Getting rid of the smell of urine.. :(

Avoriaz

phill99 wrote: »

Getting rid of urine? You're trying to take the p*** now!

It is a pity that the lodger didn't take the p1ss.



OP, what is the background story? Had you fallen out or was he just an oddball?

djdust

Avoriaz wrote: »

OP, what is the background story? Had you fallen out or was he just an oddball?

Long story. Basically, he was an old mate from college 20 years ago who I'd sporadically kept in touch with over the years. He was having marital problems (i.e. his wife kicked him out, though I didn't know that at the time) and he asked if I needed a lodger. I needed the money so said yes, thinking we'd get on really well, not realising that he was an alcoholic, though it soon became pretty obvious. He was a real pain in the backside to live with for many many reasons. Here are just a few:

1) he had an occasional snotty attitude that he was doing me a massive favour by living here and paying me rent and it used to !!!!!! me off a very great deal...

2) He used to occasionally leave $h!t (yes, literal human faeces) all over the house. Little globules of it on the bathroom floor (well away from the toilet), smears on the settee (that came off his trousers). Absolutely disgusting and really unpleasant to have to clean up.

3) I could barely ever get any quality time with my girlfriend as he was always hovering around and never took the hint to leave us alone. She was always saying how she couldn't wait for him to move out so we'd actually get some more privacy (and I was planning to ask her to move in anyway once he'd gone). Alas, she turned out to be a two-faced cow who was quite obviously playing us off against one another as I discovered to my dismay when she broke up with me. I know for a fact he was slagging me off and calling me every name under the sun behind my back, no doubt with her happily fuelling it. Always really friendly to my face though. We never had a fall out about anything but I got fed up with him and so politely gave him his notice and he was fine about it (again, to my face at least). Ironically, when he moved into a new house, my ex (who'd dumped me brutally just 2 weeks previously after seriously f**king with my head for 2 weeks prior to that) moved in with him.

Yes, you read that right. She moved in with *him*... :rotfl:

It was only 3 weeks ago (a month after they'd both gone) that I discovered the gruesome state of the room he'd left behind with the hundreds of already-mentioned cans, a pedal bin (also full to the brim of urine) and a homemade chemical toilet full of a brown liquid...

I've no idea if he left it all up there to spite me (or if the ex was in on it) but I feel pretty certain that he's mentally ill and was doing all that for *months*, maybe even from the moment he moved in a year ago.

*shudder*

whitewing

There is a book about a man with OCD http://www.npr.org/2009/05/13/104094380/an-obsessive-compulsives-life-in-rewind

He used to store his faeces in ziplock bags.

There is another recent thread that may help too https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4406177

Eenymeeny

You have my sympathy! We bought a house from and old man and enough to say that the toilet floorboards stunk!
I eventually got rid of the smell by using a combination of some of the methods already suggested. I think surgical spirit worked best but I couldn't really say as I just used something different every day until it eventually faded... I scrubbed with a solution of bio soap powder and also used to scatter it dry then sweep the next day, hoping that some of it would filter through the spaces in between the floorboards. I also used citrus scented bleach. (I found that pine and original started to make me feel nearly as sick as with the pee smell!)
You'll also find lots of advice on the Old Style board under floor cleaning. Simple Solution or Neutradol are recommended. Apparently they are used to neutrilise the smell to deter cats from revisiting a used site. Maybe they would work?
Good luck (one little note, at least you have the satisfaction of knowing that the girlfriend will live to regret her actions!

27col

You have my sympathy OP. However, you might want to think about your choice of friends from now on, both male and female. Best of luck with the clean up.

YoungBusinessman

Sorry if mentioned but what kind of floor is it?! I'm having this with cat !!!! from previous owner, ripped up laminate and underlay today it's made aaaa ice difference, away to change the floor boards under this aswel to make sure it's gone. Disgusting from a cat nevermind human!

djdust

It's an upstairs room with floorboards. Alas, ripping them up and replacing is not an option as I have no budget...

lilpunkkitty

seems to me like you are better off without them both urrghhhh discusting - keep us posted on what gets rid of the smell :-)

cyclonebri1

djdust wrote: »

Yeah, thanks mum. Anyone else got any *practical* advice that doesn't involve time-travel?

Well I don't think that deserves 29 thanks as it is a valid comment, I too would have thought you would have been able to smell the issue while he was there to be honest, and please don't forget these topics allow others to learn from posters mistakes, that's important and any attempt to point out where the issue started is valid

But, and this is the point I was going to make before I read any detail;
You must get rid of the source of the urine 1st.

That's done now so. It has to be bleach doesn';t it, 99.9 % of bacteria gone and all that.
The smell will surely overpower the existing very quickly.

Sorry if it's been suggested earlier, not read it all.

Incidentally we had an extension built many years ago, before the concrete was laid the 2 builders must have been using 1 corner for their toilet needs, even after the concrete was down and set you could smell it coming from the edges even after several bottles of bleach I could still smell it, but no one else could. I think maybe I was just thinking it was still there.

Anyway, fresh air and bleach did the job.

saxonrosecliff

I've had a similar problem in the past when I moved into my current house. I did the bicarb of soda. It took three attempts to get rid of the smell. Basically I scattered bicarb everywhere, left it for 24 hours, hoovered and then did the same again. When the smell was just about gone I scrubbed the floorboards with biological washing powder in warm water. This got rid of it completely.

(Note to house purchasers: when you are looking at houses in December and there is one you really like there is a reason why the window in the back bedroom is wide open and the room stinks of various air fresheners!)