Sometimes cat urine can be embedded very deep into the surface—especially carpet, and that’s why the smell persists. Consider having your carpet pad replaced (which is underneath your carpet) because no DIY method will work well if it’s your carpet pad holding most of the cat urine smell. Cat urine odor can sometimes be hard to get rid of on your own.
Professional carpet cleaning is by far the best way to get rid of a cat urine smell. But avoid using any ‘ol cleaning company. We highly suggest that you ask your local cleaners these 3 important questions first:
- Do you use a hot water extraction process?
- Do you specialize in pet and/or urine cleaning?
- Do your technicians use a blacklight and pre scrub solution & process to find staining?
If all these criteria aren’t met, don’t waste your money on whatever other carpet cleaning methods you may receive. And this may not be as expensive as you think it is. For example, for ServiceMaster of Kalamazoo to come clean two areas of carpet (ex: living room and bedroom) using specialty pet cleaning methods, would cost $130. Not so bad right?!
With all that being said about professional cleaners, we know people are going to DIY anyway, so we want to give you the best advice on what household cleaning products you can use to get the best results.
Here are a couple cheap, easy, homemade DIY remedies and tips that can help you get rid of that cat urine smell for good! Accidents can happen, especially for your feline friend. But what about accidents that have been cleaned thoroughly and are still leaving behind a strong cat pee odor? Cat urine odor can be a troublesome problem for your home environment—it sure does seem to linger! But not for long!
OUR DIY SOLUTIONS TO GETTING RID OF CAT URINE ODOR
It is important to soak up and remove as much of the urine as possible. Whether it be on the material of your upholstery or in your carpet, it is better to get as much of the urine off the fabric it’s on to achieve the most effective outcome. It’s best to remove the urine as soon possible in order to avoid stubborn stains and strong musky odors.
Good news! The products are in your cupboard.
You do not need to spend a lot of money on an enzymatic product to break down the smell because you can find beneficial ingredients already in your home. The following are couple DIY products that can assist you through your cleaning process: Warning: DO NOT use any ammonia based cleaning products (like all purpose cleaners, glass, toilet, oven, and floor cleaners, contain ammonia as an active ingredient) as this will make the problem much worse. To clean cat urine, use an enzymatic cleaner, like this one! Or search for specialty enzymatic cleaning products at your local store or online.
Vinegar has been found to be a powerful product to remove the smell of cat urine. Since vinegar is very acidic it helps offset and neutralizes the bacteria that forms in dried urine stains that create that horrible smell. Mix white vinegar or apple cider vinegar in water to dilute it (usually 1:1 ratio) and spray the solution on any fabric or floor. Use an old hand towel or paper towel to dab or blot the solution. Repeat this process until the area is mostly dry again. WARNING: You might also have bleach at home and think it would be a good idea to mix these two ingredients, however, DO NOT! Bleach and vinegar are both great cleaners, but you should never mix them together! Bleach has a chemical called sodium hypochlorite, and vinegar contains acetic acid. When these two combine, they create a harmful gas called chlorine, which can be really dangerous to breathe in. Avoid bleach when cleaning up cat urine.
You can use hydrogen-peroxide right after using the vinegar and water solution to further eliminate the odor. Hydrogen-peroxide is best for hardwood floors suffering from cat urine smells but also works for carpets, couches, and even clothing. According to CatCentric, hydrogen peroxide is 30% more oxidizing than chlorine. This will allow the elimination of the ammonia smell coming from cat urine. A successful way to use hydrogen-peroxide is pouring it directly on the surface where the smell is coming from, and let it rest for at least 5 minutes. Then, repeat the process of blotting the area. *Note: this may cause discoloration, test a small area first.
Baking soda has great properties that deodorize the smell of urine. Sodium bicarbonate is the substance baking soda is made of, and it’s amazing at soaking up odors. You can sprinkle it on the carpet or furniture after you’ve cleaned your cat’s urine, make sure the area is dry before doing so. Leave the baking soda in for about 15-30 minutes and then vacuum up the area thoroughly. *Note: Even with a nice suctioning vacuum, it is impossible to remove all the baking soda, so don’t overdo it!
Reduce the chance of cat urine accidents happening again
This is probably the most helpful step, and you can do this in a variety of ways.
Keep that cat litter cleaned!
Using a dirty bathroom is not ideal even for cats, and they might react by using your carpet instead. Cleaning your cat’s litter more often will help solve this issue.
Sometimes cats need a reminder of where to go, especially if they are kittens or introduced to new surroundings. Be patient, and actively show where the litter is to your cat. It is important to praise them when they do use their litter.
If you have more than one cat it is a good tip to have more than one litter box in order to allow the cats to have more areas to do their business.
Use dog-training urine pads under their litter box.
If your cat pees even a little over the sides or back of the litter box sometimes, put down these dog-training pads to protect the floor or carpet. Doing this will help definitely help the litter area to smell better.
Put your litter box inside a tote (without a lid).
This will help with any urine that may go over the edge of a regular litter box or if an enclosed litter system can’t be utilized. With the tote having larger sides, this should keep the urine contained. Don’t forget to line the tote with the dog training urine pads for easy clean up.
NOTE: If you or someone you know uses power tools, get a durable tote and cut a door in the side. Put your litter box in the tote right up next to the new door, put the top on the tote, and there you have it – a much more affordable enclosed litter box!
Following these steps should help get your house smelling better in no time!
And just remember, professional carpet cleaning is always a better choice for getting rid of cat urine smell for good. Please consider sharing this article with all your cat-loving friends and family! We love carpet cleaning here at ServiceMaster of Kalamazoo. It’s what we do! Well, along with like 26 other cleaning and restoration services. We’ve been in business for over 65 years and love to spread knowledge about what we know best.
The Urine Smell Appears to Be Gone, but Is It Clean?
These images show the cat urine spots under our black light.
The Before and After Pictures: ServiceMaster of Kalamazoo’s Specialty Pet Carpet Cleaning
“You could hardly see these cat/dog vomit & urine stains on this carpet before I used the black light. I pre-scrubbed the spots so I could see them in the regular light. The homeowner was shocked at how many spots I found with the black light. And now, it’s all clean.”
-Mike Woody, ServiceMaster of Kalamazoo Technician
