I Tried 3 Tricks for Getting Pee Out of My Kid’s Mattress, and There Was a Clear Winner

When you’re a parent (whether to a human or an animal), pee — and therefore pee stains — is just part of life. And somehow, these accidents often happen at the worst possible time: either in the middle of the night, or right when you absolutely cannot deal with it. In my case, accidents almost always struck at 3 a.m., back when my toddler was this close to being fully potty trained.

“Mommyyyyyy,” I heard one night from down the hall. By this point in my parenting journey, I can tell exactly what kind of 3 a.m. cry I’m dealing with — throw up, nightmare, or accident — so I had already gathered paper towels in anticipation of the mess I was about to clean up while half asleep. I wiped up what I could and used a random cleaning spray from the hallway closet. Unsurprisingly, my less-than-thorough approach left behind some pretty gnarly stains (no judgment, please).

Now that the potty training days are behind us, I decided it was finally time to give the mattress a real, proper clean. I searched the internet for how to clean pee off mattresses, especially a set-in stain, and discovered three popular methods. After testing, the winning method absolutely blew me away.

Instead of layering methods on top of each other, I divided the stain into three sections using painter’s tape and labeled each one. Then, I applied a different cleaning method to each section, doing my best to keep them separate (not perfect, but close enough to clearly see what worked).

The ratings: Each method was scored from 1 to 5 based on effectiveness, ease of use, and overall required effort.

Rating: 1/5

Method: Spray an enzyme cleaner and follow the bottle instructions (typically letting it sit before blotting).

How it went: I’m still not entirely sure what happened here. I followed the directions exactly — sprayed, waited, blotted — and somehow the stain looked worse. It’s possible I used too much product, or that enzyme cleaners just work better on fresh stains. Either way, this did not work for me.

Rating: 5/5

Method: Mix together one cup hydrogen peroxide, three tablespoons of baking soda, and two drops of dish soap. I mixed the solution together in a glass measuring cup and then took a white microfiber cloth, dipped it into the mixture, and applied it liberally to the stain. I let it dry for about eight hours and then wet a cloth and wiped off the baking soda residue.

How it went: I could tell almost immediately this was going to work. I already knew hydrogen peroxide has whitening properties, but I wasn’t sure how it would perform on a set-in stain. It completely blew me away. Within minutes, the stain looked like it had never been there. It was cheap, easy, and actually kind of fun to see the foam form after I mixed it all together. 

Rating: 3/5

Method: Mix equal parts white vinegar and distilled water in a spray bottle, spray the stain, wait 15 minutes, then blot.

How it went: This one was simple to make and use, and it definitely improved the stain. But compared to the hydrogen peroxide method, the results just weren’t as impressive.

There’s no question: The hydrogen peroxide mixture worked best, by a landslide. Enzyme cleaners may still be useful for fresh stains or washable items like rugs, but for a mattress (especially with older stains) the hydrogen peroxide solution really made it look brand-new.

Of course, the best-case scenario is always to treat stains right away. But if you’re reading this at 3 a.m., just blot what you can, head to your kitchen, and grab that hydrogen peroxide and baking soda. Your future self will thank you.