Cleaning the floor

[Morganlefay]

sorry if this is a bit tmi but what do other people do...we have toilet and bathrooms with nice vinyl looks-like-wood floors, laid down all as one big sheet. My OH is getting worse and worse at aiming straight so every day there's a puddle. We have 'hanging' toilets, so you can clean completely underneath, which is good, but I have tried many approaches and the rooms still, and always, smell of wee (I do know it could be worse) I started with antibacterial floor wipes, then moved on to hands and knees scrubbing and now have a long handled scrubbing brush so I can have a good scrub and then mop it all up, but STILL the floor smells. I suppose I might have got a bit paranoid and the smell is in my head, but I don't think so. I've tried dilute Flash, and a nice Cif product called Straight to floor express cleaner, which they seem now to have discontinued, sadly. What do other people do ? It needs to be effective and easy as it's now a daily task, sometimes in three rooms. And I don't like doing it when he's watching as I don't want to make him unhappy.
Any ideas please ?

 

[Amethyst59]

Two things I have seen other people do...disposable absorbent mats around the loo...so they can be thrown away when soiled. And floor/carpet cleaners designed for use with pets. Evidently they are really effective.

 

[Fullticket]

Just a thought but is there ammonia in your floor cleaner? If so, that can be a bit wee-like and maybe that's what you are smelling? I learned that when the cat started wee-ing in the kitchen (not suggesting your OH is a cat...) but the ammonia smell attracts them to wee-ing there. Also, although mum has been gone for 6 months, whenever I go into what was her bedroom, it smells of mum - wee and body smell - even though there is a new flooring and all her stuff has been moved. That one is definitely in my head.

 

[karaokePete]

Cleaner designed for cats is very effective.

I used to have 3 female cats and would get the occasional tom cat come in and spray. The cat pee neutraliser was excellent.

 

[2jays]

Just a thought... not helpful but maybe some “liquid” has seeped under the flooring, so no matter what you wash with, the aroma will remain

Diluted vinegar as a wash could help

This relates to carpets, but may be of use

Copied from internet

How Vinegar Works

Most of the smell in urine is due to ammonia, a highly alkaline substance. Vinegar is acidic and helps to neutralize this scent. Vinegar is less effective at eliminating bad smells from feces and vomit, but can supplement other odor removers.

Stain Pre-Treatment

Simply applying vinegar directly to a soiled area is ineffective for removing both the stain and the odor. Instead, you must thoroughly clean the area. Start by sopping up all of the stain using an absorbent towel. Then try an enzyme or oxygen-based stain remover and apply according to the package instructions. Don't add vinegar until you've removed the stain remover.

Vinegar Treatment

To treat the soiled area, mix 1 part white vinegar to 6 parts water in a spray bottle, then spray to thoroughly saturate the stain. Use a toothbrush or carpet brush to rub into the stain, and leave the solution on for five to 10 minutes. Then completely remove the vinegar with an absorbent towel, and clean the stain again with a stain remover to remove any excess vinegar.

 

[kindred]

Cleaner designed for cats is very effective.

I used to have 3 female cats and would get the occasional tom cat come in and spray. The cat pee neutraliser was excellent.

I do agree. I had this problem with smell of pee getting through carpets to floorboards. In end had to change carpet but that's not why I'm posting! I cut huge affected section of carpet out to get to floorboards which ponged. I first cleaned them with light solution household soap, let it dry, let air get to it. Next day with very very very thin solution of don't wince, bleach. Rinsed well. Let it dry, let air get to it and bliss, bliss, no smell. Kindred.xcxc

 

[Tin]

My mum rarely has accidents now that she is wearing pads, but when she did I used a pet cleaning product, stain and odour remover. Best to soak up accident first, a few old hand towels will do this. I am really not sure if you will be able to get rid of any old smells, would stop using bleach based products now. is it possible that he has hit the wall, skirting boards etc as well. Take a look at raised toilet seats, may help to contain his aim. Definitely start using something on the floor around the toilet bowl. Disposable bed pads might work although they do move around easily so sticking corners down with duct tape would help.

Hope you find something soon, know the paranoia of smelling urine all the time and I became so obsessed as visitors walked into my home, I asked them to be honest and tell me if they could smell anything! Most of the time the answer was no.

 

[Batsue]

I use a spray designed for dogs wee on my mum's bathroom floor which sounds exactly like yours, when I laid the vinyl I sealed around the toilet and walls with silicone sealer to prevent anything getting underneath and causing smells, so far it is working.

 

[Canadian Joanne]

I use the cat cleanser on my floor for my aging cat. It works beautifully, and I find cat urine far more penetrating than human urine.

 

[Wifenotcarer]

To tackle this problem from another end: DH also missed the toilet and dribbled down his pants, trousers and shoes. I bought him a couple of bottles (Viva Medi Male Urinal) from Age Co. and problem solved. He is very happy (having been distressed by constantly wetting his clothes) to use the bottle while standing in the bathroom, pours the contents down the toilet and rinses the bottle. That has been a fortnight now with no 'misshaps, which has been a blessing in this rainy weather because I have not had wet mats, and clothes to be washed twice or three times a day.

 

[Morganlefay]

Thank you so much to everyone for excellent ideas. I hadn't thought of any of these and didn't know about ammonia cleaners themselves smelling of wee. I don't get on here very often so its taken me a while to read these kind and friendly answers, but I'm off now to buy Zybax, some mats, and maybe a strong aor freshener. I do think that some of it's in my head, but definitely not all of it. Thank you kind people....

 

[Wifenotcarer]

OH continues to use his Portable Uriinal with great success, but I now have a different problem. The bottle has been christened his PU and is referred to as such, with hysterical laughter, every time he uses it. The joke is beginning to wear a bit thin for me, but it is good to know that his sense of humour remains intact and that he can enjoy the joke several times a day as if it was a brand new thought.