By:Monte Leeper
Q. Hope this question is within your purview. It concerns an older house
with nice wood floors throughout. It is a duplex in which one apartment was
rented to a family whose one child was not able to contain his kidneys
for years.
The result is one room reeks with the smell of urine. Please advise what can be done, if anything, to remove the smell, which I presume is imbedded in the varnished wood floor. Is there any detergent or bleach that is effective or
will I have to sand the floor down and varnish it? It has not been sanded or
varnished in recent years.
A. You have quite a predicament and I can only suggest trying to sand and
refinish the floors, because urine can penetrate deeply into the wood fibers.
The staining is only part of the problem. Depending on the severity of the
penetration, it can cause the fibers to expand, meaning some boards will need
to be removed. Sanding will shred severely damaged boards. I do know of
solutions that work as drying and lifting agents, but in this case, they may
do more damage than good. Never mix bleach and ammonia, if you do try to use
chemicals, and if you use abrasive cleaners, first test a spot that is in an
inconspicuous area, or write out your name and the date with the liquid
if you try it in the middle of the room, so others will know who ruined the
floor and when. Hydrogen peroxide can be very effective, but very damaging
if used improperly. Wet stain can be treated with drying agents or baking
soda. Whatever you decide, make certain to open windows to ventilate the
area.
Good Luck!
