How To Clean Rabbit Urine Stains (Complete Information)

Rabbits are very clean and hygienic animals. They always try to clean themselves by licking their body. However, these adorable creatures sometimes create mess by peeing on the carpet or wooden floors. So, how to clean rabbit urine stains? How to remove rabbit urine stains from different types of floorings and fabrics? Let’s find it out all your answers in this article.

A mixture of white vinegar and water in an equal ratio can clean the rabbit’s urine stains from surfaces, including tiles, carpets, concrete, cages, and wooden floor. However, you can also add baking soda if the rabbit’s urine stains are too strong and have an awful smell. 

This article will discuss removing rabbit urine stains from cages, tiles, carpets, concrete, and wooden floor. Also, how can we clean urine stains from rabbit fur? So, let’s find it out.

Removing rabbit urine stains

The urine stains of rabbits can be cleaned using a mixture of white vinegar and water.

For the mixture of water and vinegar, you must mix an equal amount of white vinegar and water. 

In addition, mix one cup of pure white vinegar with one cup of water in the spray bottle to spray it on the targeted urine stain surfaces.

However, if the urine stains of your rabbit are too strong, you can add more vinegar to your created mixture to clean it properly.

Just like cats, rabbits can also be litter trained. Because of litter training, cleaning becomes quick and easy. In addition, your rabbit can only defecate in the litter box. 

But sometimes, even if your rabbit is litter trained, it may urinate outside its litter box by accident, creating urine stains. 

The rabbit urine stains not only have a dirty odor but are also challenging to clean when it’s been left for too long and become dry. 

However, cleaning urine stains is easy because you can use your household ingredients to remove them.

Also read: My Rabbit Has a Yellow Stain.

How to remove rabbit urine stains from tiles?

If you have tiles flooring, removing the rabbit’s urine stain may become challenging when it becomes dry. 

However, you can easily clean the urine with hot water right after when you spot your rabbit urinating on your tile flooring.

Rabbit urine is a highly acidic substance that can damage your flooring. In addition, the tiles and their small cracks can absorb your pet’s urine in large amounts and make tiles yellowish and untidy because the stains of rabbit urine can become strong enough if not cleaned properly.

To clean strong urine stains of a rabbit from your tile flooring, you may require baking soda, a paper towel, and white vinegar. 

Firstly, dry out the strong urine stain of your rabbit with the help of a paper towel. A paper towel helps to soak the liquid quickly and can be thrown after use instead of using a towel and washing it every time. 

After this, you must clean the targeted surface area with white vinegar and baking soda solution where your pet had peed.

For that, put one cup of baking soda in a bucket, fill it with half warm water, mix it well, and then add 1/2 cup of pure white vinegar (the reaction of two elements will occur, so pour the vinegar little by little in the bucket) and letting it sit for at least 10 minutes.

Take a rag and fairy sock it with the solution, and mop the surface area where your pet had peed. The baking soda and white vinegar solution will clean the surface clearly and make it smell better. 

However, if you have a mild rabbit’s urine stain on your tile flooring, you can clean it with warm water and a white vinegar mixture. Let the solution sit on the targeted area for a few minutes, then scrub it well.

How to remove rabbit urine stains from the cage?

You can remove rabbit urine stains from the enclosure either with the help of enzymatic cleaners that are designed to clean any stains by breaking down the odor and preventing re-marking or can be cleared by the household items like white vinegar or baking soda.

Firstly, you need to know which type of enclosure or cage you use for your rabbit. Since the plastic enclosure is simpler to use, it is preferable as a housing for rabbits than a wooden cage.

However, if you have a wooden enclosure, you may be required to follow the cleaning method according to the wood.

Another thing, if you are cleaning the cage of your rabbit to remove its urine stain, then you require another enclosure where your rabbit can stay until the previous enclosure becomes cleaned, odor and stain-free.

The urine stains of rabbits build up very strongly on the plastic surface, whether in a cage or a litter box. And due to this type of tough stain, you may require a powerful cleaning agent.

So, here are some steps to follow to remove rabbit urine strains from the cage:

1. Remove the items from the cage: The first thing you need to do is remove all the items, including bedding, toys, and other things, from your rabbit’s enclosure. 
2. Use undiluted white vinegar: Instead of using warm water and white vinegar solution, use pure, undiluted white vinegar as a powerful cleaning agent. 
3. Pour it into the bottom of the plastic enclosure: Pour a layer of an inch of pure white vinegar on the bottom of the rabbit’s plastic litter box or cage.
4. Set it for hours: Let the vinegar sit on the bottom of the enclosure for a few hours or overnight, depending on the stain’s size. In addition, let it stay for at least 2-3 hours so that the white vinegar breaks down the rabbit’s urine.
5. Scrub it well: After letting the vinegar stay for 24 hours, scrub out the stains properly with the scrubbing brush until you notice that the stain is gone. 
6. Use a paper towel: After scrubbing it properly, wipe off the vinegar with the help of a paper towel, and then wash it out with plain warm water. 
7. Dry up the enclosure: Once you wash the cage with warm water, dry it with a paper towel to prevent rusting any metal parts and avoid any subsequent bedding or place growing moist.

