How to Clean Pet Urine From a Fabric Sofa

By Alex at SOFGO · 2 November 2026

Ochre Goldcrest K42 corner sofa bed with a tufted seat, matching scatter cushions and the chaise on the right, in a bright living room with a white coffee table and a shaggy rug — Goldcrest Corner Sofa Bed with Storage K42, £799 (view product). Shown in ochre with the chaise on the right; the page lets you choose a left or right corner at the same price. It lists a pull-out sleeping area for two adults and a full-width storage compartment, with an overall width of 260 cm. Easy Clean fabric, a water and pet resistant weave, is available for £998. Pay by debit or credit card, Klarna or Clearpay (subject to eligibility and status) or pay on delivery by cash or bank transfer.

Most pet owners face it sooner or later: a puppy still learning, an older dog who couldn't wait, or a cat making a point. A fresh accident on a fabric sofa can usually be dealt with well if you move quickly. The wrong first move, such as scrubbing hard or reaching for a strong household cleaner, can make the stain and the smell harder to shift.

The steps below are the same whether you need to clean dog urine from a sofa or remove cat urine, although cat urine often smells stronger and may take more than one round.

Before you start: find the care label on your sofa. It's usually under a seat cushion or on the base. Follow its cleaning code, and test any cleaner on a hidden spot first. Our guide to how to clean a fabric sofa explains what each code means.

Act fast: blot, do not rub

The aim is to get as much liquid out as possible before it soaks further in.

Blot straight away. Press a thick wad of kitchen roll or a clean, dry, light-coloured cloth firmly onto the wet patch. Hold it, lift it, and repeat with fresh paper until very little comes up.
Press, don't rub. Rubbing spreads urine sideways, pushes it deeper into the weave and can rough up the fabric surface.
Work from the outside in. Start at the edge of the wet area and move towards the centre, so the patch doesn't get bigger.
Use a towel for big accidents. For a large accident, lay a folded towel over the spot and press down firmly with your hands to draw out more moisture. Avoid kneeling or standing on the sofa itself.
Don't add heat. Skip the hairdryer, the iron and the steam cleaner at this stage. Heat can set both the stain and the smell into the fibres.
Avoid ammonia-based cleaners and bleach. Urine contains ammonia, so an ammonia cleaner can smell like urine to a pet and draw them back to the same spot. Bleach can strip colour from upholstery. Never mix different cleaning products.

If the urine has already dried, go straight to the enzyme cleaner step below. Older accidents usually take more than one treatment.

Enzyme cleaners explained

Water and soap can lift some of a fresh stain, but they often leave behind the parts of urine that cause the lingering smell. That's why a spot can look clean and still smell days later.

Enzyme cleaners (sometimes sold as "bio" or "biological" pet stain removers) are designed to break down the organic compounds in urine rather than just cover them with fragrance. That makes them the usual first choice for pet accidents on upholstery.

How to use one well:

Pick a product made for pet urine on upholstery, not one meant only for hard floors.
Patch test first. Apply a little to a hidden area, such as the back or underside of the sofa, and let it dry to check for marks or colour change.
Follow the instructions exactly, including how long to leave it. Most need time to work.
Cover the whole affected area. Urine spreads wider than the visible mark, so treat a little beyond the edge.
Don't flood the fabric. Too much liquid can soak into the foam and frame and make drying much harder.
Let it dry naturally. Open a window or use a fan. Keep pets off the area until it's completely dry.

Cushions and foam

A small accident caught quickly may only have reached the fabric. A larger one, or one that went unnoticed, can soak through to the cushion filling and the foam underneath.

Light grey Fairhaven corner sofa bed pulled out into a bed, made up with white bedding, teal and grey cushions and a teal throw, with the chaise on the right — Fairhaven Corner Sofa Bed with Storage M84, £1,199 (view product), shown in light grey, pulled out into a bed with the chaise on the right. The page lists a sleeping area of 123 × 193 cm and lets you choose a left or right corner. A washable throw over the seat or the made-up bed is an easy extra layer if a pet shares it. Easy Clean fabric is available for £1,398.

Check how far it has gone. If a dry paper towel still comes up damp after blotting, the liquid has gone deeper. Lift the seat cushion, if it's loose, and check underneath.
Treat both sides of a loose cushion. If urine has gone through, treat the top and the underside, and stand the cushion on its edge to dry so air can reach both faces.
Removable covers: only wash a cover if the care label says it can be washed, and make sure it's fully dry before it goes back on. Never put foam inserts in a washing machine.
Foam: apply enzyme cleaner to the affected area following the product's instructions, without soaking it. Gently press out excess liquid with a towel and let it dry thoroughly in a well-aired room, out of direct heat.
Fixed seats and sofa beds: where the cushion can't come off, work from the top with the same method, using less liquid. On a sofa bed, check the sleeping area too if it was open.
When to call a professional. If urine has soaked deep into the foam, has been left for a long time, or the care label says not to use water, a professional upholstery cleaner is often the safest route. Ask them about your fabric's cleaning code before they start.

Removing the smell

Pets can often smell a spot long after people can't, and a lingering scent is one of the main reasons they return to the same place.

Use bicarbonate of soda dry. Once the area is completely dry (smells are easier to judge then), sprinkle a thin layer of bicarbonate of soda over it, leave it for several hours or overnight, then vacuum it off with an upholstery tool. Don't mix it into a wet paste on the sofa, as it can leave a white residue.
Repeat the enzyme treatment if needed. If the smell comes back when the room warms up or the air is damp, treat the area again. Older or cat urine stains often need two or three rounds.
Find any old patches. If there's a smell but no obvious mark, some owners use a small UV torch in a dark room, as dried urine can show up under UV light. Treat anything you find the same way.

Our guide to how to get rid of sofa smells has more on airing, vacuuming and using bicarbonate of soda for everyday pet odours.

Preventing repeat accidents

Cover the favourite spot. A washable throw, or a pet blanket with a water-resistant backing, over the seat or chaise is much easier to wash than a sofa. Make sure any cover is breathable and doesn't hold moisture against the fabric.
Limit access for a while. Keep the living room door closed, or use a baby gate, while a puppy is training or after a run of accidents.
Keep routines regular. Take dogs out often, keep a cat's litter tray clean, and clean every accident thoroughly so no scent is left behind.
Speak to your vet. If a house-trained pet suddenly starts having accidents indoors, it's worth getting them checked, as a change in toilet habits can have a medical cause. Stress, such as a house move, can also play a part.
Choose fabric with pets in mind. If you're buying a new sofa, our guides to the best sofa fabric for dogs and pet-friendly Easy Clean fabric explain what to look for.

U-shaped Goldcrest corner sofa bed with grey tufted seats and back cushions on a black base, with a chaise at each end, in an open-plan room with large windows — U Shape Goldcrest Corner Sofa Bed with Storage, £999 (view product), shown with grey seats on a black base. The page lists deep chaise ends on both sides, two storage compartments under the seat bases and an overall size of 352 cm wide by 152 cm deep. On a big family sofa, a washable throw on the pets' favourite chaise keeps most mishaps off the upholstery. Easy Clean fabric is available for £1,198.

A note on Easy Clean. Many SOFGO product pages offer Easy Clean fabric as a fixed £199 upgrade. The site describes it as a water and pet resistant weave that wipes clean and is extra tough for paws, claws and spills. It can make spills easier to deal with, but no fabric makes a sofa accident-proof: liquid can still reach seams and filling, so the same approach applies. On the Goldcrest K42, for example, it takes the price from £799 to £998.

FAQs

How do you get pet urine out of a fabric sofa?

Blot up as much as you can straight away, pressing rather than rubbing. Then treat the area with an enzyme cleaner made for pet urine on upholstery, following its instructions and your sofa's care label, and let it dry naturally. Patch test any product on a hidden spot first.

How do you get dried cat or dog urine out of a sofa?

Treat it with an enzyme cleaner in the same way, making sure you cover a little beyond the visible mark. Dried and older stains, and cat urine in particular, often need two or three treatments, with full drying in between.

Does vinegar get rid of pet urine smell on a sofa?

It can help with a fresh accident on some fabrics, but it doesn't break urine down in the way an enzyme cleaner is designed to, and it can mark some upholstery. Check the care label and patch test before using it, and never mix it with other cleaners.

What if the urine has soaked into the sofa foam?

Treat the foam with an enzyme cleaner without soaking it, press out excess moisture and let it dry thoroughly in a well-aired room, away from direct heat. For a large or old accident, or a fabric that can't take water, a professional upholstery cleaner is often the safest option.

Why does my pet keep peeing on the same spot on the sofa?

Usually because a trace of the smell is still there. A thorough enzyme clean, a washable cover and limiting access for a while all help. If a house-trained pet starts having accidents, speak to your vet.

Is Easy Clean fabric urine-proof?

No fabric is accident-proof. SOFGO's Easy Clean is described as a water and pet resistant weave that wipes clean, which can make spills easier to deal with, but you should still blot quickly and clean the area properly.

Choosing a sofa that suits life with pets? Browse our in-stock range and our corner sofa beds with storage, and check each product page for the fabric options, listed sizes and the Ways to pay box. You can pay by card, or with Klarna or Clearpay (subject to eligibility), and many product pages also offer pay on delivery. Our guides to removing dog hair from a sofa and protecting your sofa from cat scratching cover the other everyday pet jobs.

Not sure which fabric or sofa will suit your home and your pets? Message our team or email support@sofgo.co.uk. We reply between 8am and 10pm, every day. Our FAQ answers the most common questions about delivery, fabrics and corner sofa beds.

Alex at SOFGO