How Do you Get Urine Out of a Leather Sofa? 4 Effective Methods

If you have pets and kids, your leather couch could become a subject to urine messes which if not cleaned immediately would stink it and worst still, stain it.

However, the best thing about leather couches is that they are resistant to liquids soaking up in them hence giving you the allowance to immediately get a paper towel and soak as much urine as possible.

Unlike fabric couches which soak up urine and stain immediately especially if your couch is light-colored, like white or brown, leather couches are easier to clean and utmost you will just need some water and mild dish soap to get rid of the urine smell.

Aside from the normal use of water and dish soap, there are many other ways to get urine out of a leather couch. Read on to learn more.

How to Get Urine Out of a Leather Sofa Using Water and Dish Soap Solution

Water and dish soap solution is the safest and the easiest way to get that fresh urine from your leather couch in a snap.

What you will need

• Paper towels
• Warm water
• Dish soap
• Microfiber cloth
• Sponge
• Leather conditioner

Steps

1. Using the paper towels, soak up as much urine as possible. Make sure to do it gently so you don’t spread it to other parts of the couch.
2. In a bucket, put about a gallon of water and add 2 drops of dish washing soap, then mix with your hand to form water and dish soap solution.
3. Dampen the sponge with the water solution and rub it over the urine stain. Do it gently and in a circular motion until all the stain lifts.
4. Repeat this for 2 more times if the first attempt wasn’t successful
5. Confirm if all the stain has lifted
6. Dampen your microfiber cloth in clean water, and use it to blot dry the area and to remove excess suds
7. Let it dry
8. Apply leather conditioner to restore its natural oils and maintain its attractive look.

Side note: if you have a white leather couch, you might have to clean the whole cushion area to avoid leaving behind water stains. Also, if you suspect that the urine stain is a lot and might seep through to the cushions, make sure you separate them immediately.

How to Get Urine Out of a Leather Sofa Using Baking Soda

Baking soda has a wide variety of uses in homes and eliminating urine odors is one of its effective uses. If you have cleaned your couch with water and dish soap solution and you still feel there is still some urine smell lingering around, baking soda is the best and suitable foul smell eliminator to use.

What you will need

• Baking soda
• Soft bristle brush
• Warm water
• Dish soap

Steps

1. If the urine on your leather couch is still fresh, make sure you soak up all of it. But if it is just a stain and foul urine smell, sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda over the area and let it sit for at least 8 minutes.
2. Use the soft bristle brush to rub the baking soda into the fabric so. This will make sure all the urine smell is eliminated.
3. Put warm water in a bucket and add mild dish soap, mix gently to form surds, then dip a sponge into it and rub it over the area gently and in a circular motion.
4. Use a damp microfiber cloth to get rid of the excess water and soap solution and the baking soda
5. Let the couch and dry
6. Apply leather conditioner to restore the leather’s attractive look.

Side note: baking soda works on both fresh and dried urine on leather couches. However, it works best if left over the urine for at least 8 hours. Therefore, you can let it sit overnight then clean the couch the next day.

How to Get Urine Out of a Leather Sofa Using Vinegar

You can clean a leather couch with vinegar as it is effective in eliminating odors and mild or tough stains.

Personally, Vinegar has always worked out for me when my kids and pet decide to misbehave and ruin my couch and other leather accessories. However, I always make sure to first test it in a small area to ascertain that it won’t cause discoloration.

What you will need

• White distilled vinegar
• Water
• Spray bottle
• Microfiber cloth

Steps

1. In a spray bottle, pour ½ cup vinegar and add 2 cups water
2. Spray the solution over the urine stain and let it sit for at least 10 minutes
3. Use a soft microfiber cloth to rub the vinegar solution into the stain until it starts lifting
4. Wring out the cloth with fresh clean water and wipe the area to remove excess vinegar
5. Use a clean microfiber cloth to wipe out any excess moisture
6. Once the couch is completely dry, apply some leather conditioner to help restore back the leather’s attractive look.