If the stains of rabbit urine are too rigid, then you can use the same baking soda and white vinegar mixture method, which is mentioned above for tiles.

However, if you want to put less time into making this solution or cleaning it overnight, you can buy any enzyme cleaner from amazon that can permanently clean the tough urine stains and smells better. We recommend Rocco & Roxie Stain & Odor Eliminator to remove the stains and control the odor of your rabbit’s urine.

Also read: Why Is My Rabbit Lying In Its Litter Box?

How to remove rabbit urine stains from the carpet?

Although dried rabbit urine stains are superficial to remove from fabrics and carpets, this situation will challenge eliminating the smell, encouraging your rabbit to pee again in the same area.

Removing the urine stain right after your rabbit pee can be easy by washing it with warm water and detergent.

However, if the urine stain becomes dry, it could be challenging to remove it and get the odor out because the odor or urine can remain behind even after washing.

So, here are some steps to remove rabbit urine stains from the carpet:

1. As soon as you see the mess, mop away wet urine areas with a cloth or paper towel.
2. Spray a carpet stain remover on the stain until it is completely saturated, and then use a damp cloth to wipe away it gently.
3. In a spray bottle, mix 1/3 cup white vinegar, 1 cup water, 1/4 cup mild dish soap, and 1/4 cup baking soda, and mix it well.
4. Spray the solution onto the urine stain and use a clean cloth to scrub it gently.
5. After giving the urine stain 15 minutes to soak, dab it with a wet cloth and let it air dry. 

If the stain is mild, spray water and white vinegar solution on it and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes. After that, rub the stained area with a dry cloth to remove the stain.

However, if the urine stain of your rabbit is too rigid, you can add baking soda to the water and vinegar mixture and spray it on the targeted area by repeating the same process.

White vinegar and baking soda can effectively neutralize the urine odor of rabbits.

In addition, vinegar’s acidity neutralizes bacteria and prevents the decomposition process, which reduces urine odors. 

In contrast, baking soda is an excellent odor controller that absorbs and removes strong smells and awful stains.

We recommend using good quality pure white vinegar and pure baking soda from amazon that helps to remove tough urine stains and control the odor effectively from the floor, plastic, or carpet.

How to remove rabbit urine stains from concrete?

Concrete that hasn’t been sealed may seem solid and waterproof, but it has numerous tiny pores and is comparable to a hard sponge. 

In addition, concrete may be deeply soaked by your rabbit’s urine, and it could be challenging to remove rabbit urine stains from concrete.

Any urine, including human or pet urine, contains uric acid crystals, which can be eliminated using only an enzyme-based cleaning solution.

Try to avoid using different cleaners to clean urine stains. Ensure that the concrete floor is dry.

In addition, use a scraper to remove any residue, such as carpet adhesive on the floor.

Thoroughly sweep the area to get rid of any dirt or loose debris. Then, get rid of all the extra material.

After this, here are some steps to follow to remove the rabbit urine stains from concrete:

1. To get rid of the urine stains, apply Trisodium Phosphate.
2. After locating the urine stains, the first step is to scrub the spot with a powerful 11.2 cup TSP solution diluted with a gallon of hot water.
3. Ensure to wear eye protection and gloves for safety and that the rabbit’s litter box is clean.
4. Using a scraper cleaned with a woodblock, open the concrete surface slightly.
5. Create a mixture by mixing equal parts water and bleach.
6. Leave the litter on the concrete floor and scrub the mixture into the surface.
7. Clean the residue in the morning after letting it sit all night.

How to remove rabbit urine stains from the wooden floor?

Remove the stain on the spot as soon as you notice that your rabbit is urinating on the wooden floor because removing dried stains from the wood surface becomes challenging.

Ammonia in rabbit urine, which is in high concentrations, will eventually begin to eat away at the painted wooden floor.

In some cases, when the urine of a rabbit is left on the wooden floor for so long, it will eventually begin to rot the wooden surface, especially in the areas where rabbits sit for a long time, and its urine soaks in the wooden surface.

You’ll probably need to repaint the hardwood flooring or replace it entirely.

However, if the urine stain of a rabbit is small enough, it can be cleared or reduced with white vinegar and water solution. 

If the urine of a rabbit is too strong, you may require to use hydrogen peroxide to remove the urine stain. 

But, it is essential to test the hydrogen peroxide on a modest floor area before applying it on the whole flooring to check whether it will not damage the wood underneath.

