Dog urine on Airbnb mattress protector

A guest sneaked a dog in — that's one of the more frustrating discoveries post-checkout. The good news is it's fixable, but I want to flag straight away: the only products that permanently eliminate pet urine odour are enzyme-based cleaners. Anything else — sprays, fabric fresheners, even a hot wash alone — masks the smell temporarily, which won't protect your next guests or your reviews. Enzymes actually break down the uric acid crystals that carry the odour. Before I point you to the right product, a couple of quick questions: do you know roughly what size dog it was, and is the mattress protector machine washable, or is it a thick quilted type that can't go in a standard machine?

Got it. A waterproof fitted protector is actually good news — the waterproof layer may have stopped it reaching the mattress itself, so you might be dealing with contamination on the fabric side only. Strong smell suggests concentrated urine, possibly sat for the length of the stay before you found it. For a machine-washable item like this, the approach I'd recommend is Simple Solution Laundry Stain and Odour Eliminator — you add it directly to the wash alongside your normal detergent. It's enzyme-based, specifically formulated for pet urine on fabrics, and it works through the full wash cycle rather than just sitting on the surface. It's widely used by kennels and pet-friendly accommodation hosts for exactly this kind of situation. One thing: wash on the warmest temperature the protector's care label allows, and don't use a fabric softener in the same wash — it coats the fibres and reduces enzyme contact.

Don't replace it yet — one wash doesn't always fully clear heavily saturated urine, especially if the smell has had time to set. If there's still an odour after the first wash, do a second wash with the Simple Solution additive again rather than assuming it's failed. Between washes, if you can, soak the protector in a bucket of cool water with a good measure of the product for 30 minutes before the machine cycle — that pre-soak step makes a real difference on set-in contamination. If after two treated washes it still smells, then yes, replacement is the pragmatic call for an Airbnb context, but most people find one or two washes sorts it completely.

Worth checking. Take the protector off completely and smell the mattress directly — press your nose close to the surface and check the top and sides. If there's any urine smell or you can see a stain, treat it with Simple Solution Stain and Odour Remover spray (the standard bottle, not the laundry version) — apply generously, let it sit for 10 minutes, then blot with a clean cloth. Don't soak the mattress through, and let it air dry fully before putting any cover back on. If there's no smell and no visible staining on the mattress itself, the waterproof layer did its job and you're fine. Either way, once everything is clean and dry, it's worth putting a new waterproof protector on before your next guest.