Side note: vinegar is very effective but has a strong smell that might not be eliminated by just using a microfiber cloth to wipe, you might need a vacuum cleaner for that. The smell eventually goes away with time, after a day or so.

How to Get Urine Out of a Leather Couch Using Hydrogen Peroxide

If vinegar fails to eliminate the urine smell and stain from your leather couch, you can use hydrogen peroxide which will help achieve that immediately. However, make sure you test the hydrogen peroxide in a small area of your couch to make sure it is safe and doesn’t cause discoloration.

What you will need

• Hydrogen peroxide
• Cotton balls
• gloves

Steps

1. put on some gloves just in case it causes some irritation to your hands
2. Dampen the cotton ball with hydrogen peroxide then rub it over the urine stain. Do it gently and in a circular motion
3. Use 2 or 3 more cotton balls dabbed in hydrogen peroxide to rub over the stain until it lifts
4. Use a clean damp microfiber cloth to blot the area and to remove excess hydrogen peroxide.
5. Let the couch dry completely
6. Apply leather conditioner to restore the attractive look of leather.

Side note: hydrogen peroxide works on both dried and fresh urine on leather couches. If the urine is fresh, make sure you soak it up using paper towels before cleaning it with hydrogen peroxide.

How to Clean Urine from a Fake Leather Couch

If you have a faux leather couch that has fresh or dried urine, all you need is a solution of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda to clean it. The hydrogen peroxide will help with clearing out all the stains, while the baking soda will help with eliminating all the lingering smells.

What you will need

• Hydrogen peroxide
• Baking soda
• Dish soap
• Microfiber cloth

Steps

1. Sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda over the urine stain and let it sit overnight if the urine has overstayed. If it is fresh let the baking soda sit for 15 to 20 minutes. The longer the better.
2. Mix hydrogen peroxide and mild dish washing soap in a bowl and transfer to a spray bottle after mixing
3. Spray the solution over the urine stain and let it sit for about 5 minutes
4. Use a soft sponge to rub the baking soda and hydrogen peroxide over the stain gently and in a circular motion to ensure it lifts
5. Confirm if all the stain has lifted
6. Use a damp microfiber cloth to wipe the excess hydrogen peroxide solution and the baking soda.
7. Use a clean microfiber cloth to blot dry the area. And let the couch dry completely on its own
8. Apply some leather conditioner on the area to restore the natural oils

Side note: whenever leather is cleaned using any liquids, its natural oils are eliminated and if at the end you do not apply a leather conditioner, the leather will loose its attractive look.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Urine Ruin a Leather Sofa?

The worst thing urine will do to your leather sofa is to stain it and leave a long-lasting foul smell especially if not cleaned immediately.

Because leather couches have high resistance to liquids seeping through, the chances of urine ruining them are very low. However, this is not the case when it comes to microfiber couches as liquids seep through to the cushion stuffing as fast as they happen.

What Does Urine Do to Leather?

Once urine gets to your leather sofa, it will leave a stain and foul odors. If this happens, make sure you soak up the urine with paper towels immediately before it dries on your couch.

Once the urine dries on your couch it becomes a tough stain which can be difficult to eliminate especially if you have a white couch.

Can Urine Soak Through Leather?

Urine can soak in leather if not wiped out immediately. And once it soaks and dries, it could become difficult to clean the stains and eliminate the foul urine smell.

The best way to deal with urine on a leather couch or other leather accessories is to soak it up immediately with paper towels. The stain will be easier to deal with.

Conclusion

Leather couches and accessories have high resistance to stains. However, urine on your leather couch is guaranteed to leave a stain and foul smell that can be so irritating especially if it overstays.

The best thing, however, is it is easier to clean urine out of a leather couch, and in this article, I have provided you with 4 easy ways to achieve a clean and urine-free leather couch.

I hope you found this post helpful, here is another helpful one on how to Scotchgard a sofa