So here are steps to remove rabbit urine stains from wooden flooring:

1. Wipe the urine with a paper towel: If your rabbit has just peed, wipe it immediately with any old towel or paper towel. 
2. Let the vinegar solution sit for 5-10 minutes: After drying the surface with a paper towel, make an equal ratio of white vinegar and water solution and spray it on the targeted area and let it soak for 5 to 10 minutes and wipe it properly.
3. Repeat the process: If the stain is too strong, you can repeat it until it’s been removed. Using vinegar solution many times will not damage the flooring, so it is safe to use it frequently. 
4. Use baking soda: If the urine stain is removed but still has a dirty odor, you can use baking soda. It has abilities to remove bacteria and reduces the liquid. Spread the baking soda thick layer over the targeted area and let it sit for a few hours. Then, clean it with a paper towel, rinse it, and dry it thoroughly.

If the above method didn’t work well for you, and there is still odor and urine stains left on the wooden floor, then you can do the final step of hydrogen peroxide rag.

Since hydrogen peroxide is an oxidizer, it can neutralize the salt in the rabbit’s pee and kill bacteria. 

It is a powerful cleaner that requires testing on a small, inconspicuous area to identify whether it can damage the wooden floor.

This method combines one part hydrogen peroxide with one part water using standard 3% hydrogen peroxide. 

In addition, the hydrogen peroxide must be only 3% because a higher percentage could harm your floors.

After that, dip a washcloth or rag in the mixture. Rinse the cloth thoroughly to get rid of any extra solution. 

And then, leave the rag covering the area for several hours.

After letting the stain sit for a few hours, dry the area with a paper towel. However, to ensure that all the hydrogen peroxides have been removed, you may rinse them with water.

Also read: How To Train a Rabbit?

How to get urine stains out of rabbit fur?

If you notice that your rabbit has yellow or dark patches on its fur, then it indicates that it is urine stains on your rabbit’s fur.

Rabbits frequently pee, especially in summer, when they want to cool down their bodies in hot weather by drinking a lot of water.

And some rabbits, mostly younger ones, like to sit and lay on their litter boxes, from where they get their urine stains on their fur.

Although having yellow stains is not a matter to worry about, if you are not cleaning your rabbit regularly and allowing the urine to dry up on its fur for so long, it is a cause of concern.

Since rabbits can clean themselves, they don’t require bathing. However, if they won’t be able to do it because of some reasons, fur that has been wet or urinated on may result in skin issues like urine burns.

So, here are some ways to clean the rabbit’s urine from its fur:

Wet bath

It may be necessary to bathe a rabbit to remove urine stains if it has arthritis or other movement problems and cannot groom itself.

If the urine stains are too heavy and have a dirty odor, your rabbit may require a wet bath to prevent flystrike and urine scaling. Follow the steps to clean your rabbit’s fur stains by wet bathing:

1. Grab a tiny litter box for your rabbit, and place the towel on the bottom of it.
2. Add two or three inches of warm water to it (not more than 90 degrees Fahrenheit).
3. Add about a tablespoon of rabbit shampoo to warm water. Alternatively, you can use only warm water if the urine stain of your rabbit is not too heavy.
4. You might require the help of another person holding your rabbit so that they are a few centimeters above the water to perform the wet bath effectively. 
5. After that, ensure one person is holding the rabbit gently while the other gently rubs the urine-stained fur with regular warm water or shampoo.
6. You can submerge the rabbit’s back legs in the water if they can tolerate it. Additionally, wash your rabbit quickly to prevent it from getting cold.
7. Rinse the shampoo mixture off your rabbit using a cup of water.
8. Using a soft microfiber towel, gently rub their body after ensuring no shampoo is left on your rabbit’s fur.

If you are using shampoo for your rabbit, ensure you use the specified rabbit shampoo recommended by your vet because your rabbit skin may be harmed by daily human shampoo. 

Dry bath

If the urine stains are not too heavy and your rabbit cannot tolerate water or a wet bath, removing urine stains from your rabbit’s fur with a dry bath will be beneficial.

1. Put your rabbit in a comfortable position by gently placing it on its belly-up posture. Additionally, ensure that your rabbit’s feet, back, and neck have soft, padded surfaces.
2. Apply corn starch powder or baby powder to the rabbit’s fur stained by urine. In addition, using talc powder for dry baths is a big no because it contains scents and chemicals that can be harmful and irritate the skin or nasal passages.
3. Apply the corn starch powder lightly to the targeted areas of the rabbit’s feet and bottom stained with urine.
4. Next, use a flea comb to comb the powdered rabbit’s fur gently. Ensure not to comb to pull it out harshly; be gentle. 
5. Once the powder has covered the urine and helped it stick to the fur, you can pat and stroke the rabbit’s fur to eliminate any extra powder.
6. After making sure no more powder is left, you can secure your rabbit in its enclosure and clean its litter box by removing the dirt particles from the dry bath that have fallen to the ground.

Conclusion:

1. You can easily wipe out urine stains with an old towel or paper towel right after your rabbit pee. 
2. You can use white vinegar and water solution to remove the stains left by rabbit urine.
3. You might need baking soda and white vinegar to remove strong rabbit urine stains from tile flooring.
4. Use warm water and white vinegar solution to remove a light stain left by rabbit urine from the flooring.
5. Choose a dry or wet bath to clean urine stains from rabbit fur according to your rabbit’s preference.

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Reference: NCBI