How to clean cat urine – Useful tips to remove cat urine odor
Almost every cat owner has had to deal with the task of removing cat urine odor from carpets and furniture. Because it is protein based, cat urine is also one of the difficult odors to remove and it won’t help to try and mask its pungent smell. Below follows tried and trusted advice on how to clean cat urine:
Best Cat Urine Removers
Immediately after “the act”
When you spot a spot, don’t waste time, follow these steps immediately – regardless of which method of cat urine removal below you will choose to follow.
- Use a clean cloth to blot up all the dampness, until the spot feels dry.
- It is very important never to rub, only blot!
- Use clean, cold water to rinse the spot again
- Blot it again until relatively dry
Cat urine remover products
If cleaning cat urine is becoming a serious problem, purchasing cat urine remover products is highly recommended. Take a look at our recommended cat urine cleaners. These products have been carefully researched and tested to kill all bacteria and remove odor causing enzymes.
- Some proven products: Rocco & Roxie, Anti Icky Poo, Nature’s Miracle and Urine Gone
- Before using a cat urine cleaner, first test a small area for possible staining
- Make sure the affected area is dry before applying (blot it dry, see above advice)
- Follow the instructions and apply the cat urine remover accordingly
Home remedies
You can also try to remove cat urine odors using common household ingredients. Below follows some advice:
- NEVER use ammonia based detergents as cat urine is also ammonia based, and using this will only encourage your cat to use the same spot again.
- Vinegar & Water: First create a strong solution using 3:1 vinegar and water. Apply the solution to affected area and place a heavy object onto it to press it. Don’t rub! Wait for area to dry. When dry, repeat the process using a weaker 1:3 solution.
- Baking soda:Dampen the affected area and sprinkle baking soda over it. Allow area to dry then brush or vacuum away the baking soda
- Peroxide:Use a detergent containing peroxide and spray onto area affected by cat urine odor. A useful hint is to mix some Listerine in solution first, because this helps masking the cat urine odor. Wait 5 minutes for chemicals to be absorbed, then blot it away. Repeat process.
Prevention
The ideal solution would be to prevent your cat from urinating in the house completely. Cats also tend to use the same spot on a carpet repeatedly. Here’s some advice on turning cat urine removal to prevention:
- If your cat prefers a certain spot, cover this area with tin foil for a while
- Mothballs or a Citronella smell applied to those areas also repell cats from going there again
- A cat urinating everywhere might be a symptom of urinary tract disease. If this problem has only recently started for no reason, you should consult your vet.
- Make sure you are preparing your cat’s litter in the correct way. See the Cat Litter article for good advice.
- Consider toilet training your cat to use your toilet.
