Dealing with pet urine smell

Member since 2022 · 9 posts · 17 votes

I bought a home at a significant discount with the intention of cleaning it out (hoarder home) rehabbing, and then keeping it long term as a buy and hold investment. I’m not looking for a quick flip. There’s a bunch of normal demo and renovation to do (new flooring, paint, bathrooms, etc.) but there is a back room that was used to keep multiple dogs in it and the stench of urine is overpowering. Any suggestions about how I address that? The flooring is already gone, it is bare concrete slab. I have heard about a product called Kilz but not sure if others who have dealt with this have suggestions?

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Bruce WoodruffPro Member

Contractor/Investor/Consultant · San Diego / Phoenix · Member since 2021 · 12k+ posts · 15k+ votes

Been here, done this....Lol..... First take care of the slab - clean it, then seal it and see how that does. Then I strongly suspect that you'll have to deal with the drywall.....removing the bottom few inches may be necessary, but in one case I kept doing all of these things and the smell would not go away - until I had the entire house drywall retextured. The odor had been absorbed into the wallboard, even through the paint 😵‍💫 The previous owners had been keeping 9 dogs in the house and were even using the floor heat vents as feeders.....the vents and ducts had dog food in them, had to get that all cleaned as well. But then they were keeping goats on the front porch, large birds in the garage, and the barn w/ horses had never been cleaned out, it was a foot deep in horse poop.

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Greg ScottPro Member
Rental Property Investor · SE Michigan · Member since 2014 · 4k+ posts · 6k+ votes
1d
We inherited a resident in our apartment who worked at the Humane Society. We learned that whenever a dog was to be euthanized, she brought it back to her unit where she left it all day. Her unit was bathed in dog urine.

After we non-renewed her lease, and she moved out, we removed all the flooring. We sprayed Kilz on all the walls an repainted. Normally, that would do. In this case, it didn't.

We eventually had to remove the bottom 3' of drywall then spray the studs with Kilz and put it all back together before the smell subsided. For good measure, we cleaned out the ductwork.
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- Glen OlsonPro Member
  OP
  Member since 2022 · 9 posts · 17 votes
  1d
  Yuck….thats what I was worried about
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Divin KanyamaBusiness Member
Accountant · Seattle, WA · Member since 2025 · 361 posts · 135 votes
1d
@Glen OlsonWith pet urine that strong, I would treat Kilz or any odor-blocking primer as the final step—not the first. The source needs to be removed or neutralized before it is sealed in.
Start by having the slab, lower walls, base plates, and nearby framing inspected for contamination. A professional odor-remediation company can determine how deeply the urine has penetrated and whether any drywall, trim, or other porous material needs to be removed. The concrete can then be thoroughly cleaned with a product specifically labeled for pet-urine treatment, allowed to dry completely, and reassessed.
If the odor remains after remediation, use a primer specifically rated to block severe pet odors on concrete and compatible with the planned flooring system. Test a small area and follow the manufacturer’s ventilation and safety instructions. On a long-term hold, it is worth solving the source correctly now rather than masking it and having the smell return after new flooring is installed.
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Drew SygitBusiness Member
Property Manager · Royal Oak, MI · Member since 2012 · 12k+ posts · 9k+ votes
1d
Use oil-based Kilz!
You can also try an ozone machine.
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Travis TimmonsPro Member
Rental Property Investor · Ellsworth, ME · Member since 2021 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes
1d
I'll second everything said above - especially oil based Kilz rather than water based. I would add 50/50 water and bleach mixture on the concrete floors as well. Be grateful that you are cleaning up dog urine rather than cat urine. I've taken on both, and for the love everything, you can't seem to get the cat smell 100% out no matter what you do. We went down to the subfloor, did some drywall work, water/bleach, kilz multiple times, and while the smell was gone, you would still randomly get a whiff when walking through years later.
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Bruce WoodruffPro Member
Contractor/Investor/Consultant · San Diego / Phoenix · Member since 2021 · 12k+ posts · 15k+ votes
1d
Been here, done this....Lol..... First take care of the slab - clean it, then seal it and see how that does. Then I strongly suspect that you'll have to deal with the drywall.....removing the bottom few inches may be necessary, but in one case I kept doing all of these things and the smell would not go away - until I had the entire house drywall retextured. The odor had been absorbed into the wallboard, even through the paint 😵‍💫 The previous owners had been keeping 9 dogs in the house and were even using the floor heat vents as feeders.....the vents and ducts had dog food in them, had to get that all cleaned as well. But then they were keeping goats on the front porch, large birds in the garage, and the barn w/ horses had never been cleaned out, it was a foot deep in horse poop.

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Matthew Tregoning
Property Manager · Melbourne, FL · Member since 2019 · 283 posts · 128 votes
1d
Before putting in the new flooring, get a second walkthrough from someone who hasn't been working in the house all day. Easy to stop noticing a smell when you're constantly around it. I'd want that fresh set of eyes and nose after the remediation, before spending money covering everything back up.
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Josh C.Pro Member
Property Manager · Indianapolis, IN · Member since 2010 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
23h
Yep cut the drywall up a foot. Use chemicals or vinegar. Let dry and oil based kilz. Seal the concrete with concrete sealer. The kilz over that for fun. Replace baseboard and flooring and you should be good to go. Gets ducts cleaned as well.
We once pulled out 150 animal cages and this worked.
Also, pulled out (well animal control pulled out) 59 cats and ZERO litter boxes and this also worked only we also had to replace the tile because even that smelled of piss. 😂 The cat place was a 1 bed apartment. 5” inches of what I thought was plaster everywhere but it was just years of hardened cat poop. We had just taken over management and the previous company told us they did 6 month inspections there. Wife made me throw away my shoes when I got home.
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Dan H.Pro Member
Investor · Poway, CA · Member since 2015 · 7k+ posts · 8k+ votes
14h
After pulling the flooring and removing 2’ of drywall, run an ozoner on the empty room for at least 3 days. Make sure you are careful as the air is not going to be safe for breathing after 3 days. Note the ozoner can bleach colors. Then purchase the highest rated odor remover on Amazon. If concrete foundation, seal it. For the walls, replace the bottom 2’ of drywall. 2’ is perfect because it is half of standard drywall and high enough to likely get all areas urinated on. use an oil based encapsulating primer (Kilz is not the only choice). Prime and Repaint. Believe it or not there can still be odor. Keep it venting with fans and at any showing place plug in odor cover ups. When it is furnished, the smell will further reduce.
Good luck
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