Rocco & Roxie Professional Strength Stain & Odor Eliminator | 4.4 |
| Best Budget Pet Stain Remover | Simple Solution Pet Stain and Odor Remover | 4.3 |
Table of Contents
The Best Pet Stain Removers - Individual Reviews
Best Overall Carpet Stain Remover
Fresh ‘n Clean Oxy-Strength Pet Odor & Stain Eliminator
When it comes to carpet, this is the stuff to beat. You’ll have a hard time beating it too, at least without going into professional grade products at several times the cost.
This is a foaming, solvent-based cleaner. It busts through stains and odors in record time, however, and while it may not be the best at handling odors we really didn’t have any problems with the stains we tested it on.
It actually seems to work quite well on pretty much every kind of surface despite the foaming action. While it’ll get a good rise out of carpet it’s a good alternative to homemade solutions for tile and linoleum.
It’s not quite as benign as enzymatic cleaners, but it’s pet-safe and does a great job at removing stains from most surfaces.
Our Opinion:
If you’re looking for a fantastic carpet cleaner then you’re in good hands with the Oxy-Strength Pet Odor and Stain Eliminator. Pick up a bottle now and enjoy a stain and odor free home.
Best Multisurface Pet Stain Remover
Nature’s Miracle Sunny Lemon Advance Stain and Odor Eliminator
Nature’s Miracle provides an excellent alternative to more specialized cleaners. It’s good on basically every surface except for untreated hardwood, which puts it in a league of its own for the most part.
This is an enzymatic cleaner, which is probably why it’s so gentle. The bacteria contained within it activate and get to work producing the chemicals anytime they come in contact with messes that are biological in origin.
You need to be careful using it on fabrics, however. It’s not appropriate for any kind of organic fabric like leather, suede, or wool. Basically, natural fibers and this stuff aren’t friends in the long run.
For every other surface it’s a superior cleaner that handles both stains and odors quickly and efficiently.
Our Opinion:
For those who have multiple floor types in their home, this is an exceptional cleaner. Those with a lot of natural surfaces may be better served with something else however.
Best Odor Eliminator
Angry Orange Pet Odor Eliminator
Angry Orange is a professional-level odor removal agent.
It’s utterly fantastic for removing odors, but it’s definitely not a stain remover. You’ll need something else to remove unsightly messes.
It’s relatively safe on most floorings but do not use it on hardwood. It can even be used outdoors if you’ve got a ton of odor going on in the garden.
On top of that, it’s pretty much completely non-toxic for your pets. The little bottle that it comes in is suitable to make a gallon of spray as well since it’s sold in concentrated form.
Our Opinion:
Angry Orange is probably the best pet odor remover currently on the market. The main problem is that it won’t treat stains so you’ll want to pick up something else if that’s your main concern.
Best Enzymatic Pet Stain Remover
Rocco & Roxie Professional Strength Stain & Odor Eliminator
Sometimes you need something that’s professional quality and handles both stains and odors. Rocco & Roxie have you covered with this excellent enzymatic cleaner.
It make short work of both stains and odors. It’s also available in a gallon jug if you want to take care of a huge area at once.
We think it’s a bit overkill if you don’t have built-in stains and odors which have been set in, but sometimes neglect builds up and you have to handle a huge amount of stuff at once. That’s where this one comes in handy.
It’s very strong and a generous pour will handle even the worst of stains and smells. Combined with Angry Orange you can handle even the worst cat hoarder home in short order, leaving you with none of the former stains and odor.
Our Opinion:
This is professional grade stuff. It’s excellent, powerful, and takes care of stains and all but the strongest odors in a hurry.
Best Budget Pet Stain Remover
Simple Solution Pet Stain and Odor Remover
Many of those that we favored are rather expensive. Simple Solution stands out as the best of the best for those that aren’t going to require a new mortgage to handle pee stains.
It’s not quite as powerful as the others on our list. It’s not going to render a horrendously messy house habitable or anything, but keeping a bottle on hand for one or two cats or dogs without any serious issues will be more than enough for most people.
It can be used as a mist, spray, and even has a foaming option for carpets if you opt to pick up the spray bottle. There’s also an easy pour bottle available, but if you’re going that route you may want to get something stronger.
While it’s not a miracle worker, it’s animal safe, enzymatic, and rather effective.
Our Opinion:
If you just need something cheap to handle the occasional stain then Simple Solution has you covered. It’s not going to be a game changer for most people however.
Keeping Your Pets Safe From Chemicals
There’s some serious problems with a lot of household chemicals and your animals.
Picture your favorite pet. Walking on the floor. Licking their paws to clean them after a long, hard day of leisure.
Almost every cleaner leaves behind residues.
It’s not a big deal as long as the cleaners you’re using aren’t toxic to animals, but there’s a surprising variety of cleaners out there which have some chemicals that you don’t want your animals ingesting.
- Ammonia
- Bleach or any other chlorinated cleaner
- Glycol ethers
- Formaldehyde
Basically, many of the common cleaning products which are used in the home are going to be toxic for your animals. You have to be aware of both residue and vapors, so if you spill any household cleaners then you’ll need to have your pets vacate the area and clean up the spill extremely well.
Of course, many of these compounds are toxic for you as well but the smaller size of most of our animals and their differing metabolism tends to put them more at risk.
That’s why it’s important to make sure that you have the right cleaners if you have pets in the home. Do your due diligence and make sure that you read the labels of anything you plan on putting on your floors.
You’ll also want to keep the chemicals in areas where your pets can’t get to them and keep them sealed at all times when they’re not in use.
Any pet specific cleaners may still need to be checked for chemicals. Don’t assume anything is safe if you haven’t read the labels.
How to Use Your Pet Stain Remover
Follow the instructions.
Okay, okay, sometimes it’s not quite that easy. Many of these are engineered to work specifically on one type of surface and each has their own challenges when it comes down to it.
Try the following for the best results:
- Act quickly, you want to get at the stain as soon as possible.
- Soak up as much of the urine as possible with a paper towel before applying the cleaner.
- Add a cup or so of warm water to the mess then extract it with a paper towel. Repeat a couple of times for the best results.
- Apply the cleaner directly to the stain
- Let it sit as directed
- Clean up as much of the product as possible and then let it dry out
- Vacuum the area and admire your handiwork
Once you’ve gone through with all of that you should be good to go. That’s primarily for enzymatic cleaners and carpeting, however, but the same basic principle applies no matter what kind of flooring and cleaner you’re planning on using.
When in doubt, take another look at the back of the bottle.
How to Pick the Best Pet Stain Remover
There’s a few big things you’ll need to look for to make sure that you get the best possible cleaner for your home.
Hard vs. Soft Surfaces
What’s the primary floor in your home made of?
More than that, where are you having serious issues with your pets leaving nasty stains?
Some cleaners are much more suited for hardwood or tile rather than carpets and vice versa.
Those with foaming actions really are best suited for carpet rather than use on hard surfaces. Meanwhile, most of the citrus-solvent based cleaners are awesome for handling hard surfaces.
Enzymatic vs. Solvent Based
Enzymatic cleaners are awesome.
They’re safe, easy to use, and are better at removing pet urine odors than anything else. They work by applying compounds which directly break down the bacteria which causes long-term staining and odors.
They’re hard to beat and definitely the way to go if you have a seriously set-in stain or six already lurking in your home.
Solvent-based cleaners tend to be harsher on surfaces and you’ll need to take a close look to make sure that they don’t have any chemicals which are harmful for your pets. If that’s the case then you’ll need to do some serious cleaning of the cleaner itself before you let your little furred friends back in.
Housetraining Your Dog
Cats will figure out a litter box pretty quickly.
Dogs, on the other hand, are going to need some extra investment in order to not keep making messes in the house.
It’s not a super complicated process. Try the following:
- Start taking your puppy outside on a routine. Right after they eat and drink and every couple of hours is a good idea. Taking them right out to the same spot in the yard will help them to connect things in their head.
- Start with positive reinforcement whenever you take the dog outside and they use the bathroom. A treat is a great way to do it, make sure to shower them with praise.
- Don’t use negative reinforcement, but if you catch them in the house then you may wish to interrupt them and take them outside or to the pad you’re training them to use.
- Use your pet stain and odor remover on the area as thoroughly as possible. Once an area has “the smell” a dog is much more likely to continue to eliminate in that area.
Making Sure You Have the Solution
When it comes down to it, sometimes you’re going to have to improvise.
Cleaning up after your pets can be tiresome after some time but it certainly needs to be done. Even the best dogs and cats will occasionally have accidents or hissy fits.
There are some great homemade solutions out there which you may want to consider once you’ve handled the problem initially.
When to Use Commercial Products
Commercial products are great to have around. They’re right there and ready to go when they need to be used in order to make sure that you’re able to handle the problem.
They’re also the only real solution for those times when you’ve got a house which has been neglected for a long time. Cat urine, in particular, has a nauseating odor which can really only be handled in bulk by ensuring that you have the right commercial products around.
Cheap cleaners often don’t work well on stains which have been set-in for an extended period, however. You’ll need something stronger if the stain and odor has been present for some time.
It’s always best to handle the mess as soon as possible. The quicker you get to it the better you’ll be able to handle things.
On the other hand, commercial cleaners can be expensive and if you don’t already have them on hand when the mess happens then you may need to work with a homemade solution.
Doing It the Old Fashioned Way
Homemade solutions can be pretty useful. Especially if you don’t have the best commercial stain and odor removers already on hand when you catch the mess.
Baking soda and vinegar make a good solution for carpet cleaning. You can combine them in an 8:1 ratio of vinegar to baking soda and dump them in a cup of warm water before pouring them out.
Let them sit on the carpet for five to fifteen minutes, depending on how quickly you caught things, and then get out the scrub rush and apply some elbow grease. Afterwards you can remove the solution with an absorbent towel.
If the carpet gets crusty it’s likely due to the formation of sodium acetate. Luckily the salt formed by the vinegar and baking soda reaction is super water soluble so you shouldn’t have any real issues cleaning it up.
For tile, or white carpets, try adding baking soda to 2% hydrogen peroxide. Combine them in a 2:1 ratio and add just a dash of dish detergent. Apply and scrub it into the carpet, it’ll remove the stain by bleaching abrasion from the baking soda, while the hydrogen peroxide will also kill odor causing bacteria.
Don’t use this on colored carpet. The result will be permanent bleaching of the area.
Neither solution is quite as effective as commercial products, but they’ll definitely do the job in a pinch. Just don’t try to apply them to massive jobs or ancient stains and you’ll do alright.
Awesome! No words. You always go one step beyond.
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