(Thinkstock | Martin Poole)

Sometimes our pets may urinate inside the house and removing the odor of urine from carpet, furniture or clothing can be difficult. To make matters worse, once the odor of urine becomes associated with an area, more urination in that area is likely.

There are several methods you can try to reduce the smell of urine in your home:

1. Wash the area with carbonated soda water or with soapy water and rinse well.

Sometimes, all it takes is a good thorough washing with soap and water TO get the smell to come out, Many pets are completely housebroken, and the accidents are just that, accidents. If you have a pet who is not normally urinating inside, this may be a onetime event.

2. As a deterrent, mist the area with vinegar, mouthwash or moth repellant spray.

This method is for helping remove a stronger urine odor. It can also help to make your pet stay out of the area, thus preventing future problems.

3. Use commercial products.

A variety of products are available to neutralize and break down the source of the urine odors. For most odors, this is the most successful way of eliminating the smell and eliminating the pet's return to that area.

Some of these products include , SeaYu Petrotech Odor Eliminator, Urine-off, Anti Icky Poo (AIP), Nature's Miracle, Odorban, Odornil, and Nilodor. Some products come with "money back guarantee". It is very important to follow instruction on the labels of the products to get them to work correctly. It may take more than one application.

Note: After cleaning the area, place small food bowls over the affected area. This can help to deter your pet from future house soiling episodes.

Note: Any product that contains ammonia should be avoided, since the odor of ammonia is similar to the odor of urine.

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