How should I clean urine on natural stone tile?

Natural stone floors should be cleaned with neutral cleaners specifically designed for stone. Stone cleaners should never contain acid or bleach.

How to Clean Dog Pee From Tile and Grout

Your dog peed on a tile floor. The tile wipes clean, but the grout lines can soak up urine and hold the smell. This guide covers cleaning, rinsing, natural stone, resealing, dried spots, regrouting and repeat accidents, using what the Tile Council of North America (TCNA), the Natural Stone Institute, LATICRETE, Marazzi, the AKC and Humane World for Animals say. If your floor is laminate or vinyl plank instead, see our guide to pet urine on laminate and vinyl floors. For bare concrete, see how to get dog pee smell out of concrete, a patio or garage.

Step 1: Blot it up right away

The AKC says: "Regardless of what your dog has peed on, your best course of action is to act fast. The sooner you get to it, the more likely you'll be able to remove all traces of urine odor." For liquid spills on ceramic and porcelain tile, LATICRETE's care guide says: "Blot up the excess with a clean, dry cloth. Then clean the area with a pH-balanced cleaner and wipe off excess with a clean cloth."

Sources: AKC, How to Get Rid of Dog Pee Stains and Smells; LATICRETE, Ceramic and Porcelain Tile Care.

Why grout holds the smell

The grout lines are the weak spot. LATICRETE explains:

"However, the grout joint between the tiles is usually very porous and generally made of a cement-based material."

Marazzi's porcelain care guide says of grout: "It tends to capture dirt and darkens over time. It requires more specialized cleaning and maintenance than tile."

Sources: LATICRETE, Ceramic and Porcelain Tile Care; Marazzi, Care and Maintenance.

Sealed vs unsealed grout

Sealed grout buys you time, but it is not a guarantee. LATICRETE says: "Properly sealing the grout will give you time to wipe up a spill to avoid staining, but it cannot prevent etching."

Not all grout is the same. Marazzi notes: "Epoxy grouts, conversely, are chemically cured and acid resistant, and as a result, do not require a sealer." If you do not know what grout or sealer you have, ask your installer or check the grout maker's instructions before you clean.

Sources: LATICRETE; Marazzi, Care and Maintenance.

Step 2: Use a cleaner made for tile and grout

LATICRETE says: "Use a neutral cleaner that is specially formulated for ceramic, porcelain tile & grout to help remove soils that sweeping, dusting, vacuuming or damp mopping leave behind." It warns:

"Do not use ordinary household cleaners, as you may degrade the sealer that was applied to the grout to protect against stains. This includes not using acidic or alkaline cleaners, bleach, abrasives or ammoniated cleaners."

Marazzi agrees: "Do not use cleaning products that contain acids or ammonia (and other harsh chemicals) as these can damage grout and glazed surfaces of the tile."

There is a pet reason too. Humane World for Animals says: "Avoid cleaning chemicals such as ammonia or vinegar. Strong chemical odors may encourage your pet to reinforce the urine scent mark in that area." For how odor cleaners work on urine, see our guide to enzyme cleaners for pet urine, and check any product against your tile and grout maker's instructions.

Sources: LATICRETE; Marazzi; Humane World for Animals, pet stains and odors.

Step 3: Rinse and dry

Leftover cleaner in the grout can cause its own problem. TCNA says: "Even good alkaline cleaners, if not properly rinsed, will leave a sticky soap film. This usually attracts dirt."

Marazzi's routine care step is: "Rinse the area with clean water and dry thoroughly."

Sources: TCNA, Cleaning Grout; Marazzi.

Natural stone tile: be extra careful

Marble, limestone and travertine need different care. The Natural Stone Institute explains: "Calcium Carbonate is sensitive to acidic solutions so mild, non-acidic cleaners are recommended."

For spills, the Natural Stone Institute says: "Blot the spill with a paper towel immediately. Don't wipe the area, it will spread the spill. Flush the area with water and mild soap and rinse several times. Dry the area thoroughly with a soft cloth." Marazzi says: "Natural stone floors should be cleaned with neutral cleaners specifically designed for stone." and warns:

"Stone cleaners should never contain acid or bleach. Acids, even a light solution of vinegar and water, will etch and eventually damage many varieties of natural stone."

Sources: Marazzi, Care and Maintenance; Natural Stone Institute, Care and Cleaning of Natural Stone.

Step 4: Seal the grout afterward

Once the grout is clean and dry, sealing helps with the next accident. TCNA says: "To prevent staining in the future, you should seal the grout." LATICRETE says: "After restoring your tile and grout, remember to seal with an impregnating sealer to guard against future stains."

Sealer wears off. Marazzi says: "You may need to reapply the sealer on an annual basis depending on the sealer quality, traffic patterns, and maintenance routine." Follow the sealer maker's instructions.

Sources: TCNA, Cleaning Grout; LATICRETE; Marazzi.

Finding dried spots

Old accidents on tile can be hard to see. Humane World for Animals suggests: "Use your nose to sniff out soiled areas." and "If you have a black light, use it to identify soiled areas and lightly outline the areas with chalk."

Pet Cleanup Kit explains how to find pet urine with a black light. For older stains, read how to get old, dried pet urine stains out.

Source: Humane World for Animals.

When grout needs professional cleaning or regrouting

The AKC says: "If odors linger despite repeated cleaning, or if there are multiple or deep stains, professional cleaning may be the best option." For grout that will not come clean, TCNA says: "As a last resort, some installers elect to cut out the grout and regrout. This is possible although care must be taken to not damage or loosen the tile."

You cannot simply grout over the old lines. TCNA says: "Generally it is not possible to grout directly over the old grout without cutting the old grout out." Its cracked grout page adds: "At least 2/3 by depth of the old grout needs to be removed when replacing or repairing grout." This is a job for a tile professional.

Sources: AKC; TCNA, Cleaning Grout; TCNA, Cracked/Loose Grout.

Stop repeat spots

The AKC says: "Lingering scent can draw your dog back to the same area, reinforcing accidents." Humane World for Animals says: "As long as your pet can smell their personal scent, they may continue to return to the "accident zone."" Its advice: "Once the area is clean, make it unattractive and/or unavailable to your pet and make the appropriate bathroom area attractive."

The AKC notes: "If your dog is housetrained, they could also be marking instead of peeing." Our guide on why dogs and cats keep peeing in the same spot covers this in more depth.

If accidents keep happening, Humane World for Animals says: "If your pet is having regular accidents, have them checked by a veterinarian to rule out medical causes." For a puppy, see puppy accidents: cleanup steps that stop repeat spots.

If urine also reached a wall, see our guide to how to clean dog pee off baseboards and walls.

Sources: AKC; Humane World for Animals.

Using P-Cleaner

P-Cleaner is the Pet Stain & Odor Eliminator Foaming Liquid from Pet Cleanup Kit. The product listing says: "Our rinse-free, water-based formula tackles the toughest stains and odors from urine, feces, vomit, and other organic messes on carpets, rugs, upholstery, and hard surfaces." It also says: "Works on carpets, upholstery, tile, and more.", "No scrubbing necessary" and "Odor-Free & Residue-Free". Check your tile and grout maker's care instructions first, and test a hidden spot: Marazzi's care guide says the company "strongly recommends testing a small area PRIOR to usage of any installation/cleaning/maintenance product to determine whether the product serves its intended purpose." For natural stone tile, follow the stone care guidance quoted above. Follow the directions on the product label.

Still hunting for spots? The full kit includes a black light.

Buy P-Cleaner on petcleanupkit.com

Quoted from the petcleanupkit.com product listing and Marazzi, Care and Maintenance.