Table of Contents:
Cat urine
contains proteins that leave a smell. Although most of the odor can be removed, there still remains a scent that cats can smell. This is how they identify where to urinate again. To avoid future accidents and “marking,” it is necessary to use a cleaning product with enzymes that will break down these proteins and remove them completely.
You Will Need:
- Rubber gloves
- Paper towels
- Pet cleaning product
- Kids ‘n Pets
- Nature’s Miracle
- Soft cloths
Steps to Clean the Urine:
- Protect yourself with rubber gloves when cleaning up any pet urine or feces.
- Use paper towels to absorb as much of the urine as possible.
- Next, apply a pet cleaning product. These are readily available from pet supply stores or in the pet department of any major store. There are a variety of products available, and some are less effective than others. The two products listed above have been proven effective, but they are only a few to choose from.
- Check the cleaning product label to ensure it is safe for your surface.
- Apply the cleaner liberally to the urine-stained area.
- Let it set for a minute so it can soak into the area.
- Use a soft cloth or paper towels to blot up the excess liquid.
- Allow the area to dry completely.
- If any odor remains, retreat the area.
Additional Tips and Advice
- Some cleaning products are scented.
- Cat urine has an ammonia smell and can easily be detected once the fragrance from the cleaner is removed.
- Be sure to apply enough cleaning product to tackle the urine that remains. Too little will not be effective enough to cut through the proteins and remove them.
- If you are unsure if you removed all of the urine successfully, watch your pet. If you see them returning to the same area or smelling it continuously, there is still a urine odor in that area that is detectable by them. To prevent future problems, treat the area again.
- Surfaces such as mattresses or furniture will require additional cleaning product to get down into the cushions. Be sure to allow ample drying time to avoid any mold or mildew growth.
Orange cleaning products will clean up anything. And cats don’t like the smell, so they probably won’t go in that spot again as long as the smell is there. Just don’t use too much or the cat will get sick from sniffing around it.
Cat pee smells of ammonia; the cat will smell the cleaned area and think that must be the right place to go.
Blot up as much of the urine as you can with paper towels, then cover the whole wet area with a thick layer of plain table salt. The salt will soak up the urine you can’t blot. Once it gets crusty, vacuum up the salt.
They sell them in the pet department at most stores, and some of the cleaners have a scent added that will keep your cat from going there again once you’ve cleaned it. Pet specific spot cleaners are also safe to use around cats and kids, so you’re not spraying deadly poison all over the carpet.
So far the best one I’ve used is the foaming kind in a spray can, which comes with a built on carpet brush, but Woolite makes a spray that works pretty well too. First soak up all the liquid, use paper towels or newspaper and stand on it if you have to, then follow the directions on the carpet cleaner to treat the spot.
Directions: wet generously the affected area with 50% water and 50% white vinegar; let dry. Next, apply a liberal amount of baking soda, and drizzle it with a quarter cup of hydrogen peroxide with a teaspoon of dish washing detergent. Work that in with a scrub brush, let dry, then vacuum.
Turn off all the lights and use a black light to find pet stains.
Code S or P: means that the manufacturer recommends that the furniture item be cleaned by a professional using a solvent cleaner. Solvents are waterless cleaners that won’t damage fine upholstery the way water might. Using a water-based cleaner on a sofa or chair that should have been dry cleaned can result in shrinking the fabric, ruining the dye, or causing a brownish water ring that can not be removed.
Being a rescuer of many cats, I have tried several of the enzyme-based urine treatments. The only one I have found truly effective is called Odormute; it is sold in a powder form; has to be mixed in a certain ratio, with distilled water, and should be applied within four hours of being mixed. I think this protocol is the reason it truly works. After comparing prices locally with Amazon, I bought it on Amazon. I called Chewy over a year ago, and asked them to consider carrying it; they said they already had similar products (pre-mixed). My concern is that some cats could lose their homes, if there is not an effective means of addressing this issue. I hope that this post addresses that.