# Cleaning Ceramic Tile - Getting the pee out?



## daveswoodhauler (May 4, 2009)

Not a great topic, but I am looking for some help.
We have a downstairs bathroom that gets 75-80% of the use....have three boys and ceramic tile on the floor....you get the idea.
Need something that will get the urine smell out of the tile and grout.
I have tried both vinegar and water solution, along with some tile cleaner that smelled like citrus....didn't work.
I am thinking that I'll need to get something and let it sit on the tile overnight....would love to hear if anyone else has had this issue and what you found to be a remedy?
I'll be regrouting using my rotery tool to get the old stuff up, but I need to get the smell out of the tile.
Many thanks.


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## mayhem (May 4, 2009)

A bleach solution maybe?  If we're tlaking about the buildup of a few drops here and a few drops there it shouldn't be too bad, but if we're talking about someone with chronically bad aim and a lack of the good sense to clean up after himself then you're probably stuck having to dremel and regrout the area.  Tile shouldn't be particularly porous so a smell sitting in the tile itself should not be a problem...get rid of the grout and scrub it with diluted clorox or something and you should be fine.


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## daveswoodhauler (May 4, 2009)

Yeah, I was thinking bleach...I scrubbed it pretty good and the smell is still there, so I will try some bleach.
Yeah, boys are 6 1/2, 4 1/2 and almost 2...so you get the idea ...not just a little drip every know and then....kids pull the trigger b4 they are done aiming.


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## flyingcow (May 4, 2009)

Been there(we have 3 kids also), when toilets get scrubbed, we scrub the floors, walls, etc every time. When the problem started, I also had the kids(and still do) scrub the toilets. Their aim improved remarkably.    Also we use Odo-Ban that we get from Sams Club. Very effective when added to the bleach solution. A gallon of extremely hot water,a little bleach, and odo-ban. Seems to work for us.


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## daveswoodhauler (May 4, 2009)

Thanks cow...looks like I'll be going with the bleach solution...thanks for the help.


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## TreePapa (May 4, 2009)

Extra good ventilation when using the bleach. Also, you could try the commercial mold / mildew cleaners. They're basically strong bleach w/ surfacants so the solution "sticks" to the surface for a while.

Again, all windows open, fan on high, etc.

Peace,
- Sequoia


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## Gooserider (May 5, 2009)

Have you tried the "battleship" trick?  I've heard many reports from the parents of young boys (doesn't work w/ girls for some reason  %-P ) that floating small paper boats in the bowl and encouraging them to "sink the battleships" is an effective method of encouraging better "targetting skills"...  You can even get pre-printed "boats" on tear off pads for the imagination challenged.

Of course it does also make sense to require them to aid in the cleanup efforts, as that is the "stick" side of handling the issue...

Gooserider


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## fossil (May 5, 2009)

Some of the pet-related cleaners can be pretty effective on human odors.  We're all just genetically related animals, after all.  Be darned careful about mixing up your own concoction of cleaners...don't _ever_ mix bleach and ammonia...you'll produce Chlorine gas!  Rick


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## mjbrown (May 5, 2009)

how about that rubbermaid industrial cleaner from walmart?my wife buys it all the time.

mike


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## woodsman23 (May 5, 2009)

try vinegar/dawn/baking soda/ peroxide,  go light on the dawn and scrub away with RUBBER GLOVES...


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## flyingcow (May 5, 2009)

woodsman23 said:
			
		

> try vinegar/dawn/baking soda/ peroxide,  go light on the dawn and scrub away with RUBBER GLOVES...



That sounds like the same mix we used to get the skunk smell off the dog years ago, worked well.


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## flyingcow (May 5, 2009)

fossil said:
			
		

> Some of the pet-related cleaners can be pretty effective on human odors.  We're all just genetically related animals, after all.  Be darned careful about mixing up your own concoction of cleaners...don't _ever_ mix bleach and ammonia...you'll produce Chlorine gas!  Rick



Isn't that the deadly clorox and bleach mix. That is down right deadly. Seriously I believe that ones a no no.


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## firefighterjake (May 5, 2009)

flyingcow said:
			
		

> fossil said:
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I believe Clorox is bleach . . . Fossil had it right with the ammonia and bleach being a bad, bad combo . . . unless you're trying to recreate a Trench warfare scene from WW I.


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## firefighterjake (May 5, 2009)

Gooserider said:
			
		

> Have you tried the "battleship" trick?  I've heard many reports from the parents of young boys (doesn't work w/ girls for some reason  %-P ) that floating small paper boats in the bowl and encouraging them to "sink the battleships" is an effective method of encouraging better "targetting skills"...  You can even get pre-printed "boats" on tear off pads for the imagination challenged.
> 
> Of course it does also make sense to require them to aid in the cleanup efforts, as that is the "stick" side of handling the issue...
> 
> Gooserider



Shoot . . . I'm thinking this would be fun for me as a grown-up!


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## Gooserider (May 5, 2009)

firefighterjake said:
			
		

> Gooserider said:
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Well we know how you fire-fighter types are about rubber-suits and "watersports"  %-P  - seriously, one of the negative side effects of all the anti-smoking efforts is to eliminate the adult version - targetting the cigarrette butts in urinals - (See George Carlin...)

Gooserider


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## flyingcow (May 5, 2009)

flyingcow said:
			
		

> fossil said:
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Shoot...I meant comet and bleach :shut:


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## Metal (May 5, 2009)

They actually sell Comet with bleach already in it.


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## dumbodog00 (May 8, 2009)

The odor removing wash that is used for hunting takes out the scent of cat pee (which can be really strong) in cloths and things.  I don't know if something like that would work for your grout or not.  I know you can buy it at Walmart or any other sporting goods store.  It might be worth a shot.


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## mjbrown (May 8, 2009)

Gooserider said:
			
		

> Have you tried the "battleship" trick?  I've heard many reports from the parents of young boys (doesn't work w/ girls for some reason  %-P ) that floating small paper boats in the bowl and encouraging them to "sink the battleships" is an effective method of encouraging better "targetting skills"...  You can even get pre-printed "boats" on tear off pads for the imagination challenged.
> 
> Of course it does also make sense to require them to aid in the cleanup efforts, as that is the "stick" side of handling the issue...
> 
> Gooserider




my wife did this with our boy when he was training, only she would toss a few fruit loops in the bowl and tell him to see if he could hit the hole.took a couple of days for me to figure out why she was keeping the cereal in the bathroom hh: 

mike


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