How to Remove Urine Smell from Memory Foam

Blot, treat with an enzyme cleaner, rinse lightly, and air-dry the memory foam to clear urine smell without soaking the core.

Pet accidents and night-time leaks happen. You can lift odor from memory foam without wrecking its feel.

Removing urine smell from memory foam: Fast plan

Start fast. The less time urine sits, the easier the cleanup. If you came here asking how to remove urine smell from memory foam, the enzyme route works best when used right away.

Blot up liquid with white towels. Press, don’t rub.
Apply a pet-safe enzyme cleaner. Let it dwell per label.
Lightly rinse the spot with a mister. Blot again.
Deodorize with dry baking soda. Vacuum once dry.
Dry the foam fully with airflow, fans, and low humidity.

Best options at a glance

Use this table to match the method to the mess.

Method	Best For	Notes
Enzyme Cleaner	Fresh or dried urine	Breaks down odor compounds; follow label dwell time.
White Vinegar Mix	Light odor on covers	1:3 vinegar:water in a mister; don’t saturate foam.
Baking Soda	Lingering smells	Apply dry, leave for hours, then vacuum.
Cold Water Mist	Quick rinse	Fine spray only; heavy water soaks the core.
Wet/Dry Vac	Deep extraction	Pulls liquid without grinding fibers.
Hydrogen Peroxide 3%	Stain halo on cover	Spot test; may lighten fabric. Keep off bare foam.
Sun & Fans	Drying	Bright shade or indirect sun; no high heat.
Mattress Protector	Prevention	Waterproof, breathable cover for next time.

Step-by-step for fresh spills

1. Blot, don’t rub

Lay down white towels or paper towels. Press firmly to draw moisture up. Swap to fresh towels until they come up damp, not wet. Rubbing spreads the mark and pushes liquid deeper.

2. Use an enzyme cleaner

Pet-grade enzyme formulas digest the smelly bits in urine. Spray enough to wet the top inch of the foam, not the whole block. Give it the dwell time the label asks for. Groups that handle pet care echo this approach and warn against heat tools that can set odors; see the pet urine odor guidance for why steam is a bad idea.

3. Light rinse and blot

Use a fine mister of cold water to lift leftover cleaner. Two to three passes are enough. Blot between passes. Skip soaking. Memory foam holds water in its cells and dries slowly.

4. Deodorize with baking soda

Dust on a thin, even layer. Leave it for at least six hours. Overnight is better. Vacuum with a clean upholstery tool.

5. Dry all the way

Move air across the area with a fan. Open windows if the weather is dry. A dehumidifier speeds the job. Sunlight can help, but keep heat gentle and avoid any device that blasts hot air, which can harm the foam.

Tough odor cases on memory foam

Sometimes the odor circles back. That means residue remains in the cells. Here’s how to step up the plan safely. Stay methodical with each pass.

Repeat a targeted enzyme soak

Lift the cover if it’s removable. Treat the foam spot only. Let the enzyme sit longer within the label range. Then blot hard with clean towels or a wet/dry vac.

Use a vinegar rinse on the cover

Mix one part white vinegar with three parts water in a spray bottle. Mist the cover fabric, not the foam. Let it air out, then rinse with a water mist and blot. Skip this step if your pet is scent-triggered by vinegar.

When peroxide makes sense

Peroxide can lift a protein halo on white covers. Stick to 3%. Spot test an inside seam. Keep peroxide off bare foam, as it can dry or bleach the material.

Neutralize past cleaners before enzymes

If an area was doused with perfume sprays or strong cleaners, enzymes may stall. Do a gentle water rinse first, blot, then re-apply the enzyme.

Drying memory foam without warping it

Drying is half the battle. Foam that stays damp can grow a musty scent. Here’s a safe drying routine.

Lift and ventilate

Strip bedding. If you can, prop the mattress on its side for a few hours. Set a box fan to move air along the surface.

Use fans and a dehumidifier

Cross-breeze wins. Aim one fan across the spot and another to exhaust air out of the room. Run a dehumidifier to pull moisture out of the air so the foam gives up water faster.

Sun, but not scorching heat

Carry the mattress to a bright, shaded spot or indirect sun. Rotate every hour. Skip hairdryers, space heaters, and steamers.

Safety notes you shouldn’t skip

Never mix cleaners. Bleach plus ammonia makes toxic gas. Public-health agencies stress this; see the CDC’s page on safe bleach use for details. Urine contains ammonia traces, so bleach is a poor match anywhere near the spot. Also avoid steam on odor spots, since heat can lock smells into synthetic fibers, as animal-care groups warn.

How to remove urine smell from memory foam: Full method

Here is the complete plan in one place. Use it when you want a tight checklist you can follow from start to finish. Readers searching how to remove urine smell from memory foam can follow this checklist end-to-end.

Tools

White towels or microfiber cloths
Pet-safe enzyme cleaner
Spray bottles for water and vinegar mix
Baking soda and a vacuum with upholstery tool
Fans and a dehumidifier
Protective gloves

Steps

Blot up liquid until towels come away only damp.
Apply enzyme cleaner to the spot and the inch around it. Wait as directed.
Mist with clean water, then blot again. Repeat once if needed.
Dust on baking soda. Wait six to twelve hours. Vacuum.
Dry the area with strong airflow until no coolness remains to the touch.

When the cover needs its own treatment

Covers take the brunt of the hit. Many are washable. Check the tag first. If it allows machine wash, rinse the spot in cold water, then run a gentle cycle with mild detergent. Air-dry flat. Heat can shrink backing or cause pilling. If the tag says spot clean only, stick with a water mist, a bit of mild detergent, and a patient blot.

Odor still there? Track down the source

If smell lingers after two rounds, widen the search. Shine a UV flashlight in a dark room to find halos. Enzyme-treat the full area you see under UV, not just the center mark. Repeat drying steps.

Second table: Drying timeline and actions

Use this table as a progress check while the foam dries.

Time Elapsed	What You Should Feel	Action
0–30 minutes	Surface cool and damp	Keep blotting; start fans.
1–3 hours	Top feels merely cool	Run fans and a dehumidifier.
6–12 hours	Even coolness; no wet spots	Vacuum baking soda; rotate mattress.
12–24 hours	Neutral to the touch	Keep airflow steady; brief sun in shade.
24–48 hours	Fully neutral, no cool patches	Make the bed; sniff test before sheets.

Prevention: Make the next cleanup easy

Slip on a waterproof, breathable protector. Keep enzyme cleaner and towels in a small bin near the laundry area. Train pets with scheduled outings and easy access to a litter box. Little habits cut repeat messes.

The payoff

With the steps above, you can clear odor without harming foam. The plan is fast, gentle, and based on products that work on urine chemistry. Keep a protector on the bed and spills turn from panic to a simple routine next